The propaganda offensive against Edward Snowden moves into overdrive
How much does the NSA pay Simon Marks?
Monday 24 June 2013
Just after 9 a.m. yesterday I turned on my car radio to listen to the BBC World Service News. An angry, deadly serious American voice, evidently someone high up at the National Security Agency, was carefully laying down the media’s talking points for the next few days and weeks. “He has made things so much harder for the United States and our allies…. remember we are going after bad guys… we are going after terrorists…. we are going after bad guys…”
In a clip of not much more than ten seconds, he used the phrase “bad guys” twice, used the term “terrorists” once, and lamented the irresponsibility of this “whistle-blower” at least twice. Over the next few weeks, see how many times you hear any or all of these tropes being parroted by our loyal and obedient media, led, of course, by the impeccably on-message BBC.
Later in the day, on Radio NZ National’s Checkpoint, the go-to guy was not one of the many serious, well informed or principled analysts or journalists who have commented on this case but (surprise, surprise) another BBC drone—or at least a former BBC drone. If ever a vengeful regime wanted a megaphone with a built-in sneer to amplify its propaganda, Simon Marks is that megaphone.
He is billed on his ghastly website as an “independent reporter”, but his tone and style is BBC through and through. Marks asserts, with evident approval, that NSA head Gen. Keith Alexander harbours a “barely concealed disdain” for Edward Snowden. There is a clip of Alexander’s gruff voice: “He betrayed the trust and confidence we had in him. This was an individual with top secret clearance whose duty it was to administer these networks. He betrayed that confidence and stole some of our secrets.”
Marks seems to be amused by the fact that Snowden has had to take refuge in Russia—“albeit,” he chortles, “in more congenial circumstances than Mr Assange’s in the Ecuadorian embassy!” Then Marks assumes a serious air, and intones, with all the gravitas he can muster: “By running to Russia, Snowden has shown that he is willing to work with repressive governments when it suits him. For Checkpoint, I’m Simon Marks in Washington.”
Concomitant with his role as a an imitation BBC reporter, Simon Marks spends a lot of time writing puff pieces for the likes of Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Vaclav Havel and Margaret Thatcher… http://simonmarks.com/
Wonderful way to humanise folk we put on a pedestal: imagine showing them some of the people who ignorantly appropriate their works and then hearing them utter an astounded “but the guy’s an absolute dick!”
Notice how in the compliant media the entire focus is on Snowden, with a big fat zero on what he has actually revealed about how every person is under constant surveillance and recording.
…yes, because if what Mr Snowden told us was highlighted, people might work out that when the American government is working against the interests of their people, (spying in such a manner and to such an extent goes against some well-established rights, namely peoples’ liberty) then it can be clearly seen as entirely WRONG to accuse Mr Snowden as acting in a manner ‘against the government’ or more importantly ‘against the interests of the public’, (noting that ensuring that the interests of the people making up the society is well catered for is one of the main purposes of a government’s existence), therefore he cannot be accused of, let alone ‘done’ for, treason, sedition, espionage or any similar notion.
Um, are you sure? The coverage has been overwhelming about what he has revealed. But, obviously, the captivating story right now is his leaving HK and his asylum bid, so that’s what’s getting the headlines. However, to give one example, the Guardian headline is ‘US hunts for Snowden amid mystery over whereabouts’. But there are links to half a dozen other related stories right below it, including exposes of his revelations.
I have to admit to not being a great commenter on our mainstream media, due to having an aversion to watching and reading the diluted crap that we are dished out, however, in response to your query TRP:
Any ‘event’ is an opportunity to relay the issues at stake and the implications to us, the punters, and if every ‘event’ was used in this way, we would all be more informed.
Yesterday I looked on the internet to find out what was going on with Mr Snowden and I learned that many countries have snubbed American demands for Mr Snowden’s capture and have also asked America for details and reasons for why they are being spied on.
TV1 news, thankfully (for small mercies), did mention Mr Snowden’s travel from Hong Kong to Russia and how an Equadorian (I think it was) car indicating someone from high office was present at the airport. However, there was no mention of any details of the days goings on including the concern being expressed by other countries with regard to the illegal and uncivil spying that Mr Snowden has alerted us all to.
The opportunity to let us all know just what a load of crap it is that America could even begin calling the guy ‘traitorous’ has been lost to be replaced with the bare minimum physical travel details being reported.
Some may call this coverage ‘objective’ and others might consider it biassed in its omission and consider such as leading the general public to be left in the dark as to the real effects of Mr Snowden’s disclosures and left ignorant as to the real nature of a country spying on not only its own, yet also every other citizen of any other country’s private and economic affairs.
Personally I’d rather risk being killed by a ‘terrorist’ than live under the level of paranoia that the United States has historically proven itself to specialize in.
Excellent but scary article at http://www.democracynow.org – FBI’s Use of Drones for U.S. Surveillance Raises Fears over Privacy, Widening Corporate-Gov’t Ties – plus more up-to-date interviews on Snowden
Mining and burning coal is the highest emitter of carbon dioxide on the planet. If we don’t phase out all coal before 2030, says retired NASA scientist-turned climate activist Professor James Hansen, and begin significantly reducing all fossil fuel emissions, it’s game over for the climate. That’s game over for our children’s future.
CANA Coal Action Network
A growing protest movement is building against coal. As the Green Party prepares to go into a coalition government that will approve the biggest expansion in coal mining in this country’s history. This will inevitably lead to a clash with Green Party members and supporters.
If the Green Party can not get concessions over Denniston, (or deep sea oil). It would be better for the Green Party to only promise confidence and supply to Labour, which would leave their hands free to oppose coal mining and the other terrible for the environment practices that Labour is committed to. The alternative is to agree to have their hands tied by cabinet responsibility.
The Green Party must seriously question whether their drive for cabinet positions is worth it.
Maybe someone could tell me….
What on earth do the Green Party politicians hope to gain by gaining cabinet seats?
The Greens will be a minority in cabinet even if they get the full proportional number of seats they are seeking, (which Shearer is rejecting) they will still be out voted on every issue. But then will be tied to the majority decision to their cost.
A strong argument can be made that the Green Party will, and have, achieved more for the environment by being out of government, and staying in touch and working with their grass roots activists and lobbyists.
(Just witness the electric train service being built in Auckland)
Jenny, what are coalition agreements and how do they work in our parliament?
That’s the answer to your question right there.
Offerring C&S from ouside of a coalition isn’t a position of strength, it’s a free gift. That would be saying to a NZ First Labour govt, ‘Go right ahead and govern, we’ll back you up and you don’t need to agree to anything at all for us to back you as long as you let us say bad things every now and then, so as not to upset the symbolic purists in our support base’.
It’s a stupid game playing bunch of crap. I know you think that the Greens would be able to vote against everything they were not 100% behind, rejecting compromise to retain purity, but in practice, the major parties would react. And guess who would lose?
Parliament isn’t a theatre, although it has theatrical aspects. And it isn’t chess although you need to think strategically. The rules aren’t written in stone. There isn’t a script. People can change them, and they do change in response to tactics.
I’d predict that if a minor patry offered C&S in the way you suggest, and tried the strategy you suggest (sort of a one foot in one out, all take and no give) the major party would respond by making more votes matters of Confidence and daring the small party to bring down the government.
But if the Greens have a serious concern then the Govt would have to listen, for the simple reason is that National will probably vote against it as a matter of course, most of the time.
Yeah, but Bambam allows Henry Kissinger to remain unprosecuted…..then theres the criminals from the CIA who ran the “dirty wars” in central America…need I go on. Putin may be dirty, but nobody is clean…and our own Shonkstar plays patsy to whatever Washington says. Pukesom, a whole cadre of psychos.
But the idea that he would make Putin queezy [sic] is just laughable.
Really? Who has the higher body count? Who presides over an administration that is actively killing civilians in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq? Who presides over a gulag extending from Cuba to Uzbekistan and beyond? Who backed Mubarak right until the very end of his dictatorship? Who heads a massive system of international kidnapping, torture and summary execution? Who could have stopped the Israeli massacres in Gaza, and demanded justice for the killing of nine peace activists on international waters in 2010 but instead chose to defiantly express support for the perpetrators? Who has done absolutely nothing to stop the illegal spread of settler-terrorists in the Occupied West Bank? Who is making moves to arm al Qaeda terrorists in Syria?
You are no doubt correct, Te Reo. I have been incensed, however, over the last week or so to hear media commentators portraying Obama as having to pinch his nose before dealing with this rebarbative, ruthless Russian.
It’s like the routine comment whenever a western leader goes to China: will he mention the human rights situation? The Chinese quite rightly have nothing but contempt for such talk, and no doubt so do the Russians.
Pity poor Vladimir
He has to consort with war criminals
When you are president of Russia, you are obliged to cozy up to some pretty repellent entities. Look at this photo carefully: the look on Putin’s face shows he does not necessarily find it easy wading through slime as a career….
That’s just nonsense. Putin wades through slime by choice. He ran the 2nd Chechen war, which he started on pretty dubious grounds, brutally. That’s all I’m saying, and it’s not a defence of Obama to say so.
Obama has the blood of Pakistani, Afghani, Iraqi, Yemeni and Palestinian citizens on his hands, not to mention the thousands of U.S. soldiers he has condemned to an early grave.
You’d have to be smoking drugs to compare Obama to Pete Seegar. What are you on—Blue
Mountain Hydroponic?
Climate Change “speech” coming up next, to be damned to the annals of oblivion; such a disappointment he must be to his mother…(have you read his biography?…oh, she was too into consciousness…).
At 7:17 yesterday morning, Pascal’s bookie wrote: “Obama (for all his faults, which are multitude) is Pete Seeger compared to Putin in the war crime stakes.”
What part of “Obama is Pete Seeger” do you not understand?
What part of “compared to Putin” do you not understand?
That’s wrong, of course. Putin is not as bad as Obama, no matter what index you use. You can, of course, as you have chosen to do, ignore the U.S. depradations in the middle east and Asia, ignore the U.S. gulag, ignore the U.S. war against democracy, ignore the U.S attempts to undermine and destroy Cuba and Ecuador and Bolivia and Venezuela, and you can ignore the U.S. support of Israel, Saudi Arabia and now, God save us all, al Qaeda.
If you choose to ignore all that, as you have done, then Putin is a monster, and Russia is the most dangerous country in the world, and those U.S. whistleblowers are really just “crooks”, as the U.S. and U.K. politicians keep telling us.
Stop lying about what I say. It’s not like people can’t see what I write, just because you choose to ignore it.
“Russia is the most dangerous country in the world, and those U.S. whistleblowers are really just “crooks”, as the U.S. and U.K. politicians keep telling us.”
Where did I suggest anything of the sort?
The only ignoring go on is by you.
You ignore what I say, and you claim that Poor Putin must feel awful about having to deal with Obama, ignoring Putin’s long blood soaked anti-democratic career. For shame Morrissey.
Your mate said Obama is worse than Putin in terms of war crimes. That comparison is simply ridiculous. Look up Putin’s war record (I suspect you both watch RT, you’ll have to look further afield than that).
Russian counter isnsurgency doctrine, as practiced by Putin in Chechnya, makes US COIN efforts (as bad as they are) look like a bunch of hippie bullshit.
Russian special forces would go into suburbs round up the elderly, and execute them. They’d wrap people in barbed wire and drag them behind their APC’s. There are many mass graves in and around Grozny that serve testament to this, and more.
Russian counter insurgency doctrine, as practiced by Putin in Chechnya, makes US COIN efforts (as bad as they are) look like a bunch of hippie bullshit.
That’s an even more inept and depraved simile than your Pete Seeger failure.
Are you seriously suggesting that Putin’s efforts in Chechnya were more humane than USian?
No, I am not. YOU are the one who is trying to claim, against all evidence, that Obama has some moral ascendancy over Putin. Your obscene invoking of Pete Seeger only makes you seem even more foolish and desperate, of course.
The record of the Chechen war compared to that of Obama. Obama’s record is awful, but if you are talking about war crimes, he has a long way to go before he matches Putin.
And if you weren’t claiming that Putin is more humane, then why did you suggest it would be so awful for him to consort with Obama. How does that make sense if you agree that his own record is worse?
Instead of explaining or justifying your logic, you get all upset about my metaphors. hmmm.
Lift your game Morrissey. Or bring one, or something.
And if you weren’t claiming that Putin is more humane, then why did you suggest it would be so awful for him to consort with Obama. How does that make sense if you agree that his own record is worse?
My post was a response to media “reports” over the last few days stating that Obama finds it distasteful to even talk to that Russian scoundrel. The implication, unchallenged by the stooges at the BBC, Radio New Zealand and most other outlets, was that the Americans have some kind of moral ascendancy over the Russians. They don’t.
Your attempt to show that Putin has a worse human rights record than Obama is not only dishonest, it’s depraved.
As an ex KGB Lt Colonel, Putin does have form on wading through slime (+ what PB said re: Chechnya).
However, Snowden would probably be best to just stay in Russia and go for citizenship; as Russian citizens can’t constitutionally be extradited. Though they can still be gunned down in the street, or fall down lift-shafts (not legally, but more frequently than I’d be comfortable with). I just hope the proposed run to Ecuador via Cuba is a ruse to throw the USA spooks off his trail.
“As an ex KGB Lt Colonel, Putin does have form on wading through slime (+ what PB said re: Chechnya)”
Not many leaders would be prepared to sacrifice what Putin did in Beslan and the cinema hostage crisis in Moscow either.
Russian citizenship might be the best option. Sadly, it’s not looking to promising for Snowden at the moment with Ecuador – something to do with U.S. trade deals being at risk, last I read. Hopefully he’ll find a safe haven and people will start talking about the crap Snowden uncovered, and what that represents, rather than false memes about who or what he might represent.
No doubt we will be hearing eulogies delivered by all sorts of people in the next few weeks – some even by people who didn’t appear to understand the significance of 1981 and can’t even remember what they were doing at the time.
I was marching, running, yelling and doing other stuff – generally trying to make life difficult for everyone not with us – including you David 🙂 I have to say I was pretty stuffed by the end (had a bit to carry) and pumped too – could have used a beer then.
When Nelson Mandela leaves us, I don’t think I will be able to handle the faux expressions of loss and grief coming out of the mouth of Key. That will be too much…
The lack of glasses is probably just vanity. But uniforms are highly symbolic, and I wonder what symbolism Alexander is intending to portray with those stars on his shoulders? I think U.S. Grant was the first four star general. Perhaps Alexander is telling us that he has a similar determination to Grant in his evangelical mission to save the union from its enemies, no matter if it means laying waste to anything (like democracy) that gets in his way?
I’m sure I’ve read somewhere but I would struggle to source it, that Grant used to go on monumental drunken benders from time to time, but he was so revered at the time that it was largely hushed up. Anybody got the inside story on Alexander – just in case history is repeating itself?
General Ulysses S Grant? Most of the histories on him will happily refer to his lifelong problem with alcohol. Most will happily describe him as a drunk in parts of his career. It seems that he drank to excess when he was bored.
Alexander was apparently a favourite of the Cheney/Wolfowitz crowd from the 1990’s on. A real old school, American exceptionalism days, political player. The piece I read described his purview as simply huge. Further, his operational area has the dirt on everyone – literally, everyone.
Dumb government. Benefit changes means nobody will lose the benefit income. Oh wait…
…no, now that sickness benefit has been rolled into the unemployment benefit, there is a new requirement that those on a benefit for a year reapply. Yes, you see if they are in a hospital bed, house bound, or for some other reason do cannot visit the benefit office, and their sickness certificate stipulates their illness is ongoing, then the dumb government can ignore reason and demand people attend and hold up the basic income support until they do.
aerobubble
No no the government is making it easy and efficient to communicate with them. So the bene will be able to call them from their hospital bed and put their fingerprints on a special pad, or probably look closely into their camera function and send their iris to the terminal for the department. Talking about terminal….
When I was on a benefit for a while I had to call from the phone at my seasonal job workplace in the country (and lucky there was one there – before cell phones), to report in, and was criticised because I was supposed to report in person.
The endless debilitating controls of a government reluctant to provide a sensible, positive social system enabling people to be mostly self-supporting and ensuring that opportunity to all, and reluctant further, to manage the country in a way that produces a healthy, vital economy and producing the best results possible to all people.
As well as taking a well-aimed and well-deserved swipe at the MSM, the ever-articulate and thoughtful Tom Frewen highlighted the dilemma John Key kinds himself in with the GSCB legislation . . .
. . . And this is no ordinary bill. It has the prime minister’s name on it. The GCSB is his responsibility. So far, his performance as its minister has been appalling. A spy agency’s worst nightmare is public exposure. Key has not only exposed the previously-obscure agency to public gaze but, with this legislation, has opened it to an unprecedented degree of examination and loss of public confidence . . .
Needless to say, this situation is one John Key has made all by himself because of his inveterate mendacity . . .
Matthew 5:14 etc;
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
As lights of the world, they are illustrious and conspicuous and have many eyes upon them. Some admire them, commend them, rejoice in them and study to imitate them; others envy them, hate them, censure them and study to blast them.
The gospel is so strong a light, and carries with it so much of it’s own evidence, that like a city on a hill, it cannot be hid, it cannot but appear to be from God. It will give light to all that are in the house, to all who will draw near to it, and come where it is.
The knowledge must be communicated for the good of others, not put under a bushel, but spread.
The disciples of Christ must not muffle themselves up in privacy and obscurity, under pretence of contemplation, modesty or self-preservation.
We must do good works that they may be seen to the edification of others.
That those who see your good works may be brought, not to glorify you, but to glorify God.
There is winning virtue in godly conversation.
18:2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding
:4 The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters, but the foundation of wisdom is a bubbly brook, benath the Pons asinorum
Dominiom Post, Headline : Traffic Chaos may go on all week- cos’ The Road goes on Forever and the party never ends. 😎
Had John Boscawen been a Labour speech writer then this is what David Shearer would have said in response to Winston Peter’s untrue, ignorant opportunistic attack on Chinese people in NZ.
“Winston Peters is trying to drive a wedge between the Chinese community and the rest of New Zealand in a sad attempt to engender support for his party, LABOUR Party Leader David Shearer says.
“In a speech today, Winston made a number of assertions aimed at establishing a false picture that Chinese immigrants take more from New Zealand than they contribute. This is far from the truth,” Mr Shearer says
Chinese families who immigrate here are hard-working people who move to make a better life for themselves and their children. In the process, many start their own businesses, employ staff, pay taxes, invest heavily in education and contribute to the growth of New Zealand’s economy, the LABOUR Leader says.
“Every year, thousands of Chinese students arrive on our shores to pay top dollar to gain qualifications from our universities. The universities benefit from increased revenue, and the students’ time here, immersed in our culture, serves to strengthen economic ties between China and New Zealand.
“China is New Zealand’s second biggest trading partner. In 2011, bilateral trade between our two nations amounted to $12.7 billion and this will continue to grow.
“Tourism is one of our most significant export industries. Why shouldn’t the Government do all it can to attract wealthy Chinese visitors to our country to spend their tourist dollar? Australians don’t even need a visa to visit New Zealand, so the idea that some Chinese visitors getting ‘fast-tracked’ visas amounts to special treatment is laughable.
“Winston also claimed that non-resident Chinese buyers are one of the major drivers behind the Auckland housing affordability crisis. This is unfounded. The latest BNZ-REINZ survey shows that Chinese buyers represent a mere 1.3 per cent of the market. We don’t hear Winston complaining about the British who buy more homes than the Chinese do.
“The LABOUR Party rejects Winston’s claims that Chinese are somehow ripping New Zealanders off. Chinese migration and trade is of significant benefit to the New Zealand economy and, unlike NZ First, the LABOUR Party welcomes their contribution,” Mr Shearer says.”
Yeah, the Labour leader really should use the ACT president, and sole remaining paid up party member, as a speechwriter. Still. Boscowen did a wonderful job promoting lamingtons, so there maybe something in it.
[lprent: Two week ban. You know the rules. Don’t insinuate facts directly or indirectly about authors unless you are able to put up incontrovertible legal level proof. Now this isn’t an easy standard to meet as it requires that you either get an ‘out’ admission from the author themselves or have some kind of backend access to The Standard. The latter isn’t going to happen, and in the case of James neither has the former.
Which of course is why Cameron Slater (aka “PornDream”) is simply a liar in his many confident lies about our authors.
Damn I was really tempted to make that run until after my vacation to reduce moderation effort… But I resisted. ]
Another ‘profound’ comment from King Kong.
Domitian finalized the conquest of Britain, strengthened the Rhine / Danube frontier, suppressed immorality, as well as freedom of thought in philosophy and religion.
[lprent: If you can’t read the about then you really are kind of illiterate. Of course I could *educate* you, but just at present I’m more likely to ban you for diversion trolling and wasting my time. Perhaps you should use your post-anal scratch finger and a dictionary and try to figure it out word by word without my help….
Moving this thread to OpenMike as being off topic for the post. ]
You can also put ‘pseudonym’ or ‘pseudonymous’ into the search box at the top of the page, for some interesting reading on the use of pseudonyms on ts.
I don’t think we ever had an anonymous author. One of the admins always knew who they were. We had to because otherwise they couldn’t have gotten a login. Similarly the guest posts require that one of the admins puts it up.
The nearest we ever get to it are the pieces that are posted in Notices and Features. Where possible we try to put in a definitive link. However when some of the images turn up in the email or on facebook or twitter…
Hamilton City Councillor Dave MacPherson giving his considered opinion, explaining why Hamilton City Council voted, in the interests of public health, to remove fluoride from drinking water supplies.
For exposure of the corporate 1%, in whose interests the Auckland region is being run, don’t bother reading ‘The Daily Blog’ (from which Martyn Bradbury has me banned) – try this?
Press Release from Auckland Mayoral Candidate Penny Bright:
“Open the doors! Open the (submission) books! Stop this ‘democracy for developers’!”
______________________________________________________________________________
“Auckland Mayor Len Brown is facing more grief over the Unitary Plan process with one councillor vowing to boycott secret meetings and local boards demanding access to public submissions.
Chris Fletcher said the process was appalling and was boycotting secret workshops – starting with one tomorrow on height limits – until she received full disclosure of the 22,700 public submissions on the controversial plan.
This followed revelations in the Herald that last week’s first workshop on height limits and volcanic viewshafts contained feedback from the Property Council, Fletcher Development and Tramlease, but no counter view from the Volcanic Cones Society or community groups. …
Mr Brown has refused to release background papers used by the political working party to develop rules for heritage and the mixed housing and terrace housing and apartment zones. Chief executive Doug McKay has instructed lawyer Wendy Brandon to keep the work on heritage rules hidden. ….”
______________________________________________________________________________
“It is an absolute disgrace in a so-called ‘democracy’, that the Auckland region is effectively being run by an unholy alliance of big business and property developers – the Committee for Auckland and the NZ Property Council, and those who serve their interests, ” says Auckland Mayoral candidate, Penny Bright.
In 2013 we will be an influential voice for all of Auckland, creating cross-sectoral solutions to the city’s issues and
Focusing on a future beyond the electoral cycle helping New Zealand’s only world-ranked city to achieve its potential for the region and the country
The Committee for Auckland (CFA) has played a prominent role in galvanising positive change for our city. Our members are all specialists in the city’s issues and fervent advocates for its success. Having contributed significantly to the new shape of Auckland as one city, 2013 is the platform for a re-focused Committee to drive the agenda for Auckland as a world leading destination as well as the welcoming gateway to New Zealand.”
Membership of the Committee for Auckland:
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/membership
“Membership to the Committee for Auckland is by invitation. Members meet quarterly and are invited to be involved in those aspects of the work programme that interest them.
Members are Chairs of Boards, Directors and Chief Executives
Corporate Membership annual fee $10,000. ……”
“It is interesting to note how members of this VERY powerful private lobby group are intertwined with Auckland Council and Auckland Council ‘Council Controlled Organisations’ (CCOs),” states Bright.
The current list of members of the Committee for Auckland:
“The way to stop arguably corrupt practices is through transparency,” says Bright.
“Where is the transparency, when elected Councillors have not yet ‘received full disclosure of the 22,700 public submissions on the controversial (Draft Unitary) plan’, and secret meetings are being held behind closed doors, from which the public are excluded?”
“Why are the Auckland Council CEO, Doug McKay, and General Counsel for Auckland Council, Wendy Brandon, the Mayor and apparently some Councillors, continuing to violate this fundamental principle of the Local Government Act 2002?
(1)In performing its role, a local authority must act in accordance with the following principles:
(a)a local authority should—
(i)conduct its business in an open, transparent, and democratically accountable manner; ..”
______________________________________________________________________________
“As an Auckland Mayoral candidate, with a proven track record in fighting for ‘open, transparent and democratically-accountable’ local (and central) government, I call for:
FULL disclosure of the 22,700 public submissions on the Auckland Draft Unitary Plan to be made available to both Auckland Council elected representatives and the public.
For ALL ‘workshops’ on the Auckland Draft Unitary Plan to be open to ALL elected representatives and the public, who wish to attend.
Open the doors! Open the (submission) books!
Stop this ‘democracy for developers!'”
(More evidence linking Auckland Council with the Committee for Auckland can be found in the following High Court document:
The prime minister’s entertaining adventures in social media continue.
At 10.30 this morning he posted – or, rather, the staffer who runs his Twitter account did; I’m not even sure if he personally knows he has a Twitter account – this inquiry to the online masses:
This is why I think economic growth is important. What do you think?
The Unguarded Moment.
Instruction 1: Patience is enjoyed upon the believers. 16:127
Patience is made a condition of success and prosperity. 3:200
The reward of those who exercise patience is doubled. 28:54
Good question, postie. For starters, it may mean the arrangement for UF to be in Government might have to be rewritten to take into account Dunne’s new status. Assuming Dunne wants to continue the arrangement, that is. As a lowly backbench MP with no extra salary and perks, he may feel the arrangement no longer delivers in the way it did in the past.
Im thinking that Key will promise Dunne a lucrative deal The alternative is Dunne leaves parliament, .then a bye election that the Nat’s may well lose, Interesting time.
The Knighthood?
Another non-compete in Ohariu?
Nomination to international institutions?
A friendly law firm to offer a consultancy?
A guest lectureship at a School of Journalism?
Has anyone else noticed the change in tone/style in the PM recently. He is becoming quite nasty in his old age. The smiling assassin is feeling a little isolated and hitting out and getting quite aggressive. He is aiming directly at Shearer (who may be an easy target) and is becoming more obviously just another politician – not the image of the clean-new-broom that was heralded on his taking up the leadership. His delivery in The House today certainly was “Muldoonesque”. What say John Armstrong now …?
I noted it on the TV news this evening. Small black eyes unblinking… devoid of character/emotion… the eyes of a mercenary which is exactly what he is in a political sense.
So Berlusconi got a nominal seven years – but he won’t be detained while he appeals, and if his appeals fail he’ll probably pull the “too old for prison, like health n stuff” card.
‘And to fight for the Labour Party is to fight to lose. There will be no end to austerity if Ed Miliband is elected, as he chose to make clear himself in a speech elsewhere over the weekend. The struggle we face now has little or nothing to do with party politics and everything to do with class war – and the modern Labour Party is on the wrong side.’
TRP reassured me recently that the NZ Labour Party is the political party of the working class. That’s why he continues to support them. How can I doubt him? He knows what he is talking about. Right?
100% correct, CV. Thanks for showing such faith in me ;). It’s based on the fact that most working class people identify with Labour, though MMP has deluted that somewhat with other options. I’m rather hoping the 2 by-elections will prove the point.
Re: Edward Snowden “It was his fearlessness that tore off Washington’s sanctimonious mask”.
I sense some East-West tension haha.
“In a sense, the United States has gone from a ‘model of human rights’ to ‘an eavesdropper on personal privacy’, the ‘manipulator’ of the centralised power over the international internet, and the mad ‘invader’ of other countries’ networks,” the People’s Daily said.
The White House said allowing Snowden to leave was “a deliberate choice by the government to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant, and that decision unquestionably has a negative impact on the US-China relationship”.
The People’s Daily, which reflects the thinking of the government, said China could not accept “this kind of dissatisfaction and opposition”.
“The world will remember Edward Snowden,” the newspaper said. “It was his fearlessness that tore off Washington’s sanctimonious mask”.
Q:
Anybody else following Oliver Stone’s “Untold History of the U.S.”? Opinions?
I’ve never really given the guy much credence since he ‘sexed up’ the ending of Midnight Express and I seem to have missed a huge part of the series but it looks interesting.
he’s too left wing and bolshie for the mallard-robertson-goff nexus
they prefer to muddle along, and retain the patronage of wealthy sponsors like Owen Glenn
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
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The propaganda offensive against Edward Snowden moves into overdrive
How much does the NSA pay Simon Marks?
Monday 24 June 2013
Just after 9 a.m. yesterday I turned on my car radio to listen to the BBC World Service News. An angry, deadly serious American voice, evidently someone high up at the National Security Agency, was carefully laying down the media’s talking points for the next few days and weeks. “He has made things so much harder for the United States and our allies…. remember we are going after bad guys… we are going after terrorists…. we are going after bad guys…”
In a clip of not much more than ten seconds, he used the phrase “bad guys” twice, used the term “terrorists” once, and lamented the irresponsibility of this “whistle-blower” at least twice. Over the next few weeks, see how many times you hear any or all of these tropes being parroted by our loyal and obedient media, led, of course, by the impeccably on-message BBC.
Later in the day, on Radio NZ National’s Checkpoint, the go-to guy was not one of the many serious, well informed or principled analysts or journalists who have commented on this case but (surprise, surprise) another BBC drone—or at least a former BBC drone. If ever a vengeful regime wanted a megaphone with a built-in sneer to amplify its propaganda, Simon Marks is that megaphone.
He is billed on his ghastly website as an “independent reporter”, but his tone and style is BBC through and through. Marks asserts, with evident approval, that NSA head Gen. Keith Alexander harbours a “barely concealed disdain” for Edward Snowden. There is a clip of Alexander’s gruff voice: “He betrayed the trust and confidence we had in him. This was an individual with top secret clearance whose duty it was to administer these networks. He betrayed that confidence and stole some of our secrets.”
Marks seems to be amused by the fact that Snowden has had to take refuge in Russia—“albeit,” he chortles, “in more congenial circumstances than Mr Assange’s in the Ecuadorian embassy!” Then Marks assumes a serious air, and intones, with all the gravitas he can muster: “By running to Russia, Snowden has shown that he is willing to work with repressive governments when it suits him. For Checkpoint, I’m Simon Marks in Washington.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Concomitant with his role as a an imitation BBC reporter, Simon Marks spends a lot of time writing puff pieces for the likes of Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, Vaclav Havel and Margaret Thatcher…
http://simonmarks.com/
Edward (Goldstein) Snowden
I’m not sure I should ask, but Edward Snowden’s full name, as a comment on it’s own, (if that’s what it is) is important because… ?
I think Jenny means he looks a bit like the guy in the ASB ads. The actor who played Goldstein also appeared in The Sopranos.
ahh – I can’t see the resemblance, but there you go – each to their own.
Tall, geeky, bespectacled. Like you, I think the resemblance ends there, but I am sure Jenny can explain a little more fully.
An overwrought 1984 reference surely?
I thought he looks more like a young Daniel Vetorri myself and then slightly.
Cue (or queue) cricket puns….
I’ll be the judge of that
Fairly sure Eric Blair would think you’re a dick tbh.
lol
Wonderful way to humanise folk we put on a pedestal: imagine showing them some of the people who ignorantly appropriate their works and then hearing them utter an astounded “but the guy’s an absolute dick!”
spotted; not all reptiles are chameleons.
Notice how in the compliant media the entire focus is on Snowden, with a big fat zero on what he has actually revealed about how every person is under constant surveillance and recording.
…yes, because if what Mr Snowden told us was highlighted, people might work out that when the American government is working against the interests of their people, (spying in such a manner and to such an extent goes against some well-established rights, namely peoples’ liberty) then it can be clearly seen as entirely WRONG to accuse Mr Snowden as acting in a manner ‘against the government’ or more importantly ‘against the interests of the public’, (noting that ensuring that the interests of the people making up the society is well catered for is one of the main purposes of a government’s existence), therefore he cannot be accused of, let alone ‘done’ for, treason, sedition, espionage or any similar notion.
Um, are you sure? The coverage has been overwhelming about what he has revealed. But, obviously, the captivating story right now is his leaving HK and his asylum bid, so that’s what’s getting the headlines. However, to give one example, the Guardian headline is ‘US hunts for Snowden amid mystery over whereabouts’. But there are links to half a dozen other related stories right below it, including exposes of his revelations.
I have to admit to not being a great commenter on our mainstream media, due to having an aversion to watching and reading the diluted crap that we are dished out, however, in response to your query TRP:
Any ‘event’ is an opportunity to relay the issues at stake and the implications to us, the punters, and if every ‘event’ was used in this way, we would all be more informed.
Yesterday I looked on the internet to find out what was going on with Mr Snowden and I learned that many countries have snubbed American demands for Mr Snowden’s capture and have also asked America for details and reasons for why they are being spied on.
TV1 news, thankfully (for small mercies), did mention Mr Snowden’s travel from Hong Kong to Russia and how an Equadorian (I think it was) car indicating someone from high office was present at the airport. However, there was no mention of any details of the days goings on including the concern being expressed by other countries with regard to the illegal and uncivil spying that Mr Snowden has alerted us all to.
The opportunity to let us all know just what a load of crap it is that America could even begin calling the guy ‘traitorous’ has been lost to be replaced with the bare minimum physical travel details being reported.
Some may call this coverage ‘objective’ and others might consider it biassed in its omission and consider such as leading the general public to be left in the dark as to the real effects of Mr Snowden’s disclosures and left ignorant as to the real nature of a country spying on not only its own, yet also every other citizen of any other country’s private and economic affairs.
Personally I’d rather risk being killed by a ‘terrorist’ than live under the level of paranoia that the United States has historically proven itself to specialize in.
I certainly hope so Rosy but I’m hoping it’s not something nasty. Perhaps I’m over sensitive . But I don’t like it .
Alexander is pissed; all that ‘subterfuge’ down the drain.
Excellent but scary article at http://www.democracynow.org – FBI’s Use of Drones for U.S. Surveillance Raises Fears over Privacy, Widening Corporate-Gov’t Ties – plus more up-to-date interviews on Snowden
The campaign against coal.
http://coalactionnetworkaotearoa.wordpress.com/
A growing protest movement is building against coal. As the Green Party prepares to go into a coalition government that will approve the biggest expansion in coal mining in this country’s history. This will inevitably lead to a clash with Green Party members and supporters.
If the Green Party can not get concessions over Denniston, (or deep sea oil). It would be better for the Green Party to only promise confidence and supply to Labour, which would leave their hands free to oppose coal mining and the other terrible for the environment practices that Labour is committed to. The alternative is to agree to have their hands tied by cabinet responsibility.
The Green Party must seriously question whether their drive for cabinet positions is worth it.
Maybe someone could tell me….
What on earth do the Green Party politicians hope to gain by gaining cabinet seats?
The Greens will be a minority in cabinet even if they get the full proportional number of seats they are seeking, (which Shearer is rejecting) they will still be out voted on every issue. But then will be tied to the majority decision to their cost.
A strong argument can be made that the Green Party will, and have, achieved more for the environment by being out of government, and staying in touch and working with their grass roots activists and lobbyists.
(Just witness the electric train service being built in Auckland)
Jenny, what are coalition agreements and how do they work in our parliament?
That’s the answer to your question right there.
Offerring C&S from ouside of a coalition isn’t a position of strength, it’s a free gift. That would be saying to a NZ First Labour govt, ‘Go right ahead and govern, we’ll back you up and you don’t need to agree to anything at all for us to back you as long as you let us say bad things every now and then, so as not to upset the symbolic purists in our support base’.
It’s a stupid game playing bunch of crap. I know you think that the Greens would be able to vote against everything they were not 100% behind, rejecting compromise to retain purity, but in practice, the major parties would react. And guess who would lose?
Parliament isn’t a theatre, although it has theatrical aspects. And it isn’t chess although you need to think strategically. The rules aren’t written in stone. There isn’t a script. People can change them, and they do change in response to tactics.
I’d predict that if a minor patry offered C&S in the way you suggest, and tried the strategy you suggest (sort of a one foot in one out, all take and no give) the major party would respond by making more votes matters of Confidence and daring the small party to bring down the government.
But if the Greens have a serious concern then the Govt would have to listen, for the simple reason is that National will probably vote against it as a matter of course, most of the time.
Pity poor Vladimir
He has to consort with war criminals
When you are president of Russia, you are obliged to cozy up to some pretty repellent entities. Look at this photo carefully: the look on Putin’s face shows he does not necessarily find it easy wading through slime as a career….
http://rt.com/files/politics/obama-putin-russia-us-g20-mcfaul-reset-496/obama-putin-president.si.jpg
Read up on Putin’s war in Chechnya and how it was prosecuted.
Obama (for all his faults, which are multitude) is Pete Seeger compared to Putin in the war crime stakes.
Yeah, but Bambam allows Henry Kissinger to remain unprosecuted…..then theres the criminals from the CIA who ran the “dirty wars” in central America…need I go on. Putin may be dirty, but nobody is clean…and our own Shonkstar plays patsy to whatever Washington says. Pukesom, a whole cadre of psychos.
for all his faults, which are multitude
Yeah, it’s a long list. But the idea that he would make Putin queezy is just laughable.
But the idea that he would make Putin queezy [sic] is just laughable.
Really? Who has the higher body count? Who presides over an administration that is actively killing civilians in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq? Who presides over a gulag extending from Cuba to Uzbekistan and beyond? Who backed Mubarak right until the very end of his dictatorship? Who heads a massive system of international kidnapping, torture and summary execution? Who could have stopped the Israeli massacres in Gaza, and demanded justice for the killing of nine peace activists on international waters in 2010 but instead chose to defiantly express support for the perpetrators? Who has done absolutely nothing to stop the illegal spread of settler-terrorists in the Occupied West Bank? Who is making moves to arm al Qaeda terrorists in Syria?
Clue: the answer is not “Vladimir Putin.”
Who flattened Grozny?
Seriously, read up on the 2nd Chechen war. Putin makes Obama look like a pussy cat.
I’m not defending Putin, you fool. I’m trying to find out why YOU are defending Obama, who is far more blood-drenched than Putin.
I don’t think its a competition, Moz, but I suspect Putin has been quite literally blood drenched in his previous career.
You are no doubt correct, Te Reo. I have been incensed, however, over the last week or so to hear media commentators portraying Obama as having to pinch his nose before dealing with this rebarbative, ruthless Russian.
It’s like the routine comment whenever a western leader goes to China: will he mention the human rights situation? The Chinese quite rightly have nothing but contempt for such talk, and no doubt so do the Russians.
Here’s what you said:
That’s just nonsense. Putin wades through slime by choice. He ran the 2nd Chechen war, which he started on pretty dubious grounds, brutally. That’s all I’m saying, and it’s not a defence of Obama to say so.
Obama has the blood of Pakistani, Afghani, Iraqi, Yemeni and Palestinian citizens on his hands, not to mention the thousands of U.S. soldiers he has condemned to an early grave.
You’d have to be smoking drugs to compare Obama to Pete Seegar. What are you on—Blue
Mountain Hydroponic?
Climate Change “speech” coming up next, to be damned to the annals of oblivion; such a disappointment he must be to his mother…(have you read his biography?…oh, she was too into consciousness…).
“You’d have to be smoking drugs to compare Obama to Pete Seegar”
You’d have to be on mushrooms to think anyone did.
At 7:17 yesterday morning, Pascal’s bookie wrote: “Obama (for all his faults, which are multitude) is Pete Seeger compared to Putin in the war crime stakes.”
What part of “Obama is Pete Seeger” do you not understand?
What part of “compared to Putin” do you not understand?
What part of “compared to Putin” do you not understand?
That’s wrong, of course. Putin is not as bad as Obama, no matter what index you use. You can, of course, as you have chosen to do, ignore the U.S. depradations in the middle east and Asia, ignore the U.S. gulag, ignore the U.S. war against democracy, ignore the U.S attempts to undermine and destroy Cuba and Ecuador and Bolivia and Venezuela, and you can ignore the U.S. support of Israel, Saudi Arabia and now, God save us all, al Qaeda.
If you choose to ignore all that, as you have done, then Putin is a monster, and Russia is the most dangerous country in the world, and those U.S. whistleblowers are really just “crooks”, as the U.S. and U.K. politicians keep telling us.
I haven’t ignored that:
“(for all his faults, which are multitude)”
“Yeah, it’s a long list”
“makes US COIN efforts (as bad as they are)”
Stop lying about what I say. It’s not like people can’t see what I write, just because you choose to ignore it.
“Russia is the most dangerous country in the world, and those U.S. whistleblowers are really just “crooks”, as the U.S. and U.K. politicians keep telling us.”
Where did I suggest anything of the sort?
The only ignoring go on is by you.
You ignore what I say, and you claim that Poor Putin must feel awful about having to deal with Obama, ignoring Putin’s long blood soaked anti-democratic career. For shame Morrissey.
See my reply posted at 7:12 a.m. (below).
Doesn’t address your lies about what I have supposedly ignored.
Pathetic stuff Morrissey.
Prof Longhair, re-read what I said.
Your mate said Obama is worse than Putin in terms of war crimes. That comparison is simply ridiculous. Look up Putin’s war record (I suspect you both watch RT, you’ll have to look further afield than that).
Russian counter isnsurgency doctrine, as practiced by Putin in Chechnya, makes US COIN efforts (as bad as they are) look like a bunch of hippie bullshit.
Russian special forces would go into suburbs round up the elderly, and execute them. They’d wrap people in barbed wire and drag them behind their APC’s. There are many mass graves in and around Grozny that serve testament to this, and more.
Russian counter insurgency doctrine, as practiced by Putin in Chechnya, makes US COIN efforts (as bad as they are) look like a bunch of hippie bullshit.
That’s an even more inept and depraved simile than your Pete Seeger failure.
Explain why. Make an actual argument, just once. Show me you know something, anything at all, about how Russia prosecutes war.
Are you seriously suggesting that Putin’s efforts in Chechnya were more humane than USian?
Are you seriously suggesting that Putin’s efforts in Chechnya were more humane than USian?
No, I am not. YOU are the one who is trying to claim, against all evidence, that Obama has some moral ascendancy over Putin. Your obscene invoking of Pete Seeger only makes you seem even more foolish and desperate, of course.
Evidence?
The record of the Chechen war compared to that of Obama. Obama’s record is awful, but if you are talking about war crimes, he has a long way to go before he matches Putin.
And if you weren’t claiming that Putin is more humane, then why did you suggest it would be so awful for him to consort with Obama. How does that make sense if you agree that his own record is worse?
Instead of explaining or justifying your logic, you get all upset about my metaphors. hmmm.
Lift your game Morrissey. Or bring one, or something.
And if you weren’t claiming that Putin is more humane, then why did you suggest it would be so awful for him to consort with Obama. How does that make sense if you agree that his own record is worse?
My post was a response to media “reports” over the last few days stating that Obama finds it distasteful to even talk to that Russian scoundrel. The implication, unchallenged by the stooges at the BBC, Radio New Zealand and most other outlets, was that the Americans have some kind of moral ascendancy over the Russians. They don’t.
Your attempt to show that Putin has a worse human rights record than Obama is not only dishonest, it’s depraved.
But your response was just as dishonest as the “reports” you didn’t link to.
(EDIT: Just to be clear, I think you are also lying about what these media “reports”, “state”. )
So is it your position that Putin’s record is better than Obama’s? You seem to bounce around on that.
Putin’s looking like that because he just found out Russia got out-spied by the U.S. It’s a dirty, dirty game they play.
Edit: I also heard on the news the U.S. warning Russia about helping Snowden… something about breaking trust between the two nations. I lolz’d.
As an ex KGB Lt Colonel, Putin does have form on wading through slime (+ what PB said re: Chechnya).
However, Snowden would probably be best to just stay in Russia and go for citizenship; as Russian citizens can’t constitutionally be extradited. Though they can still be gunned down in the street, or fall down lift-shafts (not legally, but more frequently than I’d be comfortable with). I just hope the proposed run to Ecuador via Cuba is a ruse to throw the USA spooks off his trail.
“As an ex KGB Lt Colonel, Putin does have form on wading through slime (+ what PB said re: Chechnya)”
Not many leaders would be prepared to sacrifice what Putin did in Beslan and the cinema hostage crisis in Moscow either.
Russian citizenship might be the best option. Sadly, it’s not looking to promising for Snowden at the moment with Ecuador – something to do with U.S. trade deals being at risk, last I read. Hopefully he’ll find a safe haven and people will start talking about the crap Snowden uncovered, and what that represents, rather than false memes about who or what he might represent.
No doubt we will be hearing eulogies delivered by all sorts of people in the next few weeks – some even by people who didn’t appear to understand the significance of 1981 and can’t even remember what they were doing at the time.
I do, it hurt…lots.
Yeah – especially when my sister made me laugh after the last test and I found out how bloody awkward stitches in my batoned lip were going to be.
I was working delivering booze for Super liquor man, and I had to get back to the Basin from Island Bay. I had a very, very, slow drive back.
I was marching, running, yelling and doing other stuff – generally trying to make life difficult for everyone not with us – including you David 🙂 I have to say I was pretty stuffed by the end (had a bit to carry) and pumped too – could have used a beer then.
Would you believe my wife and my first dates were on Springbok protests?
Rumour has it that a certain PM is beginning to wish that he had been part of the demos as well.
When Nelson Mandela leaves us, I don’t think I will be able to handle the faux expressions of loss and grief coming out of the mouth of Key. That will be too much…
Geez, I have nothing but contempt for that man.
A curious but perhaps insightful detail – here is a glasses wearing Gen. Keith Alexander from back in the day in fairly normal three star general uniform – http://www.thenewnewinternet.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/nsa_director_keith_alexander.jpg
And here he is now, promoted to head the NSA and sans spectacles and with his four stars arranged on his shoulders like he is expecting to be assigned to the Union’s Army of the Potomac any day now – http://a.abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/abc_keith_alexander_this_week_jt_130623_wg.jpg
The lack of glasses is probably just vanity. But uniforms are highly symbolic, and I wonder what symbolism Alexander is intending to portray with those stars on his shoulders? I think U.S. Grant was the first four star general. Perhaps Alexander is telling us that he has a similar determination to Grant in his evangelical mission to save the union from its enemies, no matter if it means laying waste to anything (like democracy) that gets in his way?
Ah, yes .. but were they Google Glasses with NSA certified apps .. ?
Yeah, I did a bit of double take when I first saw it but I think they have gone back
to a feature of the Union officer military uniform from the American Civil War ..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USGrant%26family.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/John_Alexander_McClernand.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army#Uniforms
.. very apt given Obama as president, although I have seen no public announcement to that effect.
I’m sure I’ve read somewhere but I would struggle to source it, that Grant used to go on monumental drunken benders from time to time, but he was so revered at the time that it was largely hushed up. Anybody got the inside story on Alexander – just in case history is repeating itself?
General Ulysses S Grant? Most of the histories on him will happily refer to his lifelong problem with alcohol. Most will happily describe him as a drunk in parts of his career. It seems that he drank to excess when he was bored.
Alexander was apparently a favourite of the Cheney/Wolfowitz crowd from the 1990’s on. A real old school, American exceptionalism days, political player. The piece I read described his purview as simply huge. Further, his operational area has the dirt on everyone – literally, everyone.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/06/general-keith-alexander-cyberwar/all/
If you are living in or around Napier, be very afraid.
“The Kiwi nation is embracing the oil rush ..”
http://www.angelnexus.com/o/web/47449
I reckon Aaron Gilmore and his mates have a few shares in this play.
PETROSTATES
Dumb government. Benefit changes means nobody will lose the benefit income. Oh wait…
…no, now that sickness benefit has been rolled into the unemployment benefit, there is a new requirement that those on a benefit for a year reapply. Yes, you see if they are in a hospital bed, house bound, or for some other reason do cannot visit the benefit office, and their sickness certificate stipulates their illness is ongoing, then the dumb government can ignore reason and demand people attend and hold up the basic income support until they do.
aerobubble
No no the government is making it easy and efficient to communicate with them. So the bene will be able to call them from their hospital bed and put their fingerprints on a special pad, or probably look closely into their camera function and send their iris to the terminal for the department. Talking about terminal….
When I was on a benefit for a while I had to call from the phone at my seasonal job workplace in the country (and lucky there was one there – before cell phones), to report in, and was criticised because I was supposed to report in person.
The endless debilitating controls of a government reluctant to provide a sensible, positive social system enabling people to be mostly self-supporting and ensuring that opportunity to all, and reluctant further, to manage the country in a way that produces a healthy, vital economy and producing the best results possible to all people.
Crawling Key?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10892773
I guess the question is whether WinstonFirst supporters would be more comfortable supporting National or Labour/Greens/Mana
Interesting times are afoot but don’t worry Shearer has a plan… 🙂
‘
As well as taking a well-aimed and well-deserved swipe at the MSM, the ever-articulate and thoughtful Tom Frewen highlighted the dilemma John Key kinds himself in with the GSCB legislation . . .
Needless to say, this situation is one John Key has made all by himself because of his inveterate mendacity . . .
‘
But wait, there’s more . . .
. . . stay tuned, more to come.
Inveterate mendacity
ouch
The Slippery little Shyster seems way over-confident of having ‘the Hairdo’s’ support for the GCSB legislation,
Perhaps it’s a case of vote for the legislation wee Petey or have the emails to and from the DomPost’s Vance leaked to the media one at a time…
IT
IT worries me a little that he is so sure that Dunne will support the bill. I wonder why ?Let’s hope it’ just Key’s ego .
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1945/0041/latest/DLM239213.html
Section 8 – Repealed in 1991, by the National Government
When will NZ begin officially be mined for Uranium?
What might the significance and/or relation to the 60-60 rejection of Depleted Uanium Prohibition Bill (June 2012), be?
Mouse over the yellow dots to translate the protest placards.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/06/21/world/americas/brazil-protest-signs.html?_r=2&
Matthew 5:14 etc;
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
As lights of the world, they are illustrious and conspicuous and have many eyes upon them. Some admire them, commend them, rejoice in them and study to imitate them; others envy them, hate them, censure them and study to blast them.
The gospel is so strong a light, and carries with it so much of it’s own evidence, that like a city on a hill, it cannot be hid, it cannot but appear to be from God. It will give light to all that are in the house, to all who will draw near to it, and come where it is.
The knowledge must be communicated for the good of others, not put under a bushel, but spread.
The disciples of Christ must not muffle themselves up in privacy and obscurity, under pretence of contemplation, modesty or self-preservation.
We must do good works that they may be seen to the edification of others.
That those who see your good works may be brought, not to glorify you, but to glorify God.
There is winning virtue in godly conversation.
18:2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding
:4 The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters, but the foundation of wisdom is a bubbly brook, benath the Pons asinorum
Dominiom Post, Headline : Traffic Chaos may go on all week- cos’ The Road goes on Forever and the party never ends. 😎
Had John Boscawen been a Labour speech writer then this is what David Shearer would have said in response to Winston Peter’s untrue, ignorant opportunistic attack on Chinese people in NZ.
“Winston Peters is trying to drive a wedge between the Chinese community and the rest of New Zealand in a sad attempt to engender support for his party, LABOUR Party Leader David Shearer says.
“In a speech today, Winston made a number of assertions aimed at establishing a false picture that Chinese immigrants take more from New Zealand than they contribute. This is far from the truth,” Mr Shearer says
Chinese families who immigrate here are hard-working people who move to make a better life for themselves and their children. In the process, many start their own businesses, employ staff, pay taxes, invest heavily in education and contribute to the growth of New Zealand’s economy, the LABOUR Leader says.
“Every year, thousands of Chinese students arrive on our shores to pay top dollar to gain qualifications from our universities. The universities benefit from increased revenue, and the students’ time here, immersed in our culture, serves to strengthen economic ties between China and New Zealand.
“China is New Zealand’s second biggest trading partner. In 2011, bilateral trade between our two nations amounted to $12.7 billion and this will continue to grow.
“Tourism is one of our most significant export industries. Why shouldn’t the Government do all it can to attract wealthy Chinese visitors to our country to spend their tourist dollar? Australians don’t even need a visa to visit New Zealand, so the idea that some Chinese visitors getting ‘fast-tracked’ visas amounts to special treatment is laughable.
“Winston also claimed that non-resident Chinese buyers are one of the major drivers behind the Auckland housing affordability crisis. This is unfounded. The latest BNZ-REINZ survey shows that Chinese buyers represent a mere 1.3 per cent of the market. We don’t hear Winston complaining about the British who buy more homes than the Chinese do.
“The LABOUR Party rejects Winston’s claims that Chinese are somehow ripping New Zealanders off. Chinese migration and trade is of significant benefit to the New Zealand economy and, unlike NZ First, the LABOUR Party welcomes their contribution,” Mr Shearer says.”
Thanks to NBR & John Boscawen.
Winston is a grave digger; seen who attends his meetings and speeches?
Yeah, the Labour leader really should use the ACT president, and sole remaining paid up party member, as a speechwriter. Still. Boscowen did a wonderful job promoting lamingtons, so there maybe something in it.
[deleted]
[lprent: Two week ban. You know the rules. Don’t insinuate facts directly or indirectly about authors unless you are able to put up incontrovertible legal level proof. Now this isn’t an easy standard to meet as it requires that you either get an ‘out’ admission from the author themselves or have some kind of backend access to The Standard. The latter isn’t going to happen, and in the case of James neither has the former.
Which of course is why Cameron Slater (aka “PornDream”) is simply a liar in his many confident lies about our authors.
Damn I was really tempted to make that run until after my vacation to reduce moderation effort… But I resisted. ]
Another ‘profound’ comment from King Kong.
Domitian finalized the conquest of Britain, strengthened the Rhine / Danube frontier, suppressed immorality, as well as freedom of thought in philosophy and religion.
Why are authors anonymous?
[lprent: If you can’t read the about then you really are kind of illiterate. Of course I could *educate* you, but just at present I’m more likely to ban you for diversion trolling and wasting my time. Perhaps you should use your post-anal scratch finger and a dictionary and try to figure it out word by word without my help….
Moving this thread to OpenMike as being off topic for the post. ]
tell you later behind the bikesheds
Why are you?
The standard rarely has posts from anonymous authors now. I think you mean pseudonymous. After you’ve read Lynn’s link, try this one –
http://ideologicallyimpure.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/pseudonymity/
You can also put ‘pseudonym’ or ‘pseudonymous’ into the search box at the top of the page, for some interesting reading on the use of pseudonyms on ts.
I don’t think we ever had an anonymous author. One of the admins always knew who they were. We had to because otherwise they couldn’t have gotten a login. Similarly the guest posts require that one of the admins puts it up.
The nearest we ever get to it are the pieces that are posted in Notices and Features. Where possible we try to put in a definitive link. However when some of the images turn up in the email or on facebook or twitter…
I was thinking of guest posts that had no author name attached (ie anonymous to readers, not to admin). There seem to be way less of those now.
Seen this?
DOCTORS PRESENT THE CASE TO END FLUORIDATION
Sat 29th June 7pm – 9pm
Freeman’s Bay Community Hall, 52 Hepburn Street, Auckland Central.
Come and judge for yourself whether fluoride is something you would want in your tap water!
______________________________________________________________________________
Hamilton City Councillor Dave MacPherson giving his considered opinion, explaining why Hamilton City Council voted, in the interests of public health, to remove fluoride from drinking water supplies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcu7XIIZyt4&feature=youtu.be
______________________________________________________________________________
Do you think the Ministry of Health can be trusted for advice regarding the safety of NZ drinking water?
Or that Watercare really cares about public health when it comes to safeguarding the quality of our drinking water?
If so – I suggest you read this…………………
http://www.occupyaucklandvsaucklandcouncilappeal.org.nz/?page_id=15
Penny Bright
[For the public record, as an Auckland Mayoral candidate, I am opposed to the fluoridation of public water supplies.]
For exposure of the corporate 1%, in whose interests the Auckland region is being run, don’t bother reading ‘The Daily Blog’ (from which Martyn Bradbury has me banned) – try this?
Press Release from Auckland Mayoral Candidate Penny Bright:
“Open the doors! Open the (submission) books! Stop this ‘democracy for developers’!”
______________________________________________________________________________
“Revolt over Unitary Plan secrecy”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10892671
“Auckland Mayor Len Brown is facing more grief over the Unitary Plan process with one councillor vowing to boycott secret meetings and local boards demanding access to public submissions.
Chris Fletcher said the process was appalling and was boycotting secret workshops – starting with one tomorrow on height limits – until she received full disclosure of the 22,700 public submissions on the controversial plan.
This followed revelations in the Herald that last week’s first workshop on height limits and volcanic viewshafts contained feedback from the Property Council, Fletcher Development and Tramlease, but no counter view from the Volcanic Cones Society or community groups. …
Mr Brown has refused to release background papers used by the political working party to develop rules for heritage and the mixed housing and terrace housing and apartment zones. Chief executive Doug McKay has instructed lawyer Wendy Brandon to keep the work on heritage rules hidden. ….”
______________________________________________________________________________
“It is an absolute disgrace in a so-called ‘democracy’, that the Auckland region is effectively being run by an unholy alliance of big business and property developers – the Committee for Auckland and the NZ Property Council, and those who serve their interests, ” says Auckland Mayoral candidate, Penny Bright.
______________________________________________________________________________
Who are the Committee for Auckland:
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/
“Our vision: Auckland as a global city.
In 2013 we will be an influential voice for all of Auckland, creating cross-sectoral solutions to the city’s issues and
Focusing on a future beyond the electoral cycle helping New Zealand’s only world-ranked city to achieve its potential for the region and the country
The Committee for Auckland (CFA) has played a prominent role in galvanising positive change for our city. Our members are all specialists in the city’s issues and fervent advocates for its success. Having contributed significantly to the new shape of Auckland as one city, 2013 is the platform for a re-focused Committee to drive the agenda for Auckland as a world leading destination as well as the welcoming gateway to New Zealand.”
Membership of the Committee for Auckland:
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/membership
“Membership to the Committee for Auckland is by invitation. Members meet quarterly and are invited to be involved in those aspects of the work programme that interest them.
Members are Chairs of Boards, Directors and Chief Executives
Corporate Membership annual fee $10,000. ……”
“It is interesting to note how members of this VERY powerful private lobby group are intertwined with Auckland Council and Auckland Council ‘Council Controlled Organisations’ (CCOs),” states Bright.
The current list of members of the Committee for Auckland:
http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/membership/member-organisations
Doug McKay Chief Executive Officer Auckland Council
Brett O’Riley Chief Executive Officer ATEED
Robert Domm Chief Executive Officer Regional Facilities Auckland
Mark Ford Chief Executive Officer Watercare
John Dalzell Chief Executive Officer Waterfront Auckland
______________________________________________________________________________
“Also, how the Committee for Auckland includes key members of the NZ Property Council and property developers,” Bright continues.
____________________________________________________________________________
Connal Townsend National Director Property Council of NZ
Evan Davies Chief Executive Officer Todd Property Ltd
______________________________________________________________________________
“The way to stop arguably corrupt practices is through transparency,” says Bright.
“Where is the transparency, when elected Councillors have not yet ‘received full disclosure of the 22,700 public submissions on the controversial (Draft Unitary) plan’, and secret meetings are being held behind closed doors, from which the public are excluded?”
“Why are the Auckland Council CEO, Doug McKay, and General Counsel for Auckland Council, Wendy Brandon, the Mayor and apparently some Councillors, continuing to violate this fundamental principle of the Local Government Act 2002?
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0084/latest/DLM171810.html
14 Principles relating to local authorities
(1)In performing its role, a local authority must act in accordance with the following principles:
(a)a local authority should—
(i)conduct its business in an open, transparent, and democratically accountable manner; ..”
______________________________________________________________________________
“As an Auckland Mayoral candidate, with a proven track record in fighting for ‘open, transparent and democratically-accountable’ local (and central) government, I call for:
FULL disclosure of the 22,700 public submissions on the Auckland Draft Unitary Plan to be made available to both Auckland Council elected representatives and the public.
For ALL ‘workshops’ on the Auckland Draft Unitary Plan to be open to ALL elected representatives and the public, who wish to attend.
Open the doors! Open the (submission) books!
Stop this ‘democracy for developers!'”
(More evidence linking Auckland Council with the Committee for Auckland can be found in the following High Court document:
http://www.occupyaucklandvsaucklandcouncilappeal.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/OCCUPY-AUCKLAND-APPEAL-APPLICATION-BY-APPELLANT-BRIGHT-TO-ADDUCE-NEW-EVIDENCE-pdf.pdf
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption/anti-privatisation’ campaigner
2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate
So, farewell then United Future
it was the worm that made you
now
you are wormfood
EJ Dunne (14 and a half terms)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8838701/Speaker-backed-in-Dunne-funding-row
Excellent, guess the CCSB Bill is on the table then…
Bwaahaha!!
http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/john-key-asks-twitter-what-it-thinks/
The prime minister’s entertaining adventures in social media continue.
At 10.30 this morning he posted – or, rather, the staffer who runs his Twitter account did; I’m not even sure if he personally knows he has a Twitter account – this inquiry to the online masses:
This is why I think economic growth is important. What do you think?
they are laughing at you John, not with you ya clown. Wotta dick! showing his age.
Lord of all he surveys, master of nothing but his fortune.
Peace talks with the Taliban are going well…..
/
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-106686-Kabul:-Militants-storm-Afghan-presidential-palace
https://twitter.com/MHarooni
The Unguarded Moment.
Instruction 1: Patience is enjoyed upon the believers. 16:127
Patience is made a condition of success and prosperity. 3:200
The reward of those who exercise patience is doubled. 28:54
Just announced ,Dunne is an independent MP. I wonder how this will effect the government .
Good question, postie. For starters, it may mean the arrangement for UF to be in Government might have to be rewritten to take into account Dunne’s new status. Assuming Dunne wants to continue the arrangement, that is. As a lowly backbench MP with no extra salary and perks, he may feel the arrangement no longer delivers in the way it did in the past.
Im thinking that Key will promise Dunne a lucrative deal The alternative is Dunne leaves parliament, .then a bye election that the Nat’s may well lose, Interesting time.
The Knighthood?
Another non-compete in Ohariu?
Nomination to international institutions?
A friendly law firm to offer a consultancy?
A guest lectureship at a School of Journalism?
Has anyone else noticed the change in tone/style in the PM recently. He is becoming quite nasty in his old age. The smiling assassin is feeling a little isolated and hitting out and getting quite aggressive. He is aiming directly at Shearer (who may be an easy target) and is becoming more obviously just another politician – not the image of the clean-new-broom that was heralded on his taking up the leadership. His delivery in The House today certainly was “Muldoonesque”. What say John Armstrong now …?
I noted it on the TV news this evening. Small black eyes unblinking… devoid of character/emotion… the eyes of a mercenary which is exactly what he is in a political sense.
The real John Key has stood up.
So Berlusconi got a nominal seven years – but he won’t be detained while he appeals, and if his appeals fail he’ll probably pull the “too old for prison, like health n stuff” card.
Oh well.
oh dear, how sad, nevermind; two ‘bosses’ in one week, with the Saviour’s passing to come.
Breaking news .. Speaker strips Dunne of funding
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8838701/Speaker-backed-in-Dunne-funding-row
What are the implications ?
Presumably he will still deliver Confidence and Supply to this government .. but
it nibbles away at its legitimacy.
On the GCSB Bill, “it’s all about safety” -Key
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10892844
(not play-time, don’t you know?)
The GCSB, “dependent on The Daily Blog” for it’s source”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10892829
well I’ll bfd!
Hilarious…. I bet that is changed pretty damn fast.
The return (or resurgence) of anti-semitism in Britain
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10892870
Mormons to park up the bicycles and begin knocking on Windows 8
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10892862
(or picking Apples)
‘And to fight for the Labour Party is to fight to lose. There will be no end to austerity if Ed Miliband is elected, as he chose to make clear himself in a speech elsewhere over the weekend. The struggle we face now has little or nothing to do with party politics and everything to do with class war – and the modern Labour Party is on the wrong side.’
http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2013/06/24/the-legacy-of-the-peoples-assembly-could-be-manufactured-surrender/
Just like here…..
TRP reassured me recently that the NZ Labour Party is the political party of the working class. That’s why he continues to support them. How can I doubt him? He knows what he is talking about. Right?
Labour or National is like being able to choose between presidents Snow or Coin.
There are no correct answers just least wrong.
100% correct, CV. Thanks for showing such faith in me ;). It’s based on the fact that most working class people identify with Labour, though MMP has deluted that somewhat with other options. I’m rather hoping the 2 by-elections will prove the point.
edit: Herodotus: bloody Romans etc.
No, I don’t really agree with that. A notable proportion of the working class might still yes, but well under 50% nowadays.
Re: Edward Snowden “It was his fearlessness that tore off Washington’s sanctimonious mask”.
I sense some East-West tension haha.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/25/peoples-daily-savages-us-over-snowden
A quick appraisal of a few of the comments – spotted this one.
Couple of pieces on why Rafael Correa would accept Snowdon.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/06/24/why-journalist-jailing-ecuador-would-open-its-arms-to-edward-snowden/
http://www.juancole.com/2013/06/snowden-horrible-ecuador.html
Also, Correa’s success.
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/06/bill-black-how-ecuador-won-by-defying-neoliberal-washington-consensus-playbook.html
Q:
Anybody else following Oliver Stone’s “Untold History of the U.S.”? Opinions?
I’ve never really given the guy much credence since he ‘sexed up’ the ending of Midnight Express and I seem to have missed a huge part of the series but it looks interesting.
Why the hell did Labour not pick David Cunliffe to lead?
Because he doesn’t suffer ‘honourable member’ fools easily?
From what I can make out? Because he’s likely to challenge the status quo.
he’s too left wing and bolshie for the mallard-robertson-goff nexus
they prefer to muddle along, and retain the patronage of wealthy sponsors like Owen Glenn