Who is a greater threat to our civil liberties? The Le Pen’s of the world (as represented in the readership of various blogs), or the muslim guy living down the road?
1. John Key legislating to spy on us, as recently as last year ….
2. Many countries requiring ID to be carried and provided ….
3. Reversing the burden of proof when charged by the state for a crime ….
4. Ability to arrest and incarcerate without charge ….
he misspoke and James you have repeated this misinformation before. READ the actual policy and educate yourself, although that you have already been educated on this and continue to repeat the lie suggests you are being deliberately deceptive.
But the Le Pens are more likely to get into power. In fact, many of them already are in France and Ukraine. Unless you’re in a country with a Muslim majority, the Muslim guy down the road is nowhere near power.
The greatest threat to our civil liberties are apathy and a lack of vigilance.
This is driven by the failure of many people to take 100% personal responsibility for their lives, causing them to assume they have no power, leading them to confer power upon those who seek to have it over them.
This is achieved by deifying those who seek such power, and imagining them to be superior human beings with special qualities, which they invariably are not, and do not have.
All of which is driven by deep seated insecurity on the part of most people, secretly believing themselves to be powerless and worthless (as in “worth less than other people who have the appearance of greater material status”).
The greatest danger we face in society is the degree to which people have given money the meaning and power it now has over us.
In reality it is just money, but the meaning and the power we now imagine it to have has got us all addicted to it like methamphetamine or cocaine, to the degree that people will behave in obscene and inhuman ways to protect their sources and supplies of it.
We have become dehumanised and desensitised to each other’s feelings, suffering, and needs because of our need to protect and maintain our income(s).
Like gerbils on treadmills, we have to run faster and faster after the money dangled in front of us,increasingly unable to care about what is going on around us, in order to maintain our supply of it.
We now do this at the cost of our sanity and health and relationships, in many, many cases.
Such is the power and the meaning we have given every dollar.
We treat people who drive expensive cars and live in expensive homes dramatically differently to the way we treat people who don’t.
Our definitions of success are almost solely rooted in financial and material status, which in turn defines our social status in our hierarchies.
All of these things combined are serving to weaken our civil liberties, because our obsession with the power we believe money gives us causes us to fear the loss of it to the degree that we will tolerate almost any inhumanity and/or indignity in order to maintain our supply of it.
Even more so if such inhumanity and/or indignities are being inflicted upon other people.
These observations make me neither left nor right.
Our entire socio-economic system has been designed to shift the power to those with money and to make others believe that they have no power to change it. This is helped be the fact that the representative governments do what the rich want and don’t listen to the people.
I see that the herald is leading with the typical teacher-bashing bait that will get the relevant people frothing. They made sure to put the word “free” in quotations, to make sure the plebs know that it’s a crumb being thrown off the table.
The inverted commas merely highlight the angle of the story, the cost of NZ’s supposedly free education; in fact, it’s about as disingenuous a notion as your blatantly stirring comment, Heartbleeding Liberal.
“House Republican women and moderates are in an escalating battle against their leaders on an antiabortion bill slated to come to the floor Thursday, deepening a rift between centrists and conservatives who are at cross-purposes on which issues the party should be highlighting.
The bill may still be tweaked, but Republican leaders are insistent they will move ahead with legislation banning abortions after 20 weeks, despite concerns from those within their conference that the bill might alienate millennials and female voters. But many female lawmakers are furious over its clause stating that women can be exempt from the ban in cases of rape only if they reported the rape to authorities. ”
Several news organizations reported last week that some Republican women, including Rep. Renee Ellmers, had objected to the clause requiring rape survivors to report to the police. But the same provision was in the 2013 version of the bill, which passed with all but six Republican members voting yes, including Elmers.>
good article – makes sense – our society has become so individualistic and competitive that trust and collegiality is difficult to come by and whereas we might have eliminated most of the things that used to eat us, we live in a much more dangerous world than our ancestors
I personally think sometimes there is more than one answer, though the “cage” idea has merit, and the success of Portugal’s approach demonstrates the failure of the punitive approach to drugs.
I do actually think that there is a genetic disposition for some to develop addictive behaviours, as well as there being some mental health issues that when unresolved will lead to people self-medicating with addictive substances or behaviours.
Genetic is a dangerous idea. It gives the impression that someone was born that way and ther is nothing that can be done. research hows this to not be true and infact Genes turn on and off based upon environment. there as a great segment on this in the Zietgiest movie.
Exactly. As stated in the video there are somethings that can have a genetic componant but that in no way makes it preditermanate. As to addiction they specifically state that it is one that is far more attributal to environment and in particular stress on the mother during pregnancy. This could be why as we see the stresses applied to families by growing inequality increase we also see rates of addiction increase. That is of course supposition on my part and in no way the result of any research I have done.
If your family does have this gene and is aware of it, they are more likely to avoid trying substances etc in the first place.
If this has been debunked, then you are right – it is a point prone to abuse.
However if it is true, then treatment for those unlucky enough to carry the gene may be more effective if it is designed around that perspective.
Most often we look for one simple answer, or one catch all solution but when it comes to people and living organisms the diversity of life should show us that multiple solutions and approaches are the most effective way of dealing with problems.
@ crash – the key word Jan uses is ‘disposition’ – or propensity or an enabler of the possibiity towards ….. whatever.
In my case, I have various family members up and down the chain on one side of the family with some sort of switch that’s been turned on enabling them to choose addiction to drugs, alcohol/pot (and all plus gambling) …. you name it – violence even. On the other ‘side’, they’re right little angels all the way up and down that chain.
The whole nature versus nurture thing has had me pondering it all for most of my life but I’m convinced there is a genetic switch that enables – but in a way that doesn’t compel – i.e. not compulsory – otherwise I can’t explain my existence.
I’d be interested in Mr Ure’s opinions ekshully though I dare not ask because there’ll be a clamour of bs nastiness and ego-driven kaka – one that caused me to make a point of avoiding TS for a few days.
(Oh, and I noticed doing a search by author of my last comment re Fletch of CSB fame – a few days back, that it apparently disappeared up its own arse – just as he should. As Little once put it “Cut the crap”. He DIDN’T resign for “family reasons”. He, ( being the sucker-of-dick-in-chief) crossed the line. A line of which future masters-of-the-Universe felt threatened by.
Anyway – back to Ludditeville. Right now’ tis a very releckzing place to be ….. one where a human has time to consider things; where 24 hour news cycles are meaningless; where cellfone coverage is almost non-existent; where trees can grow and clean water can flow; where people propping up those in power who represent the closest thing we’ve seen since the last war to fascism are absent; where trains pass by from time-to-time carrying the loads of several dozen rigs whose drivers probably idolise Phil Stein but who in reality are part of the precariat should they have to cash up (a wishin and a hopin, stand by your man – and all that sort of shit); and best of all where E-spinners, Fergussons, Christies … (in fact half of TVNZ, most of Fearfucks and the self-appointed ‘in crowd’) would be screaming mummy mummy come rescue me. There’s also no hospital – or even a primary care establishment that’s capable of surgically removing electronics from robotic life forms.
Paradise! (It isn’t Davos btw)
I don’t even know why we should worry about substance addiction. Addictions can be managed and the negative effects are usually tied up with illegality anyway. I reckon if people want to be addicted to something, good luck to them. Currency and property speculators on the other hand have an addiction which damages the whole of society.
as far as heroin is concerned..there is also the age-factor..
..’cos what i have found..is that most heroin addicts kick in their mid-thirties..
..and i dunno why that is..other imperatives kick in..(with me it was having to raise a daughter on my own..and being unable to discharge both responsibilities at the same time…so..in a way..she saved my life..)
..there is also the fact that you get sick of the lifestyle..(being a junkie really is a full-time job..and most tire of it..)
..so my harm-reduction prescription for young heroin addicts..
..is for them able to register..to be supplied/maintained with medical-grade narcotics..(most of the physical harm done to junkies is from adulterants in the blackmarket products..most overdoses are a result of the vagaries of blackmarket-priduct quality..)
..until that time that they themselves decide to wean off..
..currently we have the blackmarket..and the only other option that brain-screwing vile-muck methadone..(a drug more addictive/harder to kick than heroin..duh..!..eh..?..so much so that for most who go on it..methadone is a life-sentence..double-duh..!..eh..?..)
“I don’t even know why we should worry about substance addiction. Addictions can be managed and the negative effects are usually tied up with illegality anyway”
Substance abuse can be pretty hard on the body/health, although you are probably right about the negative effects in that some of that would be mitigated if drugs weren’t illegal and were available with medical support.
Using street rubbish, spending your money on drugs instead of food and rent, getting bashed by ngati poaka, and imprisoned on a regular basis is pretty hard on the body/health.
“Using street rubbish, spending your money on drugs instead of food and rent, getting bashed by ngati poaka, and imprisoned on a regular basis is pretty hard on the body/health.”
True, but solve all those problems, and you still have effects, sometimes significant, on the body. All drugs, including prescription, have side effects, some worse than others. Continuous use over years is far from ideal if it can be helped.
I think the mind suffers most when you have a substance abuse problem due to low sense of worth that comes from not being able to control you own behaviour.
..and kinda smacked into the wall at the end of the dead-end alley…
(and this might blow yr mind..but i had an out-of-body experience that helped convince me it was time to stop..
..i went out and looked back down at myself..
..and what i had become..
..and i was not impressed by what i saw..
..it was clear i cd not do that for much longer..
..i stopped soon after..
..(the upside of that experience of course..is that i don’t fear death..as i know we are not just the body..i don’t know any more than that tho’..but that i know..and i found that quite liberating..and u can believe that..or not..)
..also..with heroin..each time u get another habit..drop it..and then u start again..u get hooked quicker/harder than the time before..and the withdrawals are worse..
..and i had got to the stage where i only had to see a picture of the stuff to get wired..
..the pleasure/pain scales were tipped way over on the pain side..
@ Phil Ure and this might blow yr mind..but i had an out-of-body experience that helped convince me it was time to stop..
That interests me. If you don’t mind, what I want to know is
(a) Were you on death bed and clinically dead?
(b) Did you go through the ‘tunnel’ with bright lights at a distance, ‘see’ a white robed figure, welcomed by deceased close friends and relatives, see heaven etc (c) Had an enjoyable experience from which you were reluctant to return or (d) was it just a drug induced high hallucination? (What drug were you using at that time?)
Easy enough mistake for someone who doesn’t spend much of their time considering issues relating to drugs in society, but you seem to have spent years in doing field research…
Kicking the new season off in a ratings war, First Line on tv3 were trying to out do their tv1 opponents by the anchor’s sighing and rolling their eyes after watching the interview with Morgan. One saying “oh he has a book coming out soon… haha just trying to sell books” the other 2 nodding their heads like puppets, thought I was watching thunderbirds for a moment.
Anyone else remember a certain someone saying that they are tightening up on the moderation? It seems that that quite a lot of vile (as shown in the post on this blog yesterday) doesn’t quite meet the threshold. I wonder what does.
On another note, the readership sure has a lot of time on its hands to comment all day, considering that they generally self-identify as the “keeping this country running through hard work” type.
National Radio, late yesterday afternoon listening to some story about Yemen’s so-called “terrorists”, the American news story had the presenter stating “we” as in “we need to work to curb these terrorists”. Not objective journalism at all, not one iota.
I aint no part of their “we” the bloody wankers. The journalist should be referring to something like “the American government wants to curb the terrorists”, not “we need to curb the terrorists”
Gobsmacked I was, gobsmacked.
Wtf is Nat Radio doing running American fox-type shite like this? Unbelievable. Where is Morrisey?
I am answering the point. I suggest the widely held view in our society is that militant Islamic fundamentalists (who are attempting to confront Western nations or western backed governments due to their virulent opposition to many values of the West that we generally all share) should be opposed around the world. Hence why Radio NZ National probably used the term ‘We’ in the piece you refer to.
Yes but objective journalism is not the same as perfectly balanced journalism. For example during a genocide it is not necessary to respect the views of those carrying out the genocide in any reports and refrain from calling it a genocide as a result.
The Ottawa shooting was a terrorist attack by a mentally ill man. His illness doesn’t change the nature of his crime, which was essentially a copy cat of similar terrorist attacks.
Re: the RNZ piece, you haven’t given us anything to work with. There are several groups fighting in Yemen, including Al Qaeda. The group beseiging the capital probably don’t deserve the label terrorist, so if it was them being referred to, you are right to be critical.
But there was nothing “terrorism” about the Ottawa event … it involved a soldier and a government at war being attacked. No civilians involved at all. No terror.
Re the RNZ piece, yes no link sorry, bit hopeless ate fnding those. But the point was not about the subject of the piece, which is immaterial, it was entirely about how the piece was presented.
Re: Ottawa, it won’t be much comfort to the family of the dead part-time soldier that a bloke on a blog in NZ reckons his death wasn’t terrorism. Your definition of terrorism (must involve civilians) is unique. That’s not how the Canadian parliament, the Mounties, or even the Ottawa Muslim Association (who arranged his burial), saw it.
However, I would agree that the label, accurate or not, is often co-opted for other political purposes and it certainly was immediately after this incident.
I think this statement is probably the most dignified response:
“Nathan Cirillo was my boyfriend. I loved him deeply, as did all of the family and friends who knew him and we all still mourn him every day. That being said, I feel I should weigh in on this ridiculous “was he a hero or was he not” debate. My response is:
“we should be talking about is the dismal state of mental healthcare in our country. What that deeply disturbed man killing my boyfriend should make Canadians focus on is how we can prevent another event like this through more accessible and effective mental health treatment programs that target the real source of this tragedy. Stop tearing apart the honour and love bestowed upon a wonderful man who deserves every bit of it and start taking a good hard look at the awful, dysfunctional systems in our nation that this has shown us need to change….I am a very proud Canadian, but the fact that this hero/not business is what the media here and the general public has chosen to talk about, I must say I am very disappointed. We can do, and are, better than this, Canada…..I feel as though this is an important discussion that needs to continue happening.””
Andrea Polko.
Doesn’t really explain the Charlie Hebdo attack does it especially considering Al Qaida in Yemen has taken credit in ordering that specifically because of the clash of values not policies.
‘Speaking over footage of the attack that killed 12 people, Ansi said: “Today, the mujahideen avenge their revered prophet, and send the clearest message to everyone who would dare to attack Islamic sanctities.”‘
Short version though, on what terrorists aim to achieve by terrorism:
1) Provoke an overreaction from the state and the broader population
2) Escalate the conflict
3) Win the hearts and minds of the people they claim to represent, primarily by using the state’s reactions as examples of how the state hates them, and the terrorists are right to be fighting back
4) Endure. If the terrorists can survive (not individually, but as a ’cause’) they will win.
The propaganda they put out is simply in aid of point 3.
Have you joined the Army/Navy yet? So that you will be ready to curb terrorism the day that Dear Leader announces our most excellent adventure in the Middle East?
IF not… Why not? Don’t you want to curb militant Islamic terrorism?
..the american senate has just voted on a motion..that voting yes on indicated an acceptance of the science of climate-change as a reality by the voting senator..
..and only one senator voted against it..
..2015 really will be the yr of climatechange taken seriously..
..and the drill baby drill!/mine baby mine! policies of this key govt..and our (pollution-charging exempt) dirty-dairying exporting ‘industries’..
..will make us more and more international-outliers..
..key will no longer be able to fall back on our high rate of renewable-energy as his answer/counter to any calls to clean up our act..
..the international pressure/imperatives on us/key is going to seriously ramp-up..
Are you seriously suggesting that the GOP is now full of Climate change accepting anti-oil people? I think you might need to change the variety that you are smoking at the moment as it could well be too strong 😉 .
I have never denied the scientific consensus around any topic. I suspect you on the other hand have been at odds with the mainstream scientific view numerous times in the past and currently.
Strangely you read like some of the hard core Climate change deniers I have seen. They too argue the IPCC is driven by political rather than scientific notions.
Senate Republicans head-faked Democrats on climate change Wednesday, agreeing in a floor vote that the planet’s climate was changing, but blocking language that would have blamed human activity.
It will be good for the planet when this generation passes. Though I imagine there are many mini-colonials being brainwashed at the breakfast table each day in these regions
Today is a day National & the Maori-Tory party’s will be dreading. Fronting up at Ratana where Little & Labour are the main act. Peters will be rubbing Nationals frontman, Bill English nose in it over pretty much everything 🙂
Tradition dear boy, whatever next Gosman? Don’t tell me you would suggest the Government abstain from attending the Waitangi commemoration?
Speaking our which I see the NZH are starting their divisive nonsense early by putting out the question of is being called Pakeha an insult? Something like that I read on their Facebook feed. Oh yes and as they intended the amount of thin skinned people taking offense was overwhelming.
I don’t like being described as a Pakeha. I much prefer NZ European. I would rather not be defined by the other partner in our bi-cultural nation. It isn’t as if Maori people still go by the name ‘Natives’ any more.
Exactly. Let us acknowledge that many people prefer not to be called Pakeha or any other name they feel may be derogatory. Maori have defined what name/s they prefer (e.g. Maori, Tanga te Whenua etc). Non Maori should have the same right.
Not really though eh. “natives” is just a description. Loads of people all over the world were called natives by colonial powers. It doesn’t apply to Maori specifically. The term used for Maori specifically, to distinguish them from other peoples, was New Zealanders
But whatever. I like being called Pakeha, and the term isn;t going away, so you’re just going to have to live with it I’m afraid.
You are quite free to your identity politics driven idea here. That’s fine.
All I’m saying is that many people will find you ridiculous. This is to do with the nature of identity politics.
It’s like how “meninism” is trying to become a thing, but is only becoming a silly thing that most people will laugh at.
Complaining that you are being othered, that your identity is being forced on you by a marginalised minority is always going to sound odd to many people.
‘I’m a white male facing structural oppression, and I demand the right to have my voice as a white male heard’, is simply hard argument to make and not come across as being a bit of a fuckwit, what with society being the way it is.
But like I said, go for it. Print a T-shirt. Reclaim the streets, or something.
Except the NZ Herald is holding internet polls on the issue. Remember it wasn’t me who raised this issue but someone who objected to the Herald doing this. Why would they be holding polls if it is such a non issue as you seem to think it is?
Objecting to being called Pakeha does not make you a racist. That stated many racists it is true would likely object to being labelled by the term. That still doesn’t make objecting to the term wrong.
I repetitively remind everyone of the Monty Python skit of the political underclass the unrestructured anarchists or something.
Ends with the king getting totally pissed off with the peasant who won’t Shut Up. And gives him a shake. ‘Help I’m being repressed’. See the violence inherent in the system Gosman.
When your in france do you insist on using english names for things?
Its the same idiocy you get from people who refuse to use proper maori pronunciation.
Yet those same people would pronounce “faux pas” as “fo par” because they can somehow accept that the spelling of a word is said differently in french – yet they shit their precious little y-fronts if its in maori
Maori is an official language of NZ and pakeha was the name they used to describe/label/denote europeans – so your a pakeha, big whoop
Ooh noes – some is labeling me in a language i dont speak! The horror!
As stated I am happy if you want to define yourself as a Pakeha. I would prefer not to myself and would correct people if they decide to do so. They are free to ignore me but then they make the choice to be deliberately provocative.
I usually object to someone trying to define me as anything I disagree with. I make exceptions in places where I should expect such things such as this site.
As far as I’m concerned, and following my own definition of ‘pakeha’ I would agree with Gosman that he isn’t one. I tend to think of a pakeha as someone who tries to honour the Treaty, is proud of it and acknowledges Maori as tangata whenua. It is, as far as I’m concerned, a compliment and not to be handed out to any old ‘european’.
Thing is, immigrants to a country already populated by some other culture have to suck it up and take what the locals call them – for instance, I doubt Chinese immigrants call themselves Chinese, but that’s tough shit because we’re not going to call them whatever it is they call themselves. And if we moved to China, they’d have some word for us that wouldn’t be “NZ European,” and they wouldn’t be interested in being taught to call us “NZ European” instead of whatever word they already came up with. Them’s the breaks, kid – Maori got here first. People who want to be Europeans should go live in Europe.
Gosman @ 13.1.1.1.4.1 – “……but then they make the choice to be deliberately provocative.”
Back up the truck bro’ ! Ain’t that all part and parcel of “Freedom of Speech” ? Yeah. Without limit apparently. So why the unmissable pejorative about provocativeness Gosman ?
(“I would suggest…..”) that your ridiculously self-centred, eurocentric exceptionalism, the father of your hypocrisy, is risible Mr Pakehahahaha Gosman.
Our commercial media is so transparently biased it is ridiculous. Today Kim Dotcom’s Mega launched a new, end to end, encrypted voice service called “MegaChat”. How do I know this? Not from the business pages of the Herald or Stuff, even though the service is based here. No, I read it in the Guardian – http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/22/kim-dotcom-launches-encrypted-voice-chat-skype-killer – a British newspaper that thought the story worth a reasonable amount of coverage.
It is almost as if the word has gone out from the corporate owners of our commercial media – Dotcom can only be reported on if it furthers a certain new narrative about the guy – maybe a hint of perversion in some hot tottie being lured to the lair of the fat man (Sarah Torrent) or his “dubious” legal battles to avoid extradition.
Preparing for my Public Meeting tonight, Friday 23 January 2015, 7.30pm – 9pm, at the Carterton ‘RSA’ 35 Broadway – to SLAM the Auckland ‘Supercity – for the 1%’, by exposing what a SUPER (expensive) mess and disaster it has been for the majority of citizens and ratepayers.
Why on earth would anyone (apart from the 1% who stand to benefit from the ‘economies of scale’ – ie: bigger infrastructure and service contracts for fewer, but bigger private contractors / consultants), want to even consider any further Council amalgamations, before a full, thorough, genuinely independent audit, based upon FACTS and EVIDENCE, which prove just how ‘cost-effective’ the Auckland ‘Supercity’ has been for the majority of citizens and ratepayers?
In my considered opinion, the Draft Wellington Reorganisation Proposal should STOP – NOW!
How can future ‘cost-effectiveness’ of any proposed Council amalgamation be measured without a FACTUAL ‘datum’ of where costs fall NOW for Council services and regulatory functions?
How can any citizens and ratepayers make an informed submission on this Draft Wellington Reorganisation Proposal – without such FACTS and EVIDENCE?
Where does the ‘Tax Payers Union’ stand on the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity’?
When are the Labour Party going to come out, hard and strong against the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity’?
Greens co-leader Meteria Turei used the occasion to berate Key for his response to the first part of a landmark Waitangi Tribunal inquiry.
“The Prime Minister’s response was to knock us several steps back,” she said in a speech to morehu [followers].
“John Key had the gall to claim that New Zealand was settled “peacefully,” as if all Maori grievances evaporated into irrelevance on his command.
“But he didn’t finish there. In an attempt to really put us in our place, John Key said Maori would have been grateful for the injection of capital early Pakeha brought with them when they settled in Aotearoa.”
The Greens had no faith in the Treaty settlement process under National, she added.
From the Klein article. “So be careful with that Oxfam statistic. It’s not telling you what you think it is. But it’s still telling you something.”
Care to share what it is telling us Gosman, since Klein doesn’t. Or is “fascinating read” simply GosSpeak for “See, meaningless rubbish !” ? Come on Gosman……there must be a reason you find it “fascinating”.
hmmmm don’t expect too much of an answer from Gossy the hardly impressive analysis by klein involves a lot of waving of hands – but then if it supports the religion of the hidden hand – it must be “fascinating”
In recent years the NZ state’s ‘terrorist’ designation list has expanded to include what are clearly several liberation movements.
We’ve stuck up an article on developments in the repressive legislation in NZ in relation to this (and state powers), including a list of the organisations that now fall under this designation.
Sneering little article from sneering little Pakeha Claire Trevett. Using Morgan to sneer at Maori. Akshilly. Rubbish journalist. Probably out of sorts not being with Mr Akshilly in Europe.
2015 IT IS 3 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT (from 5 minutes to midnight in 2012)
Unchecked climate change, global nuclear weapons modernizations, and outsized nuclear weapons arsenals pose extraordinary and undeniable threats to the continued existence of humanity, and world leaders have failed to act with the speed or on the scale required to protect citizens from potential catastrophe. These failures of political leadership endanger every person on Earth.”
Despite some modestly positive developments in the climate change arena, current efforts are entirely insufficient to prevent a catastrophic warming of Earth. Meanwhile, the United States and Russia have embarked on massive programs to modernize their nuclear triads—thereby undermining existing nuclear weapons treaties.
“The clock ticks now at just three minutes to midnight because international leaders are failing to perform their most important duty—ensuring and preserving the health and vitality of human civilization.”
It was 17 minutes to midnight in 1991 – it’s hard to believe that we are more than five times more precarious now than then.
Follow the hippies Pete, follow the hippies ….. They are always onto future happenings while the hapless conservatives mooch around behind their lace curtains until the ground is broken and tested by others. It is only then that they are brave enough to face the future….
Conservatives never face the future.
Remember that next time you are considering the National Party’s approach to anything …. it is in their DNA – conservative, fearful and afraid, unable and unwilling to look ahead…..
little use they are, little use …
are you a conservative Pete? (btw, don’t be afraid to admit that you are, they do have a purpose although it is a small and little used one – do you know what it is?)
I was actually thinking about this today while bumping over bumps and road-coning along (road-coning being the trick of clipping cones just enough to topple them, especially when they are used to divert from where there is no need… which is unbelievably common)
If society is a ship on the sea then the conservatives are the lead in the keel and the ballast in the bilges. They keep the ship upright and stable but they have no idea where they have been or where they are going, let alone how to sail or any other such useful functions in the ship. Their use is as dead-weight….
… whereas the future-facers, they are everything… they are the navigators, the ones at the helm, they raise and drop the sails, stitch and mend the sails, the list goes on…
The problem arises of course when the dead-weight tries to navigate and sail… they should just stay in the bilges…
Interesting analogy. And who do you think would be the ones fighting over everyone having an equal share of the sails and shredding them in the process? And throwing everyone over starboard for standing on the wrong side?
All sailors know that order is required at sea and as such disorder is very uncommon as the result is disaster for all …
Of course the ship requires all components as otherwise without the lead and ballast the ship would roll over and sink.. while without the sailors and navigators the ship would hit rocks and sink…
Again, the problem arises when the dead-weight tries to sail, while the effect of sailors adding their (typically skinny) mass to the dead-weight is negligible.
It IS an interesting analogy isn’t it. It works in many many senses …
Depends on what you’re referring to as ‘conservative’. I was nowhere near being a supporter of Colin Craig’s so-called Conservatives.
I’m conservative about some things but can be radical about others. I don’t have much in common with the conservatives who frequent Kiwiblog. Or here (for example lprent and others are quite conservative/old school in how they approach doing politics).
I generally tend to think and act outside the crowd, am prepared to consider minority views and willing question groupthink.
In 1999, 2002 and 2005 I preferred a Labour led government. In 2008, 2011 and 2014 I preferred a National led government.
I hope I can prefer a Labour led government again but they have got to sort a lot of stuff out before I think they will be up to it. It’s a big ask to reverse a decade long declining trend in three years but I hope they are at least competitive in 2017.
If Little and Labour have improved sufficiently there’s a better than even chance I’ll be interested in improving Labour’s share of the vote, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be ready to be preferred lead party in Government.
No I didn’t mean that. The Greens haven’t been in government so could hardly be blamed.
However they keep warning of the end of the world as we know it unless we change everything so have raised fears of the end of the world.
Ironically for a Bulletin of Atomic Scientists there doesn’t seem to be a lot of science involved in tweaking their clock. It seems to be based on perceptions.
It may have worked effectively in the 1940s and 1950s but it seems a bit quaint and impotent now. And that’s similar to what the Greens are now struggling with.
Perhaps people who are interested in the physical measurable world and less in the imaginary have a better “subjective” opinion than you do?
I believe they do a statistical sampling.
But based on the current population and that effects we are seeing now are far more irreversible than just dropping bombs, then I’d agree with them. Of course I have a science degree in the area of most concern?
“I believe they do a statistical sampling” is not very scientific. They don’t cite any methodology in their announcement. Can you cite anything on their methodology or do you just have a belief in it? ?
How can you do statistical sampling of the nuclear threat?
“Modernization of huge arsenals” is mentioned but they don’t explain how that would make the weapons more dangerous, I would hope that they would be making them safer.
I can understand that “Disarmament machinery that has ground to a halt” might not reduce the risk but why would it significantly (from 5 to 3) increase the risk?
“From 2009 to 2013, the Obama administration cut only 309 warheads” shouldn’t increase the risk markedly.
“Progress on climate and nuclear weapons issues has been too limited in recent years, according to the Board statement” – again, maybe a reason not to increase the minutes but reason to change it from 5 to 3?
What they seem to have done is substantially increase the climate risk.
Atomic scientists are presumably not climate scientists (ok, some of them cite climate connections but that seems odd for a Bulletin of Atomic Scientists).
The climate risks have been talked about for decades, it isn’t some sudden new risk or suddenly escalated risk.
And atomic scientists are presumably not psychologists who are able to assess the risk of nuclear nation leaders going momentarily mental.
There’s plenty of dramatic statements in their announcement but no sign of scientific backing apart from stating they are scientists.
I’m surprised to see them nearly double the risk in three years. Without any apparent science.
When did you last study or research in “the area of most concern”?
I’m interested to see your scientific backing for a change of risk from 5 to 3. You must have some good science to support “then I’d agree with them”.
My impression is they are confusing a need for urgent action with the imminence of apocalypse. One scientists says “by the end of this century to profoundly transform the Earth’s climate” but also “We all need to respond now”.
We call upon world leaders to take coordinated and rapid action to drastically reduce global emissions of heat-trapping gases, especially carbon dioxide.
What is your scientific assessment of the consequences of “rapid action to drastically reduce global emissions of heat-trapping gases, especially carbon dioxide”?
There must be some scientific analysis of the possible and probable positive and negative effects of rapid and drastic reductions in global emissions.
The claim that The Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists answers Pete’s questions about The Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists is easily verified, as is the claim that Lprent has mentioned his academic credentials on this forum.
Pete’s too lazy to read the lengthy articles of the former, and too dishonest to admit that he remembers the latter.
Been playing with code on site today. This will be short.
I can’t cite anything for it without spending more time than I currently have. It was from a Economist article just after the fall of the Berlin wall in the late 80s. From memory they sample the views of the members of the atomic scientists membership, which can include everyone who works with radioactives from physicists to geologists and even climate scientists.
Playing with nuclear weapons even to upgrade or improve them is dangerous in its own right. However I suspect that the underlying issue is that trying to make weapons that are more able to bypass or destroy defenses or attack systems (the GPS sats for instance) is inherently dangerous. It is effectively an escalation of posture and makes it more likely that a cornerstone of deterrence fails.
BTW: Virtually every scientist or person trained deeply in science understands the basis of climate science and why they are worried about climate change. Everyone from physicists to people with just bachelor degrees knows the basis of the science. They may disagree about how to cope with it and the degree of alarm, but it is really hard to find one who isn’t paid by the carbon industries who wouldn’t put that up as one of the most dangerous issues politically today.
Especially people playing with nuclear arms. They are aware of the history that a high proportion of wars are triggered by disputes over scarce resources.
The reason that the climate change issue is imminent is because you are confusing the cause and the effects because of the oceanic and icecap buffering. The cause is excessive CO2 (and a few other gases – but CO2 is the killer) in the volatiles that make up the oceans and atmosphere. Currently the excess CO2 is piling into the oceans and what extra CO2 is resident in the atmosphere is largely pumping its extra warming into melting ice and warming oceans.
After those buffers start having a diminished ability to suck up excess, then everything that gets dumped into the atmosphere causes a much greater effect than we see today. Moreover the oceans aren’t static. They run with deep currents and the bulk of the stored heat and CO2 from the last century is currently being transported to the equators to pulse out at some time in the future (and BTW we still don’t really know how long that is away).
The big risk is that if we don’t stop dumping waste CO2 until we see some effects, then we are likely to not see a gradual climate shift, but one that is periods of gradual change (like the last 15 years) punctuated by big spikes of change (like the decade prior). The level of the shifts are likely to keep getting larger.
What that means for war is that instead of a gradual movement out of somewhere like Bangladesh as the farmlands get saline, we’re much more likely to see a 150 million starving people pouring over borders in a single year. Or instead of having the monsoons move offshore slowly over years, they simply will stop falling on land for years on end. Same in NZ, we’d get droughts year after year, followed by floods year after year. Climate change directly hits food production because it makes it more unpredictable.
My first degree was in earth sciences. Look up what it covers. I study in it all of the time, just as I do in every other area I have trained or work in.
There is this elegant thing called “searching the net for resources” and I have these abilities to “read” and “comprehend”. I know that the first and the last are difficult for you. But I have provided some hints on topics above.
As I understand it the original arrangement was to be reviewed a few months after the election anyway. And I’m certain I have read that they had given up on the arrangement with no hard feelings, but I am not able to find a link.
ok, thanks. I thought the 6 week past the election thing was for a review, rather than it expiring. But interesting there’s not been anything formal in public.
Not sure which is more shocking, that the Herald ran this McDonalds advert as a news story, or the list of ingredients in US made McDonalds chips.
Dimethylpolysiloxane, which Imahara struggles to pronounce, is added for safety reasons to prevent cooking oil from foaming.
While tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is applied as a food preservative.
Imahara explains that there are numerous steps involved in the creation of McDonald’s fries.
First potatoes are harvested from fields before being peeled, cut and blanched.
They’re then fired through a cutter at up to 70 miles an hour into thin sticks.
After being chiseled into the perfect shape, the strips of potato are sauced with a blend of canola oil, soybean oil, hydrongenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor, hydrolyzed wheat, hydrolyzed milk, citric acid and dimethylpolysiloxane.
Dextrose – a natural sugar – is sprayed on the batons to help them maintain a golden fried color.
Sodium acid pyrophosphate is also added to prevent the fries from going grey.
Last but not least, salt is sprinkled on for flavor.
The fries are then flash frozen at the Simplot factory and transported to McDonald’s outlets across the country.
Once they are at restaurants, the potato sticks are fried for a second time.
The oil blend is similar to the factory mix, with the addition of tertiary butylhydroquinone and hydrogenated soybean oil – a manufactured form of trans fat.
And voila! McDonald’s World Famous Fries are served.
McDonalds, because despite their food tech the best chips on the planet are made with the right spuddies cut, soaked and double fried, in dripping, by Stan in his shed.
cut into wedges… par boiled, dried off, shaken to rough up… heat oil/duck fat in oven til piping hot. In they go, turn every ten minutes till cooked. Sprinkle with salt.
If the cow worshiping Hindus read this, there could be riots in India!
And if McDonald’s use lard or pork flavor, the 1.6 billion Muslims plus 13 million Jews in the world will go gaga!
Apart from that, they use 19 ingredients to make the chips! Wonder how healthy and safe these chips are.
For a Maori woman to express disappointment, in a Maori setting, regarding the negative effects that the Prime Minister’s comments will have on the relationship between Pakeha and Maori was fully justified.
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
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It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
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.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
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Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
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Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
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For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
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What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
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Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from 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 public service on Treaty ...
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Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
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Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
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Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
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Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
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TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
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Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
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. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Who is a greater threat to our civil liberties? The Le Pen’s of the world (as represented in the readership of various blogs), or the muslim guy living down the road?
Neither.
The threat to our civil liberties comes from those in positions of power.
@ oab..
+ 1..
Yes and the evidence for this is collosal;
1. John Key legislating to spy on us, as recently as last year ….
2. Many countries requiring ID to be carried and provided ….
3. Reversing the burden of proof when charged by the state for a crime ….
4. Ability to arrest and incarcerate without charge ….
please add
The Law Society summed it up in their submission to the UN Human Rights Council in 2013.
Wasnt the removing burden of proof something being championed by Andrew Little?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11289979
he misspoke and James you have repeated this misinformation before. READ the actual policy and educate yourself, although that you have already been educated on this and continue to repeat the lie suggests you are being deliberately deceptive.
But the Le Pens are more likely to get into power. In fact, many of them already are in France and Ukraine. Unless you’re in a country with a Muslim majority, the Muslim guy down the road is nowhere near power.
The greatest threat to our civil liberties are apathy and a lack of vigilance.
This is driven by the failure of many people to take 100% personal responsibility for their lives, causing them to assume they have no power, leading them to confer power upon those who seek to have it over them.
This is achieved by deifying those who seek such power, and imagining them to be superior human beings with special qualities, which they invariably are not, and do not have.
All of which is driven by deep seated insecurity on the part of most people, secretly believing themselves to be powerless and worthless (as in “worth less than other people who have the appearance of greater material status”).
The greatest danger we face in society is the degree to which people have given money the meaning and power it now has over us.
In reality it is just money, but the meaning and the power we now imagine it to have has got us all addicted to it like methamphetamine or cocaine, to the degree that people will behave in obscene and inhuman ways to protect their sources and supplies of it.
We have become dehumanised and desensitised to each other’s feelings, suffering, and needs because of our need to protect and maintain our income(s).
Like gerbils on treadmills, we have to run faster and faster after the money dangled in front of us,increasingly unable to care about what is going on around us, in order to maintain our supply of it.
We now do this at the cost of our sanity and health and relationships, in many, many cases.
Such is the power and the meaning we have given every dollar.
We treat people who drive expensive cars and live in expensive homes dramatically differently to the way we treat people who don’t.
Our definitions of success are almost solely rooted in financial and material status, which in turn defines our social status in our hierarchies.
All of these things combined are serving to weaken our civil liberties, because our obsession with the power we believe money gives us causes us to fear the loss of it to the degree that we will tolerate almost any inhumanity and/or indignity in order to maintain our supply of it.
Even more so if such inhumanity and/or indignities are being inflicted upon other people.
These observations make me neither left nor right.
These observations make me human.
Very well put. Power will remain with those who currently control the money as long as the majority firmly believe they have no power to change that.
Our entire socio-economic system has been designed to shift the power to those with money and to make others believe that they have no power to change it. This is helped be the fact that the representative governments do what the rich want and don’t listen to the people.
Excellent summation
Imagination has left the human being via a combination of compliance and force
Without imagination there will be no change to the status quo and the status quo controls ‘reality’ ergo controls imagination
I see that the herald is leading with the typical teacher-bashing bait that will get the relevant people frothing. They made sure to put the word “free” in quotations, to make sure the plebs know that it’s a crumb being thrown off the table.
The inverted commas merely highlight the angle of the story, the cost of NZ’s supposedly free education; in fact, it’s about as disingenuous a notion as your blatantly stirring comment, Heartbleeding Liberal.
“House Republican women and moderates are in an escalating battle against their leaders on an antiabortion bill slated to come to the floor Thursday, deepening a rift between centrists and conservatives who are at cross-purposes on which issues the party should be highlighting.
The bill may still be tweaked, but Republican leaders are insistent they will move ahead with legislation banning abortions after 20 weeks, despite concerns from those within their conference that the bill might alienate millennials and female voters. But many female lawmakers are furious over its clause stating that women can be exempt from the ban in cases of rape only if they reported the rape to authorities. ”
http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/gop-leaders-pull-abortion-bill-after-revolt-by-women-moderates-20150121
meh
Several news organizations reported last week that some Republican women, including Rep. Renee Ellmers, had objected to the clause requiring rape survivors to report to the police. But the same provision was in the 2013 version of the bill, which passed with all but six Republican members voting yes, including Elmers.>
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/white-house-signals-obama-will-veto-abortion-ban
ddouble meh
NWLC @nwlc
BREAKING: The House just passed a bill eliminating insurance coverage for abortion, barring many low-income women from #reprohealth care.
https://twitter.com/nwlc/status/558328725872607232
Misogyny Supremacists – The suppurating arrogance of the ‘rape’ clause beggars belief. “Bear your burden uncomplainingly woman !”
“..The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered – and It Is Not What You Think..
..what I learned on the road is that almost everything we have been told about addiction is wrong –
– and there is a very different story waiting for us –
– if only we are ready to hear it..”
(cont..)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-real-cause-of-addicti_b_6506936.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
Thanks for the that phillip.
Only Connect.
good article – makes sense – our society has become so individualistic and competitive that trust and collegiality is difficult to come by and whereas we might have eliminated most of the things that used to eat us, we live in a much more dangerous world than our ancestors
Author of the book referenced in the article was on Russell Brand’s – The Trews a couple of days ago.
I personally think sometimes there is more than one answer, though the “cage” idea has merit, and the success of Portugal’s approach demonstrates the failure of the punitive approach to drugs.
I do actually think that there is a genetic disposition for some to develop addictive behaviours, as well as there being some mental health issues that when unresolved will lead to people self-medicating with addictive substances or behaviours.
Genetic is a dangerous idea. It gives the impression that someone was born that way and ther is nothing that can be done. research hows this to not be true and infact Genes turn on and off based upon environment. there as a great segment on this in the Zietgiest movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36HquPzdxf4
I agree, but that doesn’t preclude genetic presdisposition (in general, I’m in two minds about what that means re addiction).
Exactly. As stated in the video there are somethings that can have a genetic componant but that in no way makes it preditermanate. As to addiction they specifically state that it is one that is far more attributal to environment and in particular stress on the mother during pregnancy. This could be why as we see the stresses applied to families by growing inequality increase we also see rates of addiction increase. That is of course supposition on my part and in no way the result of any research I have done.
Genes get turned on and off all the time. “Genetic determinism” is a dogma which is now decades out of date.
I thought genetics had recently identified some genes that predicate (not ensure) addictive behaviours.
If your family does have this gene and is aware of it, they are more likely to avoid trying substances etc in the first place.
If this has been debunked, then you are right – it is a point prone to abuse.
However if it is true, then treatment for those unlucky enough to carry the gene may be more effective if it is designed around that perspective.
Most often we look for one simple answer, or one catch all solution but when it comes to people and living organisms the diversity of life should show us that multiple solutions and approaches are the most effective way of dealing with problems.
@ crash – the key word Jan uses is ‘disposition’ – or propensity or an enabler of the possibiity towards ….. whatever.
In my case, I have various family members up and down the chain on one side of the family with some sort of switch that’s been turned on enabling them to choose addiction to drugs, alcohol/pot (and all plus gambling) …. you name it – violence even. On the other ‘side’, they’re right little angels all the way up and down that chain.
The whole nature versus nurture thing has had me pondering it all for most of my life but I’m convinced there is a genetic switch that enables – but in a way that doesn’t compel – i.e. not compulsory – otherwise I can’t explain my existence.
I’d be interested in Mr Ure’s opinions ekshully though I dare not ask because there’ll be a clamour of bs nastiness and ego-driven kaka – one that caused me to make a point of avoiding TS for a few days.
(Oh, and I noticed doing a search by author of my last comment re Fletch of CSB fame – a few days back, that it apparently disappeared up its own arse – just as he should. As Little once put it “Cut the crap”. He DIDN’T resign for “family reasons”. He, ( being the sucker-of-dick-in-chief) crossed the line. A line of which future masters-of-the-Universe felt threatened by.
Anyway – back to Ludditeville. Right now’ tis a very releckzing place to be ….. one where a human has time to consider things; where 24 hour news cycles are meaningless; where cellfone coverage is almost non-existent; where trees can grow and clean water can flow; where people propping up those in power who represent the closest thing we’ve seen since the last war to fascism are absent; where trains pass by from time-to-time carrying the loads of several dozen rigs whose drivers probably idolise Phil Stein but who in reality are part of the precariat should they have to cash up (a wishin and a hopin, stand by your man – and all that sort of shit); and best of all where E-spinners, Fergussons, Christies … (in fact half of TVNZ, most of Fearfucks and the self-appointed ‘in crowd’) would be screaming mummy mummy come rescue me. There’s also no hospital – or even a primary care establishment that’s capable of surgically removing electronics from robotic life forms.
Paradise! (It isn’t Davos btw)
You could ask for my opinion. I was a good mate of Baine’s for a while and my ego wouldn’t get in the road.
I don’t even know why we should worry about substance addiction. Addictions can be managed and the negative effects are usually tied up with illegality anyway. I reckon if people want to be addicted to something, good luck to them. Currency and property speculators on the other hand have an addiction which damages the whole of society.
as far as heroin is concerned..there is also the age-factor..
..’cos what i have found..is that most heroin addicts kick in their mid-thirties..
..and i dunno why that is..other imperatives kick in..(with me it was having to raise a daughter on my own..and being unable to discharge both responsibilities at the same time…so..in a way..she saved my life..)
..there is also the fact that you get sick of the lifestyle..(being a junkie really is a full-time job..and most tire of it..)
..so my harm-reduction prescription for young heroin addicts..
..is for them able to register..to be supplied/maintained with medical-grade narcotics..(most of the physical harm done to junkies is from adulterants in the blackmarket products..most overdoses are a result of the vagaries of blackmarket-priduct quality..)
..until that time that they themselves decide to wean off..
..currently we have the blackmarket..and the only other option that brain-screwing vile-muck methadone..(a drug more addictive/harder to kick than heroin..duh..!..eh..?..so much so that for most who go on it..methadone is a life-sentence..double-duh..!..eh..?..)
..we are doing everything the wrong way..
“I don’t even know why we should worry about substance addiction. Addictions can be managed and the negative effects are usually tied up with illegality anyway”
Substance abuse can be pretty hard on the body/health, although you are probably right about the negative effects in that some of that would be mitigated if drugs weren’t illegal and were available with medical support.
Using street rubbish, spending your money on drugs instead of food and rent, getting bashed by ngati poaka, and imprisoned on a regular basis is pretty hard on the body/health.
“Using street rubbish, spending your money on drugs instead of food and rent, getting bashed by ngati poaka, and imprisoned on a regular basis is pretty hard on the body/health.”
True, but solve all those problems, and you still have effects, sometimes significant, on the body. All drugs, including prescription, have side effects, some worse than others. Continuous use over years is far from ideal if it can be helped.
I think the mind suffers most when you have a substance abuse problem due to low sense of worth that comes from not being able to control you own behaviour.
+1
and i think yr guess is that of a purse-lipped cleanskin..
..who knows very little of what they speak..
Meet my 1st love alcohol as a 14 year .
aahh..!..alcohol..!
..that is the low-esteem drug…
..(it is..after all..a depressant..)
..i used heroin mixed with cocaine..
..too much of a chemical roller-coaster to wallow in self-doubt..
..too blasted..no time..!
If it was so good why stop?
see 5.4.1
..and i was just answering yr false-surmise..
..that you piled on top of yr first false-surmise..
Good on ya. I still drink but the switch that used to click over and drive me on on and on has long gone.
if you don’t mind me asking, how did that happen (the switch no longer working)?
A mix between will power , growing up , having stepdaughters and the love of a good woman and sick of wasting my days recovering from hangovers.
@ weka..
..how did what happen..?
..if i u r asking what i think u r asking..
..the answer is in 5.4.1..
..but i also got really fucken messy..
..and kinda smacked into the wall at the end of the dead-end alley…
(and this might blow yr mind..but i had an out-of-body experience that helped convince me it was time to stop..
..i went out and looked back down at myself..
..and what i had become..
..and i was not impressed by what i saw..
..it was clear i cd not do that for much longer..
..i stopped soon after..
..(the upside of that experience of course..is that i don’t fear death..as i know we are not just the body..i don’t know any more than that tho’..but that i know..and i found that quite liberating..and u can believe that..or not..)
..also..with heroin..each time u get another habit..drop it..and then u start again..u get hooked quicker/harder than the time before..and the withdrawals are worse..
..and i had got to the stage where i only had to see a picture of the stuff to get wired..
..the pleasure/pain scales were tipped way over on the pain side..
..plus i reached the age when most stop..
@ Phil Ure
and this might blow yr mind..but i had an out-of-body experience that helped convince me it was time to stop..
That interests me. If you don’t mind, what I want to know is
(a) Were you on death bed and clinically dead?
(b) Did you go through the ‘tunnel’ with bright lights at a distance, ‘see’ a white robed figure, welcomed by deceased close friends and relatives, see heaven etc (c) Had an enjoyable experience from which you were reluctant to return or (d) was it just a drug induced high hallucination? (What drug were you using at that time?)
@ clem..
no…and no..
..i was straight @ the time..
..and given my previous experiences with self-induced/fun ‘hallucinations’..
..i do know the difference..
🙄
do/did u not know that alcohol acts as a depressant on the central nervous system..?
..drink up..!..feel sad..!
..and then a hangover..
..what a deal..!
..where do i sign up..?
..cannabis gets u ‘high’..eh..?
..it acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system..
..smoke up..!..get mellow/hungry/sleepy..
..sleep like a baby..
..and no hangover..
..(it’s a hard/difficult choice.)
I was a bit surprised that our resident drug expert would link a physiological depressant with something that lowers self esteem ( a depressogenic).
Easy enough mistake for someone who doesn’t spend much of their time considering issues relating to drugs in society, but you seem to have spent years in doing field research…
“.. someone who doesn’t spend much of their time considering issues relating to drugs in society..”
crikey..!..others wd say i spend far too much time doing just that..
..and i am no ‘expert’..i can just speak of what i know/have experienced..
wow..!..what a total hatchet-job on gareth morgan by tvone breakfast…
..du plessy allen and christie spent an inordinate amount of time cynically sneering at as to why morgan should even be @ ratana..
..how he is using the gathering to just promote his book..etc..etc..
.factcheck:..morgan was invited to speak @ ratana..by ratana…
..real shabby/shit-journalism…
..by/from a pair of toxic-toads..
..they should both hang their heads in fucken shame..
and the braindeadeness continues @ tvone..
“..he’s gone vegetarian for the last 12 months – he only eats fish..”
Kicking the new season off in a ratings war, First Line on tv3 were trying to out do their tv1 opponents by the anchor’s sighing and rolling their eyes after watching the interview with Morgan. One saying “oh he has a book coming out soon… haha just trying to sell books” the other 2 nodding their heads like puppets, thought I was watching thunderbirds for a moment.
4 all his faults..henry cd hardly do worse..
No not henry please not henry I’ll turn vegan if you can keep him off TV.
i’m working on it..
Just keep in mind that I promised god all sorts of things when I was in a tight spot once I’m hoping he’s forgotten if/when I meet him/her/it.
noted..
and not a single politician has ever gone there to do anything than pay tribute to ratana… they have never used it to self promote. (sarcasm)
Anyone else remember a certain someone saying that they are tightening up on the moderation? It seems that that quite a lot of vile (as shown in the post on this blog yesterday) doesn’t quite meet the threshold. I wonder what does.
On another note, the readership sure has a lot of time on its hands to comment all day, considering that they generally self-identify as the “keeping this country running through hard work” type.
Perhaps you should tell the authors and admins what to do and see how that works out?
heh..!
Phil ure, contact me on facebook
there are many of u there..
..either link..or..
..my email contact details are @ http://whoar.co.nz/
You guys gonna have a session?
f.y.i..h.l..
..i am presuming i am one of those potty-mouther all-dayers u speak of/have a passive-aggressive moan about..?
..this is what i also do @ the same time..
http://whoar.co.nz/
It sounds awful. Why not name and shame the vile shirkers?
LOL
and the Bain train rolls on…whats the deal?David gets 50% of the take after expenses?
National Radio, late yesterday afternoon listening to some story about Yemen’s so-called “terrorists”, the American news story had the presenter stating “we” as in “we need to work to curb these terrorists”. Not objective journalism at all, not one iota.
I aint no part of their “we” the bloody wankers. The journalist should be referring to something like “the American government wants to curb the terrorists”, not “we need to curb the terrorists”
Gobsmacked I was, gobsmacked.
Wtf is Nat Radio doing running American fox-type shite like this? Unbelievable. Where is Morrisey?
Don’t you want to curb militant Islamic terrorism?
Why don’t you answer the point?
I am answering the point. I suggest the widely held view in our society is that militant Islamic fundamentalists (who are attempting to confront Western nations or western backed governments due to their virulent opposition to many values of the West that we generally all share) should be opposed around the world. Hence why Radio NZ National probably used the term ‘We’ in the piece you refer to.
The point was about objective journalism, not war.
Yes but objective journalism is not the same as perfectly balanced journalism. For example during a genocide it is not necessary to respect the views of those carrying out the genocide in any reports and refrain from calling it a genocide as a result.
You mean like the western governments and media calling the Ottawa event an act of terrorism when it clearly was anything but.
First casualty in war is truth, and this conspicuous blurt by Nat Radio yesterday is evidence of that.
The Ottawa shooting was a terrorist attack by a mentally ill man. His illness doesn’t change the nature of his crime, which was essentially a copy cat of similar terrorist attacks.
Re: the RNZ piece, you haven’t given us anything to work with. There are several groups fighting in Yemen, including Al Qaeda. The group beseiging the capital probably don’t deserve the label terrorist, so if it was them being referred to, you are right to be critical.
A link would be useful.
But there was nothing “terrorism” about the Ottawa event … it involved a soldier and a government at war being attacked. No civilians involved at all. No terror.
Re the RNZ piece, yes no link sorry, bit hopeless ate fnding those. But the point was not about the subject of the piece, which is immaterial, it was entirely about how the piece was presented.
Re: Ottawa, it won’t be much comfort to the family of the dead part-time soldier that a bloke on a blog in NZ reckons his death wasn’t terrorism. Your definition of terrorism (must involve civilians) is unique. That’s not how the Canadian parliament, the Mounties, or even the Ottawa Muslim Association (who arranged his burial), saw it.
However, I would agree that the label, accurate or not, is often co-opted for other political purposes and it certainly was immediately after this incident.
I think this statement is probably the most dignified response:
“Nathan Cirillo was my boyfriend. I loved him deeply, as did all of the family and friends who knew him and we all still mourn him every day. That being said, I feel I should weigh in on this ridiculous “was he a hero or was he not” debate. My response is:
“we should be talking about is the dismal state of mental healthcare in our country. What that deeply disturbed man killing my boyfriend should make Canadians focus on is how we can prevent another event like this through more accessible and effective mental health treatment programs that target the real source of this tragedy. Stop tearing apart the honour and love bestowed upon a wonderful man who deserves every bit of it and start taking a good hard look at the awful, dysfunctional systems in our nation that this has shown us need to change….I am a very proud Canadian, but the fact that this hero/not business is what the media here and the general public has chosen to talk about, I must say I am very disappointed. We can do, and are, better than this, Canada…..I feel as though this is an important discussion that needs to continue happening.””
Andrea Polko.
“due to their virulent opposition to many values of the West”
It’s been quite a while now Gos, you should try and get your head around what the conflict is about.
“Muslims do not ‘hate our freedom,’ but rather they hate our policies,”
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/24/politics/24info.html?pagewanted=print&position=&_r=0
Doesn’t really explain the Charlie Hebdo attack does it especially considering Al Qaida in Yemen has taken credit in ordering that specifically because of the clash of values not policies.
‘Speaking over footage of the attack that killed 12 people, Ansi said: “Today, the mujahideen avenge their revered prophet, and send the clearest message to everyone who would dare to attack Islamic sanctities.”‘
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/01/al-qaeda-yemen-charlie-hebdo-paris-attacks-201511410323361511.html
It’s been a while now Gos, you should read up on how asymetric warfare works. What the strategy of terrorism is.
Here’s a good primer on the subject, dirt cheap too, ebook under $15, paper version about $25
http://www.allthatmattersbooks.com/book/terrorism-all-that-matters/
Or here for a free starter:
http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2015/01/fighting-terrorism-is-a-matter-of-law-enforcement/
Short version though, on what terrorists aim to achieve by terrorism:
1) Provoke an overreaction from the state and the broader population
2) Escalate the conflict
3) Win the hearts and minds of the people they claim to represent, primarily by using the state’s reactions as examples of how the state hates them, and the terrorists are right to be fighting back
4) Endure. If the terrorists can survive (not individually, but as a ’cause’) they will win.
The propaganda they put out is simply in aid of point 3.
Yes I do Gosman and I want to curb militant American terrorism as well.
Have you joined the Army/Navy yet? So that you will be ready to curb terrorism the day that Dear Leader announces our most excellent adventure in the Middle East?
IF not… Why not? Don’t you want to curb militant Islamic terrorism?
Don’t you want to curb militant American racism?.
Roqayah Chamseddine @roqchams
American patriots still tweeting about killing “ragheads” and “sandn—-rs” #AmericanSniper cc @adctweets
https://twitter.com/roqchams/status/557913195289903105/photo/1
a ‘good-news’ seachange..
..the american senate has just voted on a motion..that voting yes on indicated an acceptance of the science of climate-change as a reality by the voting senator..
..and only one senator voted against it..
..2015 really will be the yr of climatechange taken seriously..
..and the drill baby drill!/mine baby mine! policies of this key govt..and our (pollution-charging exempt) dirty-dairying exporting ‘industries’..
..will make us more and more international-outliers..
..key will no longer be able to fall back on our high rate of renewable-energy as his answer/counter to any calls to clean up our act..
..the international pressure/imperatives on us/key is going to seriously ramp-up..
Are you seriously suggesting that the GOP is now full of Climate change accepting anti-oil people? I think you might need to change the variety that you are smoking at the moment as it could well be too strong 😉 .
do try to keep up..gosman..
..i am reporting on a vote held in the american senate..in the last 24 hrs..
..where last time i looked..the denialists were in a serious majority..
..nothing more..nothing less..
..(of course..u r a denialist..eh..?..
..heads-up..!..it’s sunset-time on you..)
(and romney has come out today denying he is a denialist..)
I have never denied the scientific consensus around any topic. I suspect you on the other hand have been at odds with the mainstream scientific view numerous times in the past and currently.
‘at odds with’ political views..more than ‘scientific’ views..
..’science’ supports most of the arguments i make..
Not the scientific consensus though.
Strangely you read like some of the hard core Climate change deniers I have seen. They too argue the IPCC is driven by political rather than scientific notions.
w.t.f. r.u banging on about..?
..and is yr spine/neck ok after that pirouette on the facts of what i actually said..?
Yeah nah…
Senate Republicans head-faked Democrats on climate change Wednesday, agreeing in a floor vote that the planet’s climate was changing, but blocking language that would have blamed human activity.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/senate-climate-change-vote-114463.html
that is a more nuanced report than the one i saw..
..(curse you..!..huffington post..!..)
..but everything else i said about increasing international pressure on us..
..still applies..
Bloody 18th century colonials, still wanting to eat the environment …
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/65331060/farmers-want-to-tap-tekapo
It will be good for the planet when this generation passes. Though I imagine there are many mini-colonials being brainwashed at the breakfast table each day in these regions
We less of the irrigate style and more of this type of thinking.
http://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/rural-news/rural-management/lupin-gains-traction-in-high-country
yes
comment@whoar:..the govts’ war on the poor continues apace..(we shall know/mark them by their spectacles..)
the government’s/work and incomes’ war on the poor continues..
..their cementing in of beneficiaries as second-hand citizens..
..soon you will be able to pick beneficiaries by the shitty/cheap glasses they are wearing..
..’cos..what used to happen..was beneficiaries would go to optician..
..and work and income wd lend them the money for them..(i repeat..’lend’..not give..)
..this was paid back in weekly increments..
..and that all seemed to work well for everyone..
..now there is a new regime..
..where you walk into an opticians..and don’t even bother looking at the frames lining the walls..they are not for the likes of you..
..beneficiaries get to choose from a very small selection of cheap/crappy frames..
..really fucken ugly they are..
(cont..)
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/commentwhoar-the-govts-war-on-the-poor-continues-apace-we-shall-knowmark-them-by-their-spectacles/
(and after banging on at length..i finish with this..)
.and while we are at it..how about an mp ask a question about this in questiontime..?
..as to why was this actually done..?..and for whose benefit..?..
..and as a follow-up..how much did this new schema cost to plan/set-up..?
..but the main question being..
..for why..?
..to my mind what they are doing is cruel..and a form of persecution..
..and surely this is a matter of civil-rights..?
..beneficiaries are clearly being treated as second-class citizens..and this is wrong..
..and the rub being..there is no cost-saving/rationale for this latest way to fuck over the poor..
..it is poor-bashing ideology writ-large..nothing more..nothing less..
..and cruel/an exercise in persecution with it..
..opposition mp’s should demand this logic-free policy/schema be scrapped..
Today is a day National & the Maori-Tory party’s will be dreading. Fronting up at Ratana where Little & Labour are the main act. Peters will be rubbing Nationals frontman, Bill English nose in it over pretty much everything 🙂
Not sure why they should even bother going. Why kowtow to a religious and ethnically based organisation that formally supports your opponent?
Tradition dear boy, whatever next Gosman? Don’t tell me you would suggest the Government abstain from attending the Waitangi commemoration?
Speaking our which I see the NZH are starting their divisive nonsense early by putting out the question of is being called Pakeha an insult? Something like that I read on their Facebook feed. Oh yes and as they intended the amount of thin skinned people taking offense was overwhelming.
I don’t like being described as a Pakeha. I much prefer NZ European. I would rather not be defined by the other partner in our bi-cultural nation. It isn’t as if Maori people still go by the name ‘Natives’ any more.
An optimistic tory would feel lucky if the descriptions stopped at “Pakeha”.
Exactly. Let us acknowledge that many people prefer not to be called Pakeha or any other name they feel may be derogatory. Maori have defined what name/s they prefer (e.g. Maori, Tanga te Whenua etc). Non Maori should have the same right.
You have the right to want to not be called a Pakeha, Pakeha.
That is fine White person.
You see? You even have the right to label others.
It isn’t as if Maori people still go by the name ‘Natives’ any more.
Euros original term for them seems to have been “New Zealanders” when you look at old docs.
But the term was used as a broad description of them.
Not really though eh. “natives” is just a description. Loads of people all over the world were called natives by colonial powers. It doesn’t apply to Maori specifically. The term used for Maori specifically, to distinguish them from other peoples, was New Zealanders
But whatever. I like being called Pakeha, and the term isn;t going away, so you’re just going to have to live with it I’m afraid.
If you want to be called Pakeha then that is your choice. But worrying that other people don’t want to be called one is a different matter entirely.
You need a march to reclaim the language for oppressed Pakeha Gosman; a Pakeha Walk.
snap
I’m not worried Gos.
You are quite free to your identity politics driven idea here. That’s fine.
All I’m saying is that many people will find you ridiculous. This is to do with the nature of identity politics.
It’s like how “meninism” is trying to become a thing, but is only becoming a silly thing that most people will laugh at.
Complaining that you are being othered, that your identity is being forced on you by a marginalised minority is always going to sound odd to many people.
‘I’m a white male facing structural oppression, and I demand the right to have my voice as a white male heard’, is simply hard argument to make and not come across as being a bit of a fuckwit, what with society being the way it is.
But like I said, go for it. Print a T-shirt. Reclaim the streets, or something.
Except the NZ Herald is holding internet polls on the issue. Remember it wasn’t me who raised this issue but someone who objected to the Herald doing this. Why would they be holding polls if it is such a non issue as you seem to think it is?
Geez, Gosman, are you a bit slow today? Might the Herald not be blowing that dogwhistle of theirs to deliberately inflame racist sentiment?
Or is that so far outside the realms of possibility on Gosman?
The Herald holds ‘polls’ on all sorts of jack ass nonsense.
Who are the spokesbots for the poor oppressed white folk being othered by Te Reo?
Umm. Colin Craig perhaps? Mike Butler maybe? Jamie Whyte?
How they all doing?
‘Pakeha’ gets used every day. No one* gives a shit.
*except for people who get ignored because *pretty much* everyone can see that the claim is inherently ridiculous.
Objecting to being called Pakeha does not make you a racist. That stated many racists it is true would likely object to being labelled by the term. That still doesn’t make objecting to the term wrong.
Objecting to being called Pakeha does not make you a racist, just very very precious, Pakeha.
I repetitively remind everyone of the Monty Python skit of the political underclass the unrestructured anarchists or something.
Ends with the king getting totally pissed off with the peasant who won’t Shut Up. And gives him a shake. ‘Help I’m being repressed’. See the violence inherent in the system Gosman.
aren’t you lucky that the census gives you that choice. Of the things you get called here and other places that may be the less offensive ?
When your in france do you insist on using english names for things?
Its the same idiocy you get from people who refuse to use proper maori pronunciation.
Yet those same people would pronounce “faux pas” as “fo par” because they can somehow accept that the spelling of a word is said differently in french – yet they shit their precious little y-fronts if its in maori
Maori is an official language of NZ and pakeha was the name they used to describe/label/denote europeans – so your a pakeha, big whoop
Ooh noes – some is labeling me in a language i dont speak! The horror!
Get over yourself ya big baby
As stated I am happy if you want to define yourself as a Pakeha. I would prefer not to myself and would correct people if they decide to do so. They are free to ignore me but then they make the choice to be deliberately provocative.
do you object to different names in other languages or are you just a baby if its in maori?
I usually object to someone trying to define me as anything I disagree with. I make exceptions in places where I should expect such things such as this site.
You have the right to come and see the violence inherent in the system. You’re being oppressed.
You said above that you prefer to be defined as “NZ European”.
Is “Pakeha” that different in “definition” from “NZ European”? How so? I’m not sure it is.
so you disagree that your a european? You still havent even explained what you think pakeha means
your doing a shit job of papering over your knee jerk
“I would rather not be defined by the other partner in our bi-cultural nation.”
why not?
If you believe the sentence you wrote, what is the big issue for you gos?
Just as I would expect Maori wouldn’t want to be defined by non-Maori . In fact I believe that has been the objection to much policy in the past.
You see what a learning experience this could be for you?
is it the ‘defining’ bit that you don’t like? In that someone else is making a categorisation of you in some way that is beyond your control.
As far as I’m concerned, and following my own definition of ‘pakeha’ I would agree with Gosman that he isn’t one. I tend to think of a pakeha as someone who tries to honour the Treaty, is proud of it and acknowledges Maori as tangata whenua. It is, as far as I’m concerned, a compliment and not to be handed out to any old ‘european’.
I have defined myself as God-Emperor of Tamaki Makau Rau. In future you shall address me this way.
[lprent: Translating…. Please wait….
A large worm?
😈 ???? ]
lol nope,
Just a bit of sarcasm about Gosman’s objection to the word “Pakeha”. Shoulda addressed the comment to him… 🙄
Thing is, immigrants to a country already populated by some other culture have to suck it up and take what the locals call them – for instance, I doubt Chinese immigrants call themselves Chinese, but that’s tough shit because we’re not going to call them whatever it is they call themselves. And if we moved to China, they’d have some word for us that wouldn’t be “NZ European,” and they wouldn’t be interested in being taught to call us “NZ European” instead of whatever word they already came up with. Them’s the breaks, kid – Maori got here first. People who want to be Europeans should go live in Europe.
“have to suck it up and take what the locals call them ”
I know what you mean. I don’t like being called “NZ European” but just have to suck it up sometimes.
But I don’t have any problem with being called ‘Pākehā’
Gosman @ 13.1.1.1.4.1 – “……but then they make the choice to be deliberately provocative.”
Back up the truck bro’ ! Ain’t that all part and parcel of “Freedom of Speech” ? Yeah. Without limit apparently. So why the unmissable pejorative about provocativeness Gosman ?
(“I would suggest…..”) that your ridiculously self-centred, eurocentric exceptionalism, the father of your hypocrisy, is risible Mr Pakehahahaha Gosman.
“I don’t like being described as a Pakeha”-Gosman
How about, ‘Honky-Ori Supremist’?
heh..!..
Our commercial media is so transparently biased it is ridiculous. Today Kim Dotcom’s Mega launched a new, end to end, encrypted voice service called “MegaChat”. How do I know this? Not from the business pages of the Herald or Stuff, even though the service is based here. No, I read it in the Guardian – http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/22/kim-dotcom-launches-encrypted-voice-chat-skype-killer – a British newspaper that thought the story worth a reasonable amount of coverage.
It is almost as if the word has gone out from the corporate owners of our commercial media – Dotcom can only be reported on if it furthers a certain new narrative about the guy – maybe a hint of perversion in some hot tottie being lured to the lair of the fat man (Sarah Torrent) or his “dubious” legal battles to avoid extradition.
(ahem..!..from earlier this morn..)
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/kim-dotcom-launches-end-to-end-encrypted-voice-chat-%E2%80%98skype-killer%E2%80%99/
..that whoar..eh..?..always first with the best..!
One for you phillip ur the best!
chrs grey..
..i know it..u know it…
..i do wonder @ the resistance from others..
..’cos as u know..given their politics etc..(and esp considering the constant laments about ‘the news’ in this country..)..
..in a way those resisters are cutting off their own noses..
..as (so far) today i have posted 41 stories/links..
..many of which wd interest them..
..and more than that go up every day..(and i mean..’every day’..)
..and i know..as far as quality of material posted..in variety/quality/good-writing..
..i haven’t found a better site..(i source from excellent sites..but for that overall global-grab i haven’t found better..)
..if anyone knows of one..let me know..and i will add it as a resource..
..from day one i set out to be the best..
..and as far as reliability of constant high-quality content is concerned..i think i am..
..again..chrs 4 the feedback..
and..btw..i run this thing on the smell of an oily-rag..
(..and as a prototype of what can be done by one person..i wd submit it is an example..
..and if anyone else kicks one off..let me know..and i will link to/promote ya..
..that world is open..where we are from doesn’t matter..)
so anyway..i can’t afford to advertise..
..so if u like what i do..if u cd alert yr networks..?
..that wd b much appreciated..
..both by me..and by them to you..for turning them on to what i offer each day..
@ phillip u
Oh blah blah don’t get carried away becos you’re so good. Just quietly sit there and feel superior.
“.. Just quietly sit there..”
yeah..that makes sense..
(i forgot..!..we’re in nz..!..u aren’t allowed to say here that what u do is ‘good’..eh..?..
..the national inferiority-complex kicks in..)
phillip ure
Go ahead tall poppy, shoot up to match the sunflower. Good for a bumper sticker that sounds positive and happy eh!
“Oh blah blah don’t get carried away becos you’re so good. Just quietly sit there and feel superior.”
Real superiority comes from the quietly sitting part.
quite so..grasshopper..!
..you learn well..!
..but..if a man sits quietly in the woods..
.will anyone hear him..?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wairarapa-times-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503414&objectid=11390635
“Hecklers give super-city plan slow handclap”
Preparing for my Public Meeting tonight, Friday 23 January 2015, 7.30pm – 9pm, at the Carterton ‘RSA’ 35 Broadway – to SLAM the Auckland ‘Supercity – for the 1%’, by exposing what a SUPER (expensive) mess and disaster it has been for the majority of citizens and ratepayers.
Why on earth would anyone (apart from the 1% who stand to benefit from the ‘economies of scale’ – ie: bigger infrastructure and service contracts for fewer, but bigger private contractors / consultants), want to even consider any further Council amalgamations, before a full, thorough, genuinely independent audit, based upon FACTS and EVIDENCE, which prove just how ‘cost-effective’ the Auckland ‘Supercity’ has been for the majority of citizens and ratepayers?
In my considered opinion, the Draft Wellington Reorganisation Proposal should STOP – NOW!
How can future ‘cost-effectiveness’ of any proposed Council amalgamation be measured without a FACTUAL ‘datum’ of where costs fall NOW for Council services and regulatory functions?
How can any citizens and ratepayers make an informed submission on this Draft Wellington Reorganisation Proposal – without such FACTS and EVIDENCE?
Where does the ‘Tax Payers Union’ stand on the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity’?
When are the Labour Party going to come out, hard and strong against the proposed Wellington ‘Supercity’?
Penny Bright
(For more information – check out http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz )
I’m a fan of this
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/65343562/greens-use-ratana-meeting-to-attack-john-key
key must be reminded constantly of his lies, misinformation and idiotic utterings. Onya Greens.
I enjoyed reading the speech when it came through the email today.
Will our PM be taking the opportunity to call the European union “loonies” while he is in their neck of the words?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30933515
A more nuanced look at the Oxfam 1% stat
http://www.vox.com/2015/1/22/7871947/oxfam-wealth-statistic
Fascinating read. Thanks nadis.
Q. How does the figure make the world a better place ?
Q. How can untraceable untrackable ‘wealth’ be measured ?
Q. Do you know the contents of the Vatican vault ?
From the Klein article. “So be careful with that Oxfam statistic. It’s not telling you what you think it is. But it’s still telling you something.”
Care to share what it is telling us Gosman, since Klein doesn’t. Or is “fascinating read” simply GosSpeak for “See, meaningless rubbish !” ? Come on Gosman……there must be a reason you find it “fascinating”.
hmmmm don’t expect too much of an answer from Gossy the hardly impressive analysis by klein involves a lot of waving of hands – but then if it supports the religion of the hidden hand – it must be “fascinating”
In recent years the NZ state’s ‘terrorist’ designation list has expanded to include what are clearly several liberation movements.
We’ve stuck up an article on developments in the repressive legislation in NZ in relation to this (and state powers), including a list of the organisations that now fall under this designation.
See: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/the-terrorism-suppression-act-since-2007/
Phil
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11390420
Sneering little article from sneering little Pakeha Claire Trevett. Using Morgan to sneer at Maori. Akshilly. Rubbish journalist. Probably out of sorts not being with Mr Akshilly in Europe.
very odd framing…
2015 IT IS 3 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT (from 5 minutes to midnight in 2012)
It was 17 minutes to midnight in 1991 – it’s hard to believe that we are more than five times more precarious now than then.
But the Greens weren’t formed then.
http://thebulletin.org/timeline
Follow the hippies Pete, follow the hippies ….. They are always onto future happenings while the hapless conservatives mooch around behind their lace curtains until the ground is broken and tested by others. It is only then that they are brave enough to face the future….
Conservatives never face the future.
Remember that next time you are considering the National Party’s approach to anything …. it is in their DNA – conservative, fearful and afraid, unable and unwilling to look ahead…..
little use they are, little use …
are you a conservative Pete? (btw, don’t be afraid to admit that you are, they do have a purpose although it is a small and little used one – do you know what it is?)
I was actually thinking about this today while bumping over bumps and road-coning along (road-coning being the trick of clipping cones just enough to topple them, especially when they are used to divert from where there is no need… which is unbelievably common)
If society is a ship on the sea then the conservatives are the lead in the keel and the ballast in the bilges. They keep the ship upright and stable but they have no idea where they have been or where they are going, let alone how to sail or any other such useful functions in the ship. Their use is as dead-weight….
… whereas the future-facers, they are everything… they are the navigators, the ones at the helm, they raise and drop the sails, stitch and mend the sails, the list goes on…
The problem arises of course when the dead-weight tries to navigate and sail… they should just stay in the bilges…
Just look at Peter Dunne
Interesting analogy. And who do you think would be the ones fighting over everyone having an equal share of the sails and shredding them in the process? And throwing everyone over starboard for standing on the wrong side?
All sailors know that order is required at sea and as such disorder is very uncommon as the result is disaster for all …
Of course the ship requires all components as otherwise without the lead and ballast the ship would roll over and sink.. while without the sailors and navigators the ship would hit rocks and sink…
Again, the problem arises when the dead-weight tries to sail, while the effect of sailors adding their (typically skinny) mass to the dead-weight is negligible.
It IS an interesting analogy isn’t it. It works in many many senses …
We’re all sailors but every three years we get to navigate and elect helmsmen.
Problem arises when navigators allow helmsmen to navigate.
are you a conservative Pete?
Depends on what you’re referring to as ‘conservative’. I was nowhere near being a supporter of Colin Craig’s so-called Conservatives.
I’m conservative about some things but can be radical about others. I don’t have much in common with the conservatives who frequent Kiwiblog. Or here (for example lprent and others are quite conservative/old school in how they approach doing politics).
I generally tend to think and act outside the crowd, am prepared to consider minority views and willing question groupthink.
Which do you prefer : A National led government or a Labour led government?
In 1999, 2002 and 2005 I preferred a Labour led government. In 2008, 2011 and 2014 I preferred a National led government.
I hope I can prefer a Labour led government again but they have got to sort a lot of stuff out before I think they will be up to it. It’s a big ask to reverse a decade long declining trend in three years but I hope they are at least competitive in 2017.
If Little and Labour have improved sufficiently there’s a better than even chance I’ll be interested in improving Labour’s share of the vote, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be ready to be preferred lead party in Government.
“.. I’ll be interested in improving Labour’s share of the vote..”
delusions of grandeur..much..?
Delusions of democracy?
I get one vote like nearly everyone else.
I hope I can prefer a Labour led government again but they have got to sort a lot of stuff out before I think they will be up to it.
What do you mean by ‘they have to sort a lot of stuff?’ What stuff? Explain.
But the Greens weren’t formed then.
Yo wut? Anyway, the NZ Green Party may not have been formed then, but the German version was.
Hi Pete.
What do you mean by this?
“It was 17 minutes to midnight in 1991 – it’s hard to believe that we are more than five times more precarious now than then.
But the Greens weren’t formed then.”
An obvious reading is that it is the formation of the Greens that has moved the clock forward. Is that what you meant?
No I didn’t mean that. The Greens haven’t been in government so could hardly be blamed.
However they keep warning of the end of the world as we know it unless we change everything so have raised fears of the end of the world.
Ironically for a Bulletin of Atomic Scientists there doesn’t seem to be a lot of science involved in tweaking their clock. It seems to be based on perceptions.
It may have worked effectively in the 1940s and 1950s but it seems a bit quaint and impotent now. And that’s similar to what the Greens are now struggling with.
So many riches in one comment, I don’t know where to start, so am just going to back away while I still can, lol.
😆 Weka.
yes..that was funny…
Perhaps people who are interested in the physical measurable world and less in the imaginary have a better “subjective” opinion than you do?
I believe they do a statistical sampling.
But based on the current population and that effects we are seeing now are far more irreversible than just dropping bombs, then I’d agree with them. Of course I have a science degree in the area of most concern?
What is the basis of your opinion? Navel hair?
“I believe they do a statistical sampling” is not very scientific. They don’t cite any methodology in their announcement. Can you cite anything on their methodology or do you just have a belief in it? ?
How can you do statistical sampling of the nuclear threat?
“Modernization of huge arsenals” is mentioned but they don’t explain how that would make the weapons more dangerous, I would hope that they would be making them safer.
I can understand that “Disarmament machinery that has ground to a halt” might not reduce the risk but why would it significantly (from 5 to 3) increase the risk?
“From 2009 to 2013, the Obama administration cut only 309 warheads” shouldn’t increase the risk markedly.
“Progress on climate and nuclear weapons issues has been too limited in recent years, according to the Board statement” – again, maybe a reason not to increase the minutes but reason to change it from 5 to 3?
What they seem to have done is substantially increase the climate risk.
Atomic scientists are presumably not climate scientists (ok, some of them cite climate connections but that seems odd for a Bulletin of Atomic Scientists).
The climate risks have been talked about for decades, it isn’t some sudden new risk or suddenly escalated risk.
And atomic scientists are presumably not psychologists who are able to assess the risk of nuclear nation leaders going momentarily mental.
There’s plenty of dramatic statements in their announcement but no sign of scientific backing apart from stating they are scientists.
I’m surprised to see them nearly double the risk in three years. Without any apparent science.
Source: http://thebulletin.org/press-release/press-release-it-now-3-minutes-midnight7950
“Of course I have a science degree in the area of most concern?”
Climate science?
Atomic Weaponry science?
Risk Assessment science?
When did you last study or research in “the area of most concern”?
I’m interested to see your scientific backing for a change of risk from 5 to 3. You must have some good science to support “then I’d agree with them”.
My impression is they are confusing a need for urgent action with the imminence of apocalypse. One scientists says “by the end of this century to profoundly transform the Earth’s climate” but also “We all need to respond now”.
What is your scientific assessment of the consequences of “rapid action to drastically reduce global emissions of heat-trapping gases, especially carbon dioxide”?
There must be some scientific analysis of the possible and probable positive and negative effects of rapid and drastic reductions in global emissions.
Do you seriously expect people to go and read the whole bulletin and then summarise it for your beige benefit?
I read it. It contains the answers to your questions.
So it should be easy for you to provide citations then.
Interesting that the bulletin would answer questions about lprent’s scientific credentials. I must have missed those bits.
The answers to that are available here. Not searching them out for you either.
Go play your games at Yawns, Petty.
The usual OAB MO, make a dubious claim, fail to back it up, and divert into petty attack.
The claim that The Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists answers Pete’s questions about The Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists is easily verified, as is the claim that Lprent has mentioned his academic credentials on this forum.
Pete’s too lazy to read the lengthy articles of the former, and too dishonest to admit that he remembers the latter.
Yawns.
Same old empty retchoric.
“.. make a dubious claim, fail to back it up, and divert..”
petey..!..that’s yr m.o..!
pete why didn’t you at least learn some skills when you were the fackchecker – you are just making yourself out to be silly here slackchecker
The usual suspects lining up to contribute positively to discussion. /sarc
Been playing with code on site today. This will be short.
I can’t cite anything for it without spending more time than I currently have. It was from a Economist article just after the fall of the Berlin wall in the late 80s. From memory they sample the views of the members of the atomic scientists membership, which can include everyone who works with radioactives from physicists to geologists and even climate scientists.
Playing with nuclear weapons even to upgrade or improve them is dangerous in its own right. However I suspect that the underlying issue is that trying to make weapons that are more able to bypass or destroy defenses or attack systems (the GPS sats for instance) is inherently dangerous. It is effectively an escalation of posture and makes it more likely that a cornerstone of deterrence fails.
BTW: Virtually every scientist or person trained deeply in science understands the basis of climate science and why they are worried about climate change. Everyone from physicists to people with just bachelor degrees knows the basis of the science. They may disagree about how to cope with it and the degree of alarm, but it is really hard to find one who isn’t paid by the carbon industries who wouldn’t put that up as one of the most dangerous issues politically today.
Especially people playing with nuclear arms. They are aware of the history that a high proportion of wars are triggered by disputes over scarce resources.
The reason that the climate change issue is imminent is because you are confusing the cause and the effects because of the oceanic and icecap buffering. The cause is excessive CO2 (and a few other gases – but CO2 is the killer) in the volatiles that make up the oceans and atmosphere. Currently the excess CO2 is piling into the oceans and what extra CO2 is resident in the atmosphere is largely pumping its extra warming into melting ice and warming oceans.
After those buffers start having a diminished ability to suck up excess, then everything that gets dumped into the atmosphere causes a much greater effect than we see today. Moreover the oceans aren’t static. They run with deep currents and the bulk of the stored heat and CO2 from the last century is currently being transported to the equators to pulse out at some time in the future (and BTW we still don’t really know how long that is away).
The big risk is that if we don’t stop dumping waste CO2 until we see some effects, then we are likely to not see a gradual climate shift, but one that is periods of gradual change (like the last 15 years) punctuated by big spikes of change (like the decade prior). The level of the shifts are likely to keep getting larger.
What that means for war is that instead of a gradual movement out of somewhere like Bangladesh as the farmlands get saline, we’re much more likely to see a 150 million starving people pouring over borders in a single year. Or instead of having the monsoons move offshore slowly over years, they simply will stop falling on land for years on end. Same in NZ, we’d get droughts year after year, followed by floods year after year. Climate change directly hits food production because it makes it more unpredictable.
My first degree was in earth sciences. Look up what it covers. I study in it all of the time, just as I do in every other area I have trained or work in.
There is this elegant thing called “searching the net for resources” and I have these abilities to “read” and “comprehend”. I know that the first and the last are difficult for you. But I have provided some hints on topics above.
The latest Roy Morgan poll is of minor interest but I wouldn’t bet the year on it – National up to 52%, they same as they were mid-last year.
– National 52% (up 6% since November 24-December 7, 2014)
– Maori Party 1.5% (down 0.5%)
– Act NZ 1% (down 0.5%)
– United Future 0% (unchanged)
– Labour Party 26% (down 1%)
– Greens 11% (down 1%)
– NZ First 6% (down 1%
Apart from National hey are insignificant changes especially for this time of year.
– Conservative Party of NZ 2% (down 0.5%)
– Internet-Mana Party alliance 0% (down 1%)
– Independent/ Others 0.5% (down 0.5%)
Internet-Mana down to 8% is one of the more notable results. The Internet Party seems doomed but Mana has been dragged right down with them.
National deserve their high outcome in the RM.
There is no longer an Internet Mana Party – the arrangement expired a few weeks back. Roy Morgan should do some homework.
Expired? Or they disbanded?
As I understand it the original arrangement was to be reviewed a few months after the election anyway. And I’m certain I have read that they had given up on the arrangement with no hard feelings, but I am not able to find a link.
ok, thanks. I thought the 6 week past the election thing was for a review, rather than it expiring. But interesting there’s not been anything formal in public.
Hone confirmed to TV3’s The Nation at its Christmas party the relationship had formally ended:
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/internet-mana-coalition-comes-to-an-end-2014121313#axzz3PdrmqBiW
This is the nearest thing I could find, from Dec 7th – Hone says he is open to working with Dotcom again, but it would be under the Mana banner.
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/mana-party-goes-big-for-2017-2014120713#axzz3PddLyZf7
Not sure which is more shocking, that the Herald ran this McDonalds advert as a news story, or the list of ingredients in US made McDonalds chips.
Dimethylpolysiloxane, which Imahara struggles to pronounce, is added for safety reasons to prevent cooking oil from foaming.
While tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is applied as a food preservative.
Imahara explains that there are numerous steps involved in the creation of McDonald’s fries.
First potatoes are harvested from fields before being peeled, cut and blanched.
They’re then fired through a cutter at up to 70 miles an hour into thin sticks.
After being chiseled into the perfect shape, the strips of potato are sauced with a blend of canola oil, soybean oil, hydrongenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor, hydrolyzed wheat, hydrolyzed milk, citric acid and dimethylpolysiloxane.
Dextrose – a natural sugar – is sprayed on the batons to help them maintain a golden fried color.
Sodium acid pyrophosphate is also added to prevent the fries from going grey.
Last but not least, salt is sprinkled on for flavor.
The fries are then flash frozen at the Simplot factory and transported to McDonald’s outlets across the country.
Once they are at restaurants, the potato sticks are fried for a second time.
The oil blend is similar to the factory mix, with the addition of tertiary butylhydroquinone and hydrogenated soybean oil – a manufactured form of trans fat.
And voila! McDonald’s World Famous Fries are served.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11390699
McDonalds, because despite their food tech the best chips on the planet are made with the right spuddies cut, soaked and double fried, in dripping, by Stan in his shed.
😀
OR
cut into wedges… par boiled, dried off, shaken to rough up… heat oil/duck fat in oven til piping hot. In they go, turn every ten minutes till cooked. Sprinkle with salt.
Yum-Bloody-O
natural beef flavor
If the cow worshiping Hindus read this, there could be riots in India!
And if McDonald’s use lard or pork flavor, the 1.6 billion Muslims plus 13 million Jews in the world will go gaga!
Apart from that, they use 19 ingredients to make the chips! Wonder how healthy and safe these chips are.
They taste damn good though!
Bear in mind that ‘natural beef flavour’ is a flavour. It might not necessarily have any actual relationship to natural beef.
Exactly. Pretty sure it’s made out of people.
actual lol.
mike was pretty good too.
It’s shameful that the NZ MSM is still/i> so ignorant of the the Māori world.
Andrea Vance promotes the Pākehā imperialist agenda,
“Greens use Ratana meeting to attack John Key”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/65343562/greens-use-ratana-meeting-to-attack-john-key
Dave Kennedy puts the speech in context.
“Turei Ratana Speech Justified”
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2015/01/turei-ratana-speech-justified.html
And Ratana would have smiled
Nact could have preserved the unity by also condemning FJK’s shonky view of history. It wasn’t Metiria who destroyed it.