I’ll bite –
Must be Keys cause it don’t make any sense.
unless you want it to – then its a charming statement of guileless uncomplicated straight talking which is what this country needs from its leaders.
This should be a wake up call to the Labour leadership. Sleep walking to victory is not going to work. They need to be doing something much more significant than playing guitar and talking about mango skins.
You may be right Socialist Paddy but they got this hit by going pretty hard against Maori over the water rights issue, and getting pretty tough on beneficiaries, again. Not sure the Left has an adequate counter for either of those yet.
Interesting to see Maggie Barrie stepping into the ring.
After Conference National are really emboldened. Apparently there was a great celebrity debate in which Key was mercilessly lampooned, and they all took it in great humour.
2014 is definitely not there for the taking – it is there for forcing out of their cold dead hands.
“they got this hit by going pretty hard against Maori over the water rights issue, and getting pretty tough on beneficiaries, again. Not sure the Left has an adequate counter for either of those yet.”
I don’t suppose they’ve tried sticking up for maori and beneficiaries, have they?
Your are too generous AD. By far.
Perhaps the voters cannot envision Labour winning?
Perhaps the voters cannot see what is different about Labour now from what it was the last time they rejected us?
Nothing. Same team, slightly different face. That is why we are still behind in the polls from where we were in 2008. If you keep doing he same thing, you keep getting the same result.
…they got this hit by going pretty hard against Maori over the water rights issue,
So did the Labour government, if you remember. Helen Clark sneered that she’d rather talk to Shrek the sheep than meet any of the Maori protestors (more than twenty thousand of them) in Wellington. She also got the likes of Trevor Mallard and Clayton Cosgrove to regularly make anti-Maori statements.
and getting pretty tough on beneficiaries, again.
You mean, getting tough on the poor. The rich beneficiaries are being looked after very well indeed. How much tax did they get out of paying in the last three years, I wonder?
Not sure the Left has an adequate counter for either of those yet.
How about: speaking out against bigots like Don (Enoch) Brash instead of panicking every time someone like him stirs up racial animosity? How about speaking out for the poor and oppressed instead of anxiously trying to show how “tough” you can be on them?
Don’t expect any change Paddy, watching labour reminds me of Telecom under Gattung,
She was chosen by the incumbent fat cats to do as they say not what actually was required to grow the business…..unlike Telecom there’s no pot of gold from Joyce waiting for them just minor party oblivion.
Aye TC but when you think back to the leadership campaign and who was supporting Shearer you really have to question the sanity of many in Labour’s caucus.
When right wingers like Slater, Farrar, Tamihere, Matthew Hooton, Michelle Boag and John Tamihere stood up and said that Shearer would be the best leader for Labour they should have smelled a rat and gone for Cunliffe.
And until they get rid of Shearer and co, that’s where it’s going to stay in the doldrums. When are Labour going to realise that the experiment of silence and kissing up to Key does not work. Oh well they are now Nat lite, and not worth voting for. So a lot of non voters from last time are just shrugging their shoulders and saying that they won’t bother to vote next time too. And this time it really is their own fault. And now they want to be able to lock an incompetent in as leader, and make it so that you would have to lever them out with Dynamite and a crow bar. I am sorry, but at the moment they do not deserve the support that they are getting from us, as they are clearly interested in following their own agenda’s and to hell with their supporters.
More than “ä wake up call” is wanted – we have been demanding this for years! Labour requires arousal from a comatose state, a condition that might take long, even for ever!
”This is the first time the New Zealand Roy Morgan poll has measured support for this new party”, unquote,
Perhaps the 3% of support magically appeared for the Conservative Party in the past 2 weeks, or was it there all the time,
3rd option, Roy’s pulling your left one,(with a small rate of success i cannot at the present register as a %),
Riffmatic and stuff aint my strong suit so one of the people what’s brainy in that area might be able to tell us all what would have to happen within a poll for the sudden emergence at 3% of ‘another’ Party,.
What the latest poll smells like from here is a ‘jack up’ pure and simple, the Right simply positioning itself early for the 2014 election where it needs coalition partners on the right with a chance of providing at least 1 extra seat off the back of a donated Electorate seat from National,
Where a % of support may have evaporated from Labour/Green, (they both lost in this poll),is in the bizaare announcement from both Shearer and Norman that they have no plans to buy back the assets now being stolen by National on behalf of it’s 40% support base,
That from both Labour and the Greens after months of protest by opponents of asset sales was a grand kick in the balls and now has me re-considering my voting options…
The rumor in Wellington is that Nationals own polling has them bouncing around on their traditional base 40-42%,
But, Roy Morgan had to move things around a bit in this poll to accommodate the insertion of the Conservative Party for the first time,
For National to Govern after the 2014 election, National themselves know that they are going to need more than Banks and the ‘Hairdo’ + the ‘Poodles’ even if they all keep the seats that they presently hold there’s a 99% chance that none of them will gather further electoral support,
So, in order for it to be viable for National to ‘give away’ another of it’s safe electorate seats there need be every chance that ‘the Party’ it plans on gifting that seat to has every chance,(in the minds of National’s core vote) of bringing at least one more MP into the Parliament riding the coat tails of the gifted National held electoral seat,
With the numbers at where i see them now the Party gifted that seat by National would have to gain at least 2 more seats off of the MMP % of Party votes for the present little jack-up to be of use to them,
The latest Roy Morgan is simply an attempt to facilitate the above,(ie: give a Party with Zilch media attention oxygen), rather than the usual play the margin of error always showing the party’s of the right from the high side of the margin of error while showing the party’s of the left from the low side of that margin of error,
Once they have ensconced ‘the Conservatives’ in the polls as a viable 3%, (to Nationals core vote),and, given that party oxygen and television airtime Roy can go back to business as usual as far as manipulative polls goes….
We can either end up living a life that others expect of us or lives based on our own truth. The difference is the difference between living a conscious life or one that is unconscious. And that’s the difference between living and not living.
The strangest little story is going on in Scotland. Stephen Gough has a mission to walk around naked. Something along the lines of people are good, people are their bodies so bodies are good it’s quite an involved, but at the same time simple realisation for him. So he walks naked. He’s gone from Land’s End to John O’Groats twice. Pyschologically, he’s fine.
The problem is in Scotland he keeps getting arrested for breaching the peace, he defends himself naked, goes to prison naked, and determines to walk out of there naked – then he is promptly arrested again. He wants to walk home to the South of England – naked. The upshot is this has been going on for 6 years. That’s right – 6 years in prison, in virtual solitary confinement, for living his belief that the human body is not offensive and to believe it is isn’t rational. This truth means he walks up and down the country naked.
It appeared that Gough and the Scottish legal system had unwittingly created the perfect legal quandary. How to release a naked man who is in prison for being naked?
The prison management and police came to some agreement and a few days ago he managed to walk from Perth to Dunfermline, where someone complained and he was arrested again, 3 days after leaving prison. Currently he’s waiting for his court date. It appears if he can make it to the English border he’ll be ok because the interpretation of the law is more liberal. In Scotland it’s a theoretical idea that he might cause offense, in England you don’t get arrested unless it actually causes offense to sombody.
he admits to experiencing doubts about his stance. “Yeah, of course. I wake up in the morning and think, what the fuck am I doing here? But what I’m doing isn’t about me. I’m challenging society and it must be challenged because it’s wrong.”
There’s something philosophically pure about this that the legal system, even ones that use actual offense as the criteria for arrest, can’t handle.
But if he was rambling in Europe it’s likely he wouldn’t even get a mention. Not sure how he’d do in New Zealand.
I can admire the sentiment on living a conscious and considered life, looking critically at society. However, I don’t really understand the desire to walk around naked, especially somewhere like Scotland, the north of England, or anywhere in Scotland or England in winter.
The conscious mind is always clothed in language, and the Naked Rambler. needs to explain why he is walking naked to make his point.
Going naked is reactive against society’s norms, and is not proactively living as you want.
The RNZ Morning Report item on the progress of Sue Moroney’s paid parental leave bill yesterday, shows yet again how National is truly the nasty party. it’s the first bill reported on in the Parliament sends three members’ bills to select committee @8.13am.
Sue Goodhew had the gall to criticise Labour for spending recklessly and wanting to spend on something because it was a good idea, whether or not it was affordable! Jacinda Ardern sounds like she delivered a great speech, in spite of the Nat MPs shouting out that she wasn’t qualified to comment because she doesn’t have children….. “children or coal”.
NAct continue to criticise the opposition for things they are guilty of….. they have become frighteningly Orwellian.
“Stop subsidising heavy polluters and we can back kids. Build one less road of national significance and we can help kids and their families,” she said. “This Government has proven that their priority is not children.”
Ms Barry, 52, responded by asking: “How many kids do you have?”
The North Shore MP later added: “Don’t be so precious, petal.”
The Opposition side of the House erupted with calls for an apology, which the first-term Government member refused to give.
[…]
“Stop subsidising heavy polluters and we can back kids. Build one less road of national significance and we can help kids and their families,” she said. “This Government has proven that their priority is not children.”
I would have thought an MP getting their information from comprehensive research, reports etc on such issues, is better than taking just one woman’s experience. Furthermore, Barry shows why it is a relevant issue to Ardern personally, because, at any time, she can/could be making a decision as to if/when to have children.
Barry…. a light weight intellectually, and, just plain nasty.
Ms Ardern was asking people if they “preferred coal or children”.
“Stop subsidising heavy polluters and we can back kids. Build one less road of national significance and we can help kids and their families,” she said. “This Government has proven that their priority is not children.”
Ms Barry:”How many kids do you have?”
And later: “Don’t be so precious, petal.”
Labour MP Trevor Mallard later wrote on his Twitter feed: “Shame on Maggie Barry … Women parliamentarians should know better than to criticise each other for not having children.”
Speaking after the debate, Ms Barry, who had her only child in her late 30s, said: “I am not apologising for it. I don’t think it’s a very sensitive issue. Jacinda dishes the dirt as much as any.”
Barry is right, Labour can do it dirty too, but that doesn’t excuse her for unnecessary nastiness like this. Nothing is gained and respect is lost for the taunter.
The Speaker has released the names of Lobbyists with security access cards to Parliament. And interesting list, with those representing interests in representing financial institutions or (largely unsustainable kinds of) energy companies/interests, or backgrounds supporting business and the National Party in the majority:
For some insight into Russell McVeagh, (McLeech), Thirty Pieces of Silver By Anthony Molloy QC, is great reading.
Also McLeech just happen to be representing King Salmon who are applying through the EPA to expand their Dirty, Disease ridden salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds.
Derogatory comment about female opposition party members “not having children” is nothing new from the National Party.
Weren’t they always making snide remarks about Helen Clark along the same lines ?
Yes, the Nats like to keep gender stereotypes in place, and for women to keep their (in Nat eyes) subordinate position as mothers. And they tend to use women to police other women in doing this (see Paula Benefit’s track record)…… unless they are a woman with a Taser, who is prepared to crush cars (preferably by making themselves a spectacle in fetishist high heels).
And they do not have a good record in supporting women with children, especially if they are on low incomes.
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour): I am very glad that the National Party are talking about their so-called glorious, Nuremberg-like rally that happened at the weekend, because the Prime Minister came out of that, triumphant in his own mind that the National Party faithful…
Not exactly parallel. The swipe at Ardern (as a working woman) was personal and targeting supporting women (of child-bearing age) who are the least powerful sex in the Nat scheme of things. Cosgrove was attacking a triumphalist party who have a strong record in government of anti-democratic policies and legislation.
Although, I’m not that keen on such hyperbolism or use of that extreme metaphor, which will probably launch me into mod if I name it.
I don’t like it whoever does it. And despite some opposition to criticising Barry on KB it’s not all one way there:
“This is a brainfart by Maggie Barrie.”
“These stupid remarks reflect on the party reputation, as has been the case with liebour, and rightly so.”
“maggies comments were a bit crap”
Maggie Barry is a nasty little common gardener. It seems that many people resort to just this sort of personal attack because they do not have the intellectual capability to argue the actual policy under debate.She is a nasty vindictive piece of work. The women of the National Party are all the same.A gaggle of shrews all vying to be Apha female in order to impress the little man.Wonder what he has been promising them?
If my former flatmate is anything to go by, they simply buy all of National’s brighter future tripe and don’t know anything about any of the people involved or any of the policies and what they mean.
She works in ECE and was very angry about the 2010 budget. I suggested to her not to vote National next time; not sure how (or if) she voted in 2011.
You are so right about the Alpha females of National, trying to out macho one another. Whilst driving in the last few days (a rare event for me) Paula (lard arse) Bennett came on the radio and said words to the effect “We are going to take the benefit away from those people on the run from the police”….the shrill refrain followed by a giggle Dr Evil would have been proud of.
My heart sank, is this the type of glib nonsense our leaders are reduced to I thought. Such a stupid statement by such an ill educated and pig ignorant bully. So lets break it down a little:
* on the run from the Police….who decides who is on the run, or just not around etc?
* on the run…does that mean guilty prior to charge or court? Or is that just assumed?
* does guilty of an offense mean you should be kicked off of a benefit? Is Social Development now an arm of Corrections / Justice?
* does Paula think that some cop stating you are on the run from the law means that you must be guilty and therefore to be stripped of your rights as a citizen at her whim?
* benefit stopped as above…what happens to dependents? Or are they guilty by association?
In short this bitch is playing fast and loose with the rights of the citizen, she is well out of order. Where are Shearer and Parker when you really need them to stand up?
the twitter hashtag #maggiebarrystandingorders is providing some real gems! My favourite so far: “You can only talk about asset sales if you have three TradeMe stars or more. #maggiebarrystandingorders”
Maggie the boys lusted after, the middle aged men swooned, she of the fabulous red hair, such a flower, a blossom. We wise gardeners know that such beauties as anenome, clematis, daffodil, wisteria, lily etc are all poisonous. To quote the Bard “This potent poison quite o’ercrows my spirit”:
Complaints under another section; 134(2); were not possible because they must be laid within six months of the return being supplied, and police had first received the complaint 10 months after the six months had expired.
Well, the government’s good news lasted about ten minutes …
From Red Alert, here are the new private members’ bills, drawn from the ballot today:
State-Owned Enterprises and Crown Entities (Protecting New Zealand’s Strategic Assets) Amendment Bill (Clayton Cosgrove)
Resource Management (Restricted Duration of Certain Discharge and Coastal Permits) Amendment Bill (Catherine Delahunty) Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill
Ombudsmen (Cost Recovery) Amendment Bill (Shane Jones)
Minimum Wage Amendment Bill (David Clark)
No Right Turn says “It’s all on.” See italics!
i.e. Key (and yes, Shearer) now have to stop mucking around and vote Yes or No to marriage equality. Stand by for more squirming …
Banks’ “win” will get a headline for a few hours. Louisa Wall’s win will make headlines for months.
Now all we need is for MPs who favour marriage equality to say so – without waffle and weasel-words. Plus, the inevitable bonus of Craig and Tamaki and co ranting against this. Bigots being exposed, and ultimately, losing. With Key pandering to both sides.
The problem is that although Labour think this Bill is the most important thing to happen bloody near forever, nobody else really gives a stuff. That is the answer to previous questions as to why women identify with Key and why young women identify with National, they simply have more important things in common to worry about (like children).
Labour have isolated themselves into an “identity politics” party at the expense of wider support.
It’s not a question of “the most important thing”.
It’s a private members’ bill, and a conscience vote. Opposition MPs don’t get to write the budget, decide policy direction, or do much at all. This is one of the few things they can do. Yesterday’s double win was a good example.
If there are easy votes in opposing this, National (i.e. Key) will oppose it. But there aren’t any more. So the law will pass, because it is now on the right side of public opinion. That’s good, right?
Human rights used to be considered fairly important but then we got a serious case of neo-liberalism and now everyone seems to have more important things to worry about like feeding themselves.
That Stuff link (now updated) shows why this bill is not just morally right … it’s also good politics:
Watch the Nats run for cover …
Environment minister Amy Adams said she would ”give it some thought.”
”My initial view is that what we have seems to be working pretty well, but I’m not taking a position at this stage,” Adams said.
Health minister Tony Ryall said he wanted to look ”at exactly what it is before we make a decision on that.” He refused to say if he supported gay marriage.
New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young said he had no comment – other than he would canvas the views of his constituents.
Defence minister Jonathan Coleman said he wanted to read the bill before forming a view.
Translation – As soon as Key gives them the nod, they will (miraculously) make up their minds.
Get a bulk order of popcorn, this is gonna be fun.
In Maggie Barry world will they only be able to discuss Gay Marriage if they have a same sex partner. I get so confused about the rules coming from the Nasties.
If his, or anyone’s, opinion gets shot to pieces by logic and fact then they should probably change their opinion – not complain that they can’t have an opinion.
Here’s a statistic that you won’t see in research on anti-Semitism, no matter how meticulous the study is. In the first six months of the year, 154 anti-Semitic assaults have been recorded, 45 of them around one village alone. Some fear that last year’s record high of 411 attacks – significantly more than the 312 attacks in 2010 and 168 in 2009 – could be broken this year.
Fifty-eight incidents were recorded in June alone, including stone-throwing targeting farmers and shepherds, shattered windows, arson, damaged water pipes and water-storage facilities, uprooted fruit trees and one damaged house of worship. The assailants are sometimes masked, sometimes not; sometimes they attack surreptitiously, sometimes in the light of day.
There were two violent attacks a day, in separate venues, on July 13, 14 and 15. The words “death” and “revenge” have been scrawled in various areas; a more original message promises that “We will yet slaughter.”
It’s no accident that the diligent anti-Semitism researchers have left out this data. That’s because they don’t see it as relevant, since the Semites who were attacked live in villages with names like Jalud, Mughayer and At-Tuwani, Yanun and Beitilu. The daily dose of terrorizing (otherwise known as terrorism) that is inflicted on these Semites isn’t compiled into a neat statistical report, nor is it noticed by most of the Jewish population in Israel and around the world – even though the incidents resemble the stories told by our grandparents.
The day our grandparents feared was Sunday, the Christian Sabbath; the Semites, who are not of interest to the researchers monitoring anti-Semitism, fear Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. Our grandparents knew that the order-enforcement authorities wouldn’t intervene to help a Jewish family under attack; we know that the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Police, the Civil Administration, the Border Police and the courts all stand on the sidelines, closing their eyes, ….
so for a bit of light relief who is going to support the WWF in their call for China, Vietnam and Thailand to do something about their contribution to Elephant and Rhinoceros extinction threats.
So I’ve read it all again, again. This time in English. Before I’d stuck to the Swedish versions of the leaked police interviews to make sure I was going to the closest source. The translation into English is good and accurate, in my opinion. Here’s the link…
It’s all here, virtually everything I tried to get the Guardian, the Independent, the Observer, the New Statesman interestsed in examining.
One’s struck by lots of things in the police interveiws. Firstly the Swedish police can conduct telephone interviews in the case, as they’ve done with several of the ‘witnesses’, without the need to arrest anyone, so why not Assange?
The almost total lack of any witnesses or evidence to confirm that any crime actually took place, apart from the statements of the two women involved, and they are ‘tainted’ and arguably wouldn’t stand up in court to cross-examination, even in Sweden, which is why the first prosecutor in Stockholm dropped the case like a hot stone.
The two women did not go to the police and claim that Assange attacked, asssaulted, used violence, or raped them. And they should know. ….
By the way, what’s the provenance of the transcripts? I’ve not seen it mentioned that they’d been leaked before. I’d hate for someone to think that I just took random internet websites at face value.
You’ll notice that at the end of the post, I wrote that one could learn more by clicking onto the Media Lens site, and I helpfully provided a hyperlink.
No evidence whatsoever that transcripts had been leaked.
They were leaked, all right. That’s an English translation.
How do you know that this isn’t just Assange fanfic?
It’s not. Unlike the fictional “case” against Assange, this leaked evidence stands on its merits: it has not been refuted.
But what a neat and nasty little propaganda coinage: “Assange fanfic”.
It’s demeaning to his defenders on two levels:
1.) The FAN part of “fanfic” implies that, as well as being “celebrities like Jemima Khan”, Assange’s principled defenders (Chomsky, Pilger, Maguire, Ellsberg, and millions more) are merely “fans”;
2.) The FIC part of “fanfic” implies that Assange’s defence is fictional, and fraudulent.
Neat propaganda, but shallow, and utterly without merit—just like the fictional “case” against Assange.
How do you know that this isn’t just Assange fanfic?
It’s not. Unlike the fictional “case” against Assange, this leaked evidence stands on its merits: it has not been refuted.
So your evidence of the authenticity of these transcripts is that the Swedish government hasn’t commented on the accuracy of internet documents that claim to be leaked evidence in ongoing investigations?
And I wasn’t suggesting Chomsky or Pilger invented the transcripts. Just that some little internet groupie who bought a “team assange” tshirt might have wanted to write their own Shades of Grey.
Do you have any evidence whatsoever that any or all witness interviews have been leaked? And that this “transcript” is accurate?
And even if the link IS true and accurate (doubtful), do you seriously have no qualms at all about publicly distributing the evidence gathered in ongoing police investigations into sexual assault? IMO, a group prepared to do that would be just as willing to fabricate “transcripts” to help defend their cause. The ends justify the means, and all that.
I imagine Assange’s supporters would number in the dozens nowadays. For some reason people tend to go off cowards who run away rather than face the consequences of their own sleazy actions. Those who have gone off him recently include most of the people that you list as being his supporters. They were helping him and showing a remarkeable degree of trust right up until he did a runner and blew the money they’d put up as security against him bottling out.
On the up side, if he ever needs a bed for the night in NZ, I’m sure he’ll find you most obliging, Mozza. If you know what I mean 😉
I imagine Assange’s supporters would number in the dozens nowadays.
His supporters include the most admired and principled political dissidents in the world. And millions more, of course. But feel free to go ahead and pretend otherwise.
For some reason people tend to go off cowards who run away rather than face the consequences of their own sleazy actions.
His “sleazy actions” were to sleep with groupies. I’ll bet you would do the same if you ever did anything brave enough to give you the heroic status that Assange has earned. There is no evidence that he did anything illegal—but you would know that if you did any serious reading on the subject.
Those who have gone off him recently include most of the people that you list as being his supporters.
Oh really? And your evidence for this is…. what, exactly?
Seriously, CV? Morrissey has been spamming the Open Mikes for days now with copypasted Assange defence crap. When asked to actually establish provenance for his sources, he cannot.
Meanwhile, we’ve already had an epic thread wherein plenty of explanatory articles have been linked to and generally brushed away by Morrissey, yourself, et al because … well … Sweden should just cede its legal sovereignty, and Zionism, and also “sex makes fools of us all.”
Yeah, but it’s the people who want Assange held accountable for his actions who are just meanies.
Ever considered that maybe the way rape culture oppresses and victimizes women might be a little bit more important than how much it ~hurts your feelings~ to be called a rape apologist when you’re indulging in rape apologism?
So all you are interested in is Assange being held accountable, yeah? Hey I go with that 100%.
If Sweden can give an assurance that they aren’t going to ship Assange off to Guantanamo Bay asap – a pretty easy statement to make I would have thought – than I agree Assange should be shipped off to Sweden asap to face the legal music.
If Sweden made such a statement, Ecuador would have no more grounds to protect Assange in their embassy either.
But yeah, why don’t you keep focussing on protecting Sweden’s ‘legal sovereignty to ship Assange to a US military prison anytime they want to’.
Not sure. Factors might include:
– Level of media attention
– Lack of UK political agreement
– Strength of public support for Assange
– Complications from UK judicial oversight
Regardless, Sweden should give Assange (and the rest of the w/orld) an assurance that he will not be shipped off to Guantanamo Bay asap.
Not sure. Factors might include: – Level of media attention – Lack of UK political agreement – Strength of public support for Assange – Complications from UK judicial oversight
– becue Sweden doesn’t have any media?
– doesn’t do shit against a red notice
– damned Assande-hating swedes
– because the one and only time Swedish inteligence services broke the rules (just after 9/11) the courts didn’t get involved?
And face it – the Swedes haven’t shot any electricians since 9/11, have they?
So getting an assurance should be a walk in the park right, McFlock? One little assurance and the Ecuador embassy has no more grounds to protect Assange.
You get what you want: Assange with no where else to run to.
An assurance not to be shipped to Guanatano Bay under the pretext of routine investigative questioning on something completely irrelevant is not that big a “favour” now, is it.
And you would get what you want: Assange kicked out of Ecuador embassy protection and on a plane to Sweden.
Still: the US’s extradition treaty with the UK gives them pretty much carte blanche (thanks TB…), Sweden’s less so. Why would the US want him in a country it will be harder to extradite him from?
But I’m not getting into this, I’ve seen the epic threads…
Morrissey has been spamming the Open Mikes for days now with copypasted Assange defence crap.
The examples of “spam” I posted were: (1) an official release by Women Against Rape, expressing the gravest concern about the sincerity and the truthfulness of the “allegations” against Assange; (2) a meticulously detailed Media Lens exposé of the (so-called) liberal media’s parroting of official lies about Assange; and (3) Nobel Peace laureate Mairead Maguire’s plea to the Ecuadorean government to grant Assange political asylum.
If that’s “spam” then Garth George is a brilliant journalist, Christine (Spankin’) Rankin is a child advocate, and Peter “Possum” Dunne is a profile in courage.
When asked to actually establish provenance for his sources, he cannot.
I can, and I did. It’s interesting, on the other hand, that the persecutors of Assange have provided not a scintilla of evidence.
….generally brushed away by Morrissey, yourself, et al because … well … Sweden should just cede its legal sovereignty, and Zionism, and also “sex makes fools of us all.”
I’ve never said or written any of those things. You’re just making it up as you go. Have you considered a job with the Key administration?
Yeah, but it’s the people who want Assange held accountable for his actions who are just meanies.
There is no evidence against him at all, as you would know if you read up on this travesty with any seriousness at all. However, there is of course evidence that he did what a journalist should do, and exposed massive state crimes being perpetrated by (among others) the United States and its satellite regimes. Those are the actions that they want to punish him for; but they were not illegal, of course. Hence the invention of these sex allegations.
The prosecutors of Assange seem to think there is probable cause. Contrary to what teamassange groupies might think, the interwebz are not the judiciary.
What “provenance” did you provide? A link to some random web page? No other sources to suggest that the swedes were investigating a massive leak of documents relating to sexual assault investigations? None of the witnesses confirming the contents of the transcript? No swedish “bradass87”?
The faithful have been fabricating icons and supporting evidence for millenia. And not everything on the internet is true. All I want is some corroborating evidence.
Sweden should give Assange an assurance that he will not be shipped out to Guantanamo, the Ecuadorians will have no grounds to keep him in their embassy, and then you will get exactly what you want – Assange in front of Swedish criminal investigators.
So an entire Swedish legal system should compromise because some guy jumped bail in the UK?
I much prefer the option of patient justice – if he ever wants to go anywhere in the developed world, he has Swedish and British fugitive notices to worry about, as well as US. And if Ecuador wants to build international links, well they’ve got him on tap, haven’t they. A cross between Carlos the Jackal and Paul Gadd.
Promising to not ship someone to military internment in Guantanamo Bay on completely unrelated matters can compromise a so-called justice system?
And if Ecuador wants to build international links, well they’ve got him on tap, haven’t they. A cross between Carlos the Jackal and Paul Gadd.
So you don’t want to get Assange in front of Swedish criminal investigators asap? You prefer to keep the Swedish women complainants waiting while some kind of international espionage intrigue gets played out?
Nope.
A promise not to extradite someone to country B is a compromise of the justice system:
A promise not to deport straight to guantanamo means a promise not to extradite to the US, period.
A promise not to extradite to the US means a promise not to extradite to the US even on charges that are legitimate, such as if he raped someone in the US (if he’s ever been there).
A banket promise not to extradite to the US means a promise not to extradite to any nation that might give him to the US. Even if they, too, have 100% legitimate charges.
Basically, you’re asking the Swedes to guarantee that he’ll never be deported to damned near anywhere on the panet, no matter what he’s accused of and no matter how much evidence and no matter what international obligations.
But there’s no compromise if they look at requests on a case by case basis. Just like the UK did.
But I’d actually prefer it if Assange decided to take responsibility for what he did, and front up to face the charges. The dangers of plane flight back to Sweden would be a bigger threat to his life and freedom than the danger of rendition to the states.
Hey McFlock – where did you put your concern that the women complainants in Sweden get justice quickly, on that priority list of international law, intrigue and espionage?
Oh yeah I see now, you added it as a footnote: Assange should just man up and take the risk of being shipped out to Guantanamo Bay held under military arrest on the chin, as a matter of course.
I’m sure he’ll take that candid suggestion under advisement.
You want to protect Sweden’s justice system and you want to protect Sweden’s sovereign right to extradite persons anywhere in the world that they are empowered to, for any reasons their justice system and various international treaties allow.
You want to protect the integrity of both the Swedish justice systems and international law. Is that right, eh? Are you sure that’s all?
I want justice systems to work with integrity. Extradition is part of that. That way they can hold all criminals accountable for their actions, and ensure that the innocent aren’t convicted unjustly.
That will improve public confidence in the justice system, so the public would be more likely to report crme of all types – especially sexual crimes, which have a microscopic reporting nature.
That wil reduce crime.
Is there anything inconsistent in all that? What more do you think I want?
oh, by the way: Why didn’t the UK send him to the states again?
I want justice systems to work with integrity. Extradition is part of that.
Are you truly genuine about that?
Specifically, do you believe that in addition to extradition, asylum from politically motivated prosecution is another legitimate part of the system of international law?
And if so, do you then accept that Ecuador has the full right (under established international law) to provide Assange with temporary refuge while its government assesses his individual case on its individual merits?
So why didn’t he ask for political asylum in the UK? They take asylum-seekers, too. Like Sweden does, interestingly enough.
I’m not sure I’ve ever criticised Ecuador’s right to consider and grant asylum. I’m criticising Assange for hiding behind conspiracy theories to avoid a sexual assault investigation.
oh, by the way: Why didn’t the UK send him to the states again?
You accept that seeking asylum from politically motivated prosecution is a legitimate part of established international law. Just like extradition is.
You further accept that Ecuador has the right to give Assange temporary refuge while it assesses the merits of his case on its individual merits.
And since you said that you would be very patient with the necessarily slow movement of complex legal processes (in order to protect the integrity of the international justice system was your rationale), you will no doubt accept Assange exercising his rights under international law to request asylum, and for Ecuador to exercise its sovereign rights to assess that request thoroughly and with due process.
Am I correct, or have I misread your stance of principal on international law as being more genuine than it really is?
I believe in asylum, I even believe in Assange’s right to claim asylum for protection against political prosecution.
So why didn’t he ask for asylum from the UK? What was the ruling when his lawyers brought up political oppression in the extradition hearing. Did they? The UK can grant asylum too.
He’s claiming asylum from country C because country B decided to extradite him to country A on probable cause for investigation into sexual assault and rape.
I believe in Assange’s right to claim asylum as protection from political persecution. I don’t believe in his right to pervert the principle of asylum by using it to avoid answering questions about sexual assaults. To me, it looks suspiciously like the latter.
So: Why didn’t the UK send him to the states again? Why are the swedes more likely to? and I’ll add: why didn’t he ask for asylum in the UK?
So you are willing to wait for Ecuador to do what it needs to, in order for them to properly and legally assess Assange’s request for political asylum using thorough due process?
Lets wait and see what happens then. You won’t try and rush or prejudge the issues will you?
I have no choice but to wait for Ecuador’s decision. Interwebz arguments do not substitute for a justice system in any nation.
I do find your hierarchy of competent legal systems intriguing, though:
Sweden is a corrupt politicised pawn of the US satan;
The UK is better than Sweden, but not good enough to be asked for asylum or indeed not extradite to Sweden;
Ecuador is an enlightened nation that will deliver the judgement of Solomon.
Bear in mind that so far Assange has struck out with 2 out of 3 seperate judicial systems. And I get the impression that if Ecuador refuses asylum you’ll be saying “let’s try the next one”. And if he camps further and further down Embassy Row you’ll end up praising the wisdom and justice of the Iranian government.
Why didn’t the UK send him to the states again? Why are the swedes more likely to? why didn’t he ask for asylum in the UK?
And I get the impression that if Ecuador refuses asylum you’ll be saying “let’s try the next one”.
The justice system by its nature presents individuals with more than one opportunity for their case to be heard. That is what the system of appeals is all about.
My point was that it’s all very well for you to ask me to keep an open mind, but the fact is that your mind is closed to the possibility that he did it, knows there is no real risk of being deported to the US by sweden, but is using fear of TPTB as an excuse to avoid accountability for his actions.
Seriously, if that were the true state of affairs, how could someone convince you of it? All courts that rule against him are stooges of US imperialist hegemony. All accusers are ignorantly spreading black propaganda. The most flimsy uncorroborated internet link in his favour proves his innocence. Is there any theoretical way that the logical possibility of his guilt and abuse of asylum could be demonstrated to you, if it were true?
Why didn’t the UK send him to the states? Why are the swedes more likely to?why didn’t he ask for asylum in the UK?
dogma, what you find when solutions never materialize, welcome
to the under perfrorming NZ economy, for decades and decades.
The same trite arguments that miss the essential point about the NZ
economy, that we reward investment in housing over productive endeavors.
But wait its worse.
Values. Glen Owen charity is a role model hang over from the
class system because it reinforces the view that we must be all
wealth to be generous to our lesser citizens. That merit be damned,
wealth is all that matters. Surely to be successful like Nordic nations
we need also to look up to successful people who are fabulously wealth.
In fact its because we speak the same language as Americans, and
their culture dominates ours, and we don’t have Nobel prizes (or wealthy
people who reward intellectualism), that we continue to pick the worse
economic policies for NZ, because some trite US twit says charter schools,
or whatever, is the next cool economic fad.
National and Labour are hollow idiots pandering to poor policy prescriptions
because they can’t beat out the nonsense imported from the US.
The biggest problem for NZs economy (and that of the rest of the world) is that we’ve been rewarding the rich for being rich and not only letting them get away with corruption but giving them multi-million dollar golden handshakes when their hands are caught in the till.
Not to mention tax cuts that have to be financed from debt paid for by the rank and file taxpayer….dont give me any crap about the rich paying the most tax.
Its now a very real fact, that the artificial construct of a business entity is consider equivalent to a person (SCOTUS), but the greatest burden, tax if you will, upon Mother Earth has not yet been provided with even basic rights. Sue God? NO! Mother Earth should sue the USA.
I’m assuming that most still pay significant tax under the progressive tax system and have also been subject to the same GST rises as everyone else ?
As for the SOE sell down if you’re bemoaning the fact that people can purchase a few thousand dollars worth of shares as a reward for the rich being rich I think you’re being overly bombastic.
1: they pay less tax than they did 5 years ago. That is a “reward”. The poor pay more.
2: Subject to the same GST rises… depending on how they structured their finances, how much goes through companies or trusts, and how much is invested. Unlike the poor, who spend all their money on personal goods and services therefore probably pay 15% of their entire “after tax” income on GST.
3: You might sniff at a few thousand bucks returning 18% not being much of a reward. Alternatively, the other 95% of the country would gratefully appreciate it.
1. How do you know they pay less tax than they did five years ago, they might then again they might not with GST changes and other tweaks in the tax system? As I said there used to be an interesting dataset published by treasury I think on tax by type and income bracket.
2. Again you make assumptions – this may or may not be the case.
3. Are you suggesting that the shares in SOEs being offered are going to return 18% ….fantastic i’ll make sure to invest and if that’s the case you should invest as mush as possible yourself.
1: tax rates are lower in higher brackets
2: indeed. Just as if my lotto numbers come up, I don’t have to collect the winnings.
3: yeah good call – fubared those math alright 🙂 But it’s still an investment that poor people can’t make in infrastructure that everybody already equally owns.
1.Tax rates are lower than they used to be in higher tax brackets, they are still higher in the higher tax brackets and those in the higher brackets still pay the majority of income tax in NZ. I still believe that there is room for a high earners tax bracket in NZ in line with the highest level across the Tasman.
2. Not sure what you’re trying to say here.
3. I’ll bet you that even someone of very very modest means could lend money if they could ensure an 18% return.
1: So because higher earners have a slightly higher tax proportion, the tax cuts they received (coincidentally just before we nosedived into massive deficit) is in no way a reward?
2: they might or might not funnel their spare cash through trusts or companies. Therefore they might ot might not be subject to the same proportion of GST payment. Just as I might or might not choose to pick up my winnings, the prize is still there for me.
3: aye, that’s why I said I fubared the math. But they’re solid investments (barring ToW claims or a leftwing govt getting balls and renationalising at punitive rates). And rich people are the ones with the opportunity to invest – poor people have no assets against which they can borrow to play stockmarket trader.
1. Higher earners pay more tax always have and always should, as I’ve said in the present conditions I think there should be a high earners tax bracket in NZ in line with the highest level across the Tasman.
2. It is illegal to charge non-business expenses to a business
3. I think we’re getting into the argument about what is rich, there are certainly people who wouldn’t have the funds or be able to get the funds to invest, there are also likely to be many who couldn’t be classed as rich who could if they so chose. For those people i wonder if they should be offered to cash in the government’s contribution to their Kiwisaver funds to invest if they so chose ?
1: The question is, if they receive a tax break on what they previously paid – isn’t that a reward? Even if they still pay a higher proportion of tax?
2: Yes. But it’s amazing what counts as a “business expense”.
3: allowing people to use government retirement contributions to help them purchase part of a company they already own via the government? See, “rich” people don’t need to risk their retirement savings in order to buy something that they already owned.
2. anyone who has run a business or worked as a contractor knows to claim back GST and minimize tax as much as possible. It’s prudent business sense to do so.
So the only assumption is that you are assuming that NZ’s middle and upper class are not prudent in business.
There is really no arguing that a high income tax break and a rise in GST hit’s PAYE earners whilst limiting the impact on high income earners.
I’ll think you’ll find that if people are rorting GST they’ll receive a major rodgering from IRD sooner or later. Similarly you’re assuming that the majority of those on more than an average or those on high incomes a making that income through their own business i’m not sure that is the case and even if it is whether you could assume that they are all not paying their fair share of tax.
You’ll need to give me an example on the second point so I can understand what you’re meaning.
The company doesn’t need to be their primary source of income.
Just the mechanism through which they funnel their income, or hold assets in (e.g. Double Dipton and his trust). And it doesn’t need to be illegal rorting, just “minimisation” (as CV sorry, UR, said).
It’s not hard to rort GST on things that a low income earner couldn’t.
Transport, entertainment costs, furniture. It’s as easy as a couple becoming joint shareholders in your own company, suddenly dinners out are share meetings and offset tax.
Sure not all high income earners run their own trusts or companies (The majority i’ve met do).
But they still did get a tax break anyway while everyone below gets a GST hike. And the people below don’t have the opportunity/means to offset their GST.
No matter whether your rorting the system legally (which isn’t hard to do) or not, it doesn’t change the fact that this is an option generally only available to the wealthier.
Come on HS mate, you can’t seriously be trying to insinuate that the higher earners have had equal breaks to those on the lower rates under National.
You really believe that National’s policies are bringing a brighter future for the poor?
270,000 children in poverty, the great exodus of our talented and poor job prospects (unless you are high skilled and white apparently).
Surely a GST rise and a tax break for top earners wouldn’t be considered as rewarding the rich for being rich, would it?
It wouldn’t be a priority if I was in Government with the above environment.
Their policies risk a further exodus of our young and talented. The very young, talented youth who for 20 years our taxes have invested in through one of the OECD’s best education systems. This would be my priority, minimizing a massive loss on investment.
Similarly you’re assuming that the majority of those on more than an average or those on high incomes a making that income through their own business i’m not sure that is the case and even if it is whether you could assume that they are all not paying their fair share of tax.
That’s not an assumption any more. We know for a fact that the bludgers are stealing from the rest of us.
Aero Noble sentiments indeed
But a lot of the dynamite used in the world today is used to kill other people and dig up vast quantities of minerals for big corporations.
Sweden has its first right wing government in a log time.
so would you trust them .
30,000 words in five days. Translators normally manage about 2,000 words per day. This feat was by no means a world record but it was difficult and a lot of hard work.
The roughest parts were the transcripts. Transcripts are the next best thing to being there – to having a video recording. The task of the transcriber is to record every non-word, sound, and pause in addition to the actual content, this to as accurately as possible convey the attitude and reactions of the interviewee.
Good translations normally never attempt a ‘word for word’ approach. It’s not only words that differ in different languages – it’s the ideas and concepts as well. The goal of a translator is otherwise to get the idea across rather than produce stilted language no one really grasps. But the translations of the transcripts necessarily took another approach: reproduce all the commas, full stops, ellipses, and even the strange constructs as found in the originals.
There’s only one way to study these documents: as a whole and with the working assumption everyone is telling the truth. Save for several deliberate attempts by Anna Ardin to obfuscate the truth, this approach seems to work.
The ‘case’ (if one dare call it that) hovers on two incidents. One takes place in Enköping in the morning. The two people involved have a simple exchange of two lines each before going at it again for what likely is the fifth time in a long sleepless night. The girl’s just come back to bed after being out early and shopping, the two of them make love again, and start dozing off to sleep.
Suddenly the one starts all over again. The girl senses the man is about to penetrate her. ….
If it were anti-Assange, it would obviously be lies, and probably Zionist. (That link may mark the point at which I chose to stop engaging people obviously willing to spin anything they can in order to avoid stating simple facts: “Assange should face the allegations made against him because they are serious allegations, and if the US wanted his ass David Cameron would have served it up to them already.”)
… it would obviously be lies, and probably Zionist.
That’s twice today you’ve tried to trivialize my case by mentioning the word “Zionist”. The fact that I have never said anything like that probably won’t make any difference to you, but I’d like to point it out to serious readers.
I linked to exactly who did say it, Morrissey. Sorry for not actually tarring all you “shut up, all evidence against Assange is lies and if you aren’t pro-Assange you haven’t read anything about the case, except you might have read a lot but it’s all lies if it’s not pro-Assange” fanpeeps with the same brush.
Yes, it was Vicky, not me. And probably not most of the other supporters of Assange. I’m interested to see that you still chose to include it as one of the arguments you allege his supporters make, in spite of the fact they do not.
Sorry for not actually tarring all you “shut up, all evidence against Assange is lies and if you aren’t pro-Assange you haven’t read anything about the case, except you might have read a lot but it’s all lies if it’s not pro-Assange” fanpeeps with the same brush.
You don’t have to be pro-Assange, but if you are foolish enough to parrot the black propaganda of the U.S. and U.K. governments, then you either have NOT read a lot on this travesty of a case, or you are profoundly corrupt.
The whole issue has become too bound up in absolutes. Of course Assange should comply with the laws of the countries he parades through. Of course he shouldn’t treat women (or anyone else) as though they are disposable. Of course an interview can be carried out by phone. Of course Assange should go to America and martyr himself, and of course the Yankees should stop pretending to occupy the moral high ground.
Of course Ecuador should not let itself be used as a straight man to this clown’s antics. Of course Wikileaks should have properly protected its data from external access and/or betrayal.
Of course Wikileaks can be a force for “good”.
Of course we sound like economists discussing rational actors.
The whole issue has become too bound up in absolutes.
So everything’s relative, is it? The lies told by the authorities and their media vassals like the Guardian, the Murdoch gang and the BBC somehow balance up the exposure of those absolute lies by truth-tellers like Assange and Bradley Manning? It seems that the fact that the U.S. military was absolutely caught out by an absolutely dedicated, absolutely determined journalist is just too much for you to take in, my friend. The only cure for that is more reading. Serious reading, that is.
Of course Assange should comply with the laws of the countries he parades through.
He does comply with the law. There is no evidence he has committed any criminal act. And… he “parades through” countries? Maybe you’ve mixed him up with that fraudster Barack Obama.
Of course he shouldn’t treat women (or anyone else) as though they are disposable.
Who says he does? Take care, my friend, not to automatically believe what government apparatchiks tell you.
Of course Ecuador should not let itself be used as a straight man to this clown’s antics.
So Assange is a “clown” now? A “clown” who “parades” through countries. Now that is a clown with gravitas.
Of course Wikileaks should…
How about dropping the sarcasm? There are enough bewildered people on this forum as it is.
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Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
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Starter for 10,
Who said this and when?
“I think that the bond of trust that’s built up between a prime minister or politicians in the electorate is very important.”
Slippery the Prime Minister to Shane Taurima on TV1’s Q+A, Sunday 22nd July 2012…
I’ll bite –
Must be Keys cause it don’t make any sense.
unless you want it to – then its a charming statement of guileless uncomplicated straight talking which is what this country needs from its leaders.
Doubt it was Labour or the Greens. I don’t think they do “trust”.
Jesus Mary and Joseph.
The latest Roy Morgan is out and Labour is down 2.5% and National is up 2%.
This should be a wake up call to the Labour leadership. Sleep walking to victory is not going to work. They need to be doing something much more significant than playing guitar and talking about mango skins.
You may be right Socialist Paddy but they got this hit by going pretty hard against Maori over the water rights issue, and getting pretty tough on beneficiaries, again. Not sure the Left has an adequate counter for either of those yet.
Interesting to see Maggie Barrie stepping into the ring.
After Conference National are really emboldened. Apparently there was a great celebrity debate in which Key was mercilessly lampooned, and they all took it in great humour.
2014 is definitely not there for the taking – it is there for forcing out of their cold dead hands.
“they got this hit by going pretty hard against Maori over the water rights issue, and getting pretty tough on beneficiaries, again. Not sure the Left has an adequate counter for either of those yet.”
I don’t suppose they’ve tried sticking up for maori and beneficiaries, have they?
You know, like a left-wing party might.
Of course not but what else can you expect of a right wing party that’s catering to the right while trying to appear left?
The Waitakere Myth is neither Maaori nor a beneficiary. ‘Nuff said.
Your are too generous AD. By far.
Perhaps the voters cannot envision Labour winning?
Perhaps the voters cannot see what is different about Labour now from what it was the last time they rejected us?
What is different about Labour now from what it was the last time they rejected us?
Nothing. Same team, slightly different face. That is why we are still behind in the polls from where we were in 2008. If you keep doing he same thing, you keep getting the same result.
…they got this hit by going pretty hard against Maori over the water rights issue,
So did the Labour government, if you remember. Helen Clark sneered that she’d rather talk to Shrek the sheep than meet any of the Maori protestors (more than twenty thousand of them) in Wellington. She also got the likes of Trevor Mallard and Clayton Cosgrove to regularly make anti-Maori statements.
and getting pretty tough on beneficiaries, again.
You mean, getting tough on the poor. The rich beneficiaries are being looked after very well indeed. How much tax did they get out of paying in the last three years, I wonder?
Not sure the Left has an adequate counter for either of those yet.
How about: speaking out against bigots like Don (Enoch) Brash instead of panicking every time someone like him stirs up racial animosity? How about speaking out for the poor and oppressed instead of anxiously trying to show how “tough” you can be on them?
Don’t expect any change Paddy, watching labour reminds me of Telecom under Gattung,
She was chosen by the incumbent fat cats to do as they say not what actually was required to grow the business…..unlike Telecom there’s no pot of gold from Joyce waiting for them just minor party oblivion.
Aye TC but when you think back to the leadership campaign and who was supporting Shearer you really have to question the sanity of many in Labour’s caucus.
When right wingers like Slater, Farrar, Tamihere, Matthew Hooton, Michelle Boag and John Tamihere stood up and said that Shearer would be the best leader for Labour they should have smelled a rat and gone for Cunliffe.
In order to control any given entity, you simply have to control key elelements.
In this case its the senior Labour MPs, and the strategy people such as Pagani et al.
Job done, really easy, Labour supporters aint ever getting “their party” back!
The only reason people can’t understand this is because they simply can’t accept that our “democracy” is a sham!
Its done, finished, until people wake up, and get very vocal/visible, in real life, not on the fucken net!
That’s a bit harsh, Trevor’s been working really hard on his figure.
And until they get rid of Shearer and co, that’s where it’s going to stay in the doldrums. When are Labour going to realise that the experiment of silence and kissing up to Key does not work. Oh well they are now Nat lite, and not worth voting for. So a lot of non voters from last time are just shrugging their shoulders and saying that they won’t bother to vote next time too. And this time it really is their own fault. And now they want to be able to lock an incompetent in as leader, and make it so that you would have to lever them out with Dynamite and a crow bar. I am sorry, but at the moment they do not deserve the support that they are getting from us, as they are clearly interested in following their own agenda’s and to hell with their supporters.
More than “ä wake up call” is wanted – we have been demanding this for years! Labour requires arousal from a comatose state, a condition that might take long, even for ever!
Here is the real ‘imperative’ in the poll,
”This is the first time the New Zealand Roy Morgan poll has measured support for this new party”, unquote,
Perhaps the 3% of support magically appeared for the Conservative Party in the past 2 weeks, or was it there all the time,
3rd option, Roy’s pulling your left one,(with a small rate of success i cannot at the present register as a %),
Riffmatic and stuff aint my strong suit so one of the people what’s brainy in that area might be able to tell us all what would have to happen within a poll for the sudden emergence at 3% of ‘another’ Party,.
What the latest poll smells like from here is a ‘jack up’ pure and simple, the Right simply positioning itself early for the 2014 election where it needs coalition partners on the right with a chance of providing at least 1 extra seat off the back of a donated Electorate seat from National,
Where a % of support may have evaporated from Labour/Green, (they both lost in this poll),is in the bizaare announcement from both Shearer and Norman that they have no plans to buy back the assets now being stolen by National on behalf of it’s 40% support base,
That from both Labour and the Greens after months of protest by opponents of asset sales was a grand kick in the balls and now has me re-considering my voting options…
I would have thought the margin of error would make such small percentages not that meaningful at this stage.
The rumor in Wellington is that Nationals own polling has them bouncing around on their traditional base 40-42%,
But, Roy Morgan had to move things around a bit in this poll to accommodate the insertion of the Conservative Party for the first time,
For National to Govern after the 2014 election, National themselves know that they are going to need more than Banks and the ‘Hairdo’ + the ‘Poodles’ even if they all keep the seats that they presently hold there’s a 99% chance that none of them will gather further electoral support,
So, in order for it to be viable for National to ‘give away’ another of it’s safe electorate seats there need be every chance that ‘the Party’ it plans on gifting that seat to has every chance,(in the minds of National’s core vote) of bringing at least one more MP into the Parliament riding the coat tails of the gifted National held electoral seat,
With the numbers at where i see them now the Party gifted that seat by National would have to gain at least 2 more seats off of the MMP % of Party votes for the present little jack-up to be of use to them,
The latest Roy Morgan is simply an attempt to facilitate the above,(ie: give a Party with Zilch media attention oxygen), rather than the usual play the margin of error always showing the party’s of the right from the high side of the margin of error while showing the party’s of the left from the low side of that margin of error,
Once they have ensconced ‘the Conservatives’ in the polls as a viable 3%, (to Nationals core vote),and, given that party oxygen and television airtime Roy can go back to business as usual as far as manipulative polls goes….
Stephen Gough, AKA The Naked Rambler
The strangest little story is going on in Scotland. Stephen Gough has a mission to walk around naked. Something along the lines of people are good, people are their bodies so bodies are good it’s quite an involved, but at the same time simple realisation for him. So he walks naked. He’s gone from Land’s End to John O’Groats twice. Pyschologically, he’s fine.
The problem is in Scotland he keeps getting arrested for breaching the peace, he defends himself naked, goes to prison naked, and determines to walk out of there naked – then he is promptly arrested again. He wants to walk home to the South of England – naked. The upshot is this has been going on for 6 years. That’s right – 6 years in prison, in virtual solitary confinement, for living his belief that the human body is not offensive and to believe it is isn’t rational. This truth means he walks up and down the country naked.
The prison management and police came to some agreement and a few days ago he managed to walk from Perth to Dunfermline, where someone complained and he was arrested again, 3 days after leaving prison. Currently he’s waiting for his court date. It appears if he can make it to the English border he’ll be ok because the interpretation of the law is more liberal. In Scotland it’s a theoretical idea that he might cause offense, in England you don’t get arrested unless it actually causes offense to sombody.
There’s something philosophically pure about this that the legal system, even ones that use actual offense as the criteria for arrest, can’t handle.
But if he was rambling in Europe it’s likely he wouldn’t even get a mention. Not sure how he’d do in New Zealand.
I can admire the sentiment on living a conscious and considered life, looking critically at society. However, I don’t really understand the desire to walk around naked, especially somewhere like Scotland, the north of England, or anywhere in Scotland or England in winter.
The conscious mind is always clothed in language, and the Naked Rambler. needs to explain why he is walking naked to make his point.
Going naked is reactive against society’s norms, and is not proactively living as you want.
James Lovelock may have backed off that Climate Change is affecting us hard and rapidly, but it’s still advancing worrisomely:
Greenland ice sheet melted at unprecedented rate during July
Scientists at Nasa admitted they thought satellite readings were a mistake after images showed 97% surface melt over four days
Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jul/24/greenland-ice-sheet-thaw-nasa#
The RNZ Morning Report item on the progress of Sue Moroney’s paid parental leave bill yesterday, shows yet again how National is truly the nasty party. it’s the first bill reported on in the Parliament sends three members’ bills to select committee @8.13am.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/20120726
Sue Goodhew had the gall to criticise Labour for spending recklessly and wanting to spend on something because it was a good idea, whether or not it was affordable! Jacinda Ardern sounds like she delivered a great speech, in spite of the Nat MPs shouting out that she wasn’t qualified to comment because she doesn’t have children….. “children or coal”.
NAct continue to criticise the opposition for things they are guilty of….. they have become frighteningly Orwellian.
And the Herald has an article on Maggie Barry’s “childless” snipe at Ardern & a poll about it:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10822282
I would have thought an MP getting their information from comprehensive research, reports etc on such issues, is better than taking just one woman’s experience. Furthermore, Barry shows why it is a relevant issue to Ardern personally, because, at any time, she can/could be making a decision as to if/when to have children.
Barry…. a light weight intellectually, and, just plain nasty.
Maggie & National just loses the vote of many swinging female voters who are not mothers yet. I can but hope.
The Herald on this (and they have a poll on it):
Barry is right, Labour can do it dirty too, but that doesn’t excuse her for unnecessary nastiness like this. Nothing is gained and respect is lost for the taunter.
I agree with Mallard’s statement on it.
🙄
+1…
The Speaker has released the names of Lobbyists with security access cards to Parliament. And interesting list, with those representing interests in representing financial institutions or (largely unsustainable kinds of) energy companies/interests, or backgrounds supporting business and the National Party in the majority:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10822271
I had to look up some of these entities:
Saunders & Unsworth (right leaning Lobbyist organisation)
http://www.sul.co.nz/page/home.aspx
(Commercial & Public Law)
http://www.franksogilvie.co.nz/
(foregrounds finance company cases)
http://www.minterellison.co.nz/
(represents “New Zealand’s leading corporations and financial institutions.”)
http://www.russellmcveagh.com/
Then there’s Sky TV & Vector.
There are 2 people from the CTU with access cards, but it doesn’t really provide much balance to the other corporate/business entities that dominate.
Why would Philippa Falloon and Jane Kidd still want access to Parliament ?
Sky TV sticks out a mile here. Why does our monopoly pay broadcaster have free access to Parliament?
Lady Jane Kidd? As in married to Doug Kidd? Is she the one who he left his first wife for?
For some insight into Russell McVeagh, (McLeech), Thirty Pieces of Silver By Anthony Molloy QC, is great reading.
Also McLeech just happen to be representing King Salmon who are applying through the EPA to expand their Dirty, Disease ridden salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds.
Derogatory comment about female opposition party members “not having children” is nothing new from the National Party.
Weren’t they always making snide remarks about Helen Clark along the same lines ?
Yes, the Nats like to keep gender stereotypes in place, and for women to keep their (in Nat eyes) subordinate position as mothers. And they tend to use women to police other women in doing this (see Paula Benefit’s track record)…… unless they are a woman with a Taser, who is prepared to crush cars (preferably by making themselves a spectacle in fetishist high heels).
And they do not have a good record in supporting women with children, especially if they are on low incomes.
Also in parliament yesterday:
Also unnecessary and nasty.
🙄
Not exactly parallel. The swipe at Ardern (as a working woman) was personal and targeting supporting women (of child-bearing age) who are the least powerful sex in the Nat scheme of things. Cosgrove was attacking a triumphalist party who have a strong record in government of anti-democratic policies and legislation.
Although, I’m not that keen on such hyperbolism or use of that extreme metaphor, which will probably launch me into mod if I name it.
I agree that the swipe at Ardern was quote a bit worse because it was personal.
Mallard’s tweet was a tad ironic:
“…parliamentarians should know better than to criticise each other…”
– but correct when read in full.
Do Not Feed The Tory.
Plus 1…
Seen! Don’t usually, won’t again.
$:)
Or the bully.
…unnecessary and nasty.
Perhaps it has escaped your notice, but the Key regime and its key hatchet men (Joyce, Collins, Carter) are nasty in extremis.
I don’t like it whoever does it. And despite some opposition to criticising Barry on KB it’s not all one way there:
“This is a brainfart by Maggie Barrie.”
“These stupid remarks reflect on the party reputation, as has been the case with liebour, and rightly so.”
“maggies comments were a bit crap”
I do agree with you that they (and we) should keep their exchanges civil and polite. Otherwise it descends into a rabble very quickly.
Where you been M? PG got banned and most of us decided the best way to deal to his return was to ignore him.
Suits me. Except they can’t even keep their word on that.
Sort of proves where the real thread disruption comes from.
– 🙄 –
🙄
😮
– 🙄
That seems to work quite well, and, is far more entertaining than was occurring befor…
+5
Maggie Barry is a nasty little common gardener. It seems that many people resort to just this sort of personal attack because they do not have the intellectual capability to argue the actual policy under debate.She is a nasty vindictive piece of work. The women of the National Party are all the same.A gaggle of shrews all vying to be Apha female in order to impress the little man.Wonder what he has been promising them?
And women keep voting National. And I know lots of younger women who do too. Go figure what the hell they are all thinking.
If my former flatmate is anything to go by, they simply buy all of National’s brighter future tripe and don’t know anything about any of the people involved or any of the policies and what they mean.
She works in ECE and was very angry about the 2010 budget. I suggested to her not to vote National next time; not sure how (or if) she voted in 2011.
Could be that they identify with the hetero women in National rather than Street, Wall etc?
You are so right about the Alpha females of National, trying to out macho one another. Whilst driving in the last few days (a rare event for me) Paula (lard arse) Bennett came on the radio and said words to the effect “We are going to take the benefit away from those people on the run from the police”….the shrill refrain followed by a giggle Dr Evil would have been proud of.
My heart sank, is this the type of glib nonsense our leaders are reduced to I thought. Such a stupid statement by such an ill educated and pig ignorant bully. So lets break it down a little:
* on the run from the Police….who decides who is on the run, or just not around etc?
* on the run…does that mean guilty prior to charge or court? Or is that just assumed?
* does guilty of an offense mean you should be kicked off of a benefit? Is Social Development now an arm of Corrections / Justice?
* does Paula think that some cop stating you are on the run from the law means that you must be guilty and therefore to be stripped of your rights as a citizen at her whim?
* benefit stopped as above…what happens to dependents? Or are they guilty by association?
In short this bitch is playing fast and loose with the rights of the citizen, she is well out of order. Where are Shearer and Parker when you really need them to stand up?
the twitter hashtag #maggiebarrystandingorders is providing some real gems! My favourite so far: “You can only talk about asset sales if you have three TradeMe stars or more. #maggiebarrystandingorders”
My favourite
#maggiebarrystandingorders
Maggie Barry seems quite happy to talk about euthanasia. Maybe it’s a cry for help
Only MPs named Sarah can talk about CERA
MPs wanting to talk about taser will have to have been tased.
Maggie, I have 2 children so can talk about Paid Parental Leave twice as much.
Maggie the boys lusted after, the middle aged men swooned, she of the fabulous red hair, such a flower, a blossom. We wise gardeners know that such beauties as anenome, clematis, daffodil, wisteria, lily etc are all poisonous. To quote the Bard “This potent poison quite o’ercrows my spirit”:
Then muck raking would be her strong suit.
For some reason too many women appear to be lovingly obsessed with Key – many outwardly attractive people are sinister behind the facade.
So Banks is in the clear.
Short-term win but medium-term loss for National. They want Colin Craig, not the walking corpse of ACT.
Paul Goldsmith won’t be happy!
Not so much cleared as not proven. Insufficient evidence.
John Banks cleared! Whod a thunk it!
Looks like Banks got off on a technicality:
How fucked is that?
Didn’t Banks also sign the Hullich dodgy prospectus too?
“Police said they had established Mr Banks personally solicited donations which were subsequently recorded as anonymous” (Herald)
The opposition should be able to use that. “Acceptable to personally solicit, Prime Minister? Are these the standards now?”
Should be able, but probably won’t.
Well, the government’s good news lasted about ten minutes …
From Red Alert, here are the new private members’ bills, drawn from the ballot today:
State-Owned Enterprises and Crown Entities (Protecting New Zealand’s Strategic Assets) Amendment Bill (Clayton Cosgrove)
Resource Management (Restricted Duration of Certain Discharge and Coastal Permits) Amendment Bill (Catherine Delahunty)
Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill
Ombudsmen (Cost Recovery) Amendment Bill (Shane Jones)
Minimum Wage Amendment Bill (David Clark)
No Right Turn says “It’s all on.” See italics!
i.e. Key (and yes, Shearer) now have to stop mucking around and vote Yes or No to marriage equality. Stand by for more squirming …
And now the media have picked this up.
Banks’ “win” will get a headline for a few hours. Louisa Wall’s win will make headlines for months.
Now all we need is for MPs who favour marriage equality to say so – without waffle and weasel-words. Plus, the inevitable bonus of Craig and Tamaki and co ranting against this. Bigots being exposed, and ultimately, losing. With Key pandering to both sides.
It’s a very good day!
The problem is that although Labour think this Bill is the most important thing to happen bloody near forever, nobody else really gives a stuff. That is the answer to previous questions as to why women identify with Key and why young women identify with National, they simply have more important things in common to worry about (like children).
Labour have isolated themselves into an “identity politics” party at the expense of wider support.
It’s not a question of “the most important thing”.
It’s a private members’ bill, and a conscience vote. Opposition MPs don’t get to write the budget, decide policy direction, or do much at all. This is one of the few things they can do. Yesterday’s double win was a good example.
If there are easy votes in opposing this, National (i.e. Key) will oppose it. But there aren’t any more. So the law will pass, because it is now on the right side of public opinion. That’s good, right?
Human rights used to be considered fairly important but then we got a serious case of neo-liberalism and now everyone seems to have more important things to worry about like feeding themselves.
Wonder why that is…
Labour can’t seem to see that though grumpy. Identity politics seems to be all they have left.
Already answered at 1.35. Keep up.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7354142/Parliament-to-vote-on-gay-marriage-bill
That Stuff link (now updated) shows why this bill is not just morally right … it’s also good politics:
Watch the Nats run for cover …
Environment minister Amy Adams said she would ”give it some thought.”
”My initial view is that what we have seems to be working pretty well, but I’m not taking a position at this stage,” Adams said.
Health minister Tony Ryall said he wanted to look ”at exactly what it is before we make a decision on that.” He refused to say if he supported gay marriage.
New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young said he had no comment – other than he would canvas the views of his constituents.
Defence minister Jonathan Coleman said he wanted to read the bill before forming a view.
Translation – As soon as Key gives them the nod, they will (miraculously) make up their minds.
Get a bulk order of popcorn, this is gonna be fun.
In Maggie Barry world will they only be able to discuss Gay Marriage if they have a same sex partner. I get so confused about the rules coming from the Nasties.
Good, this obviously means I am allowed an opinion again on education, even though I am not a teacher. Yay.
When were you not allowed an opinion?
Every bloody five minutes on here……
If his, or anyone’s, opinion gets shot to pieces by logic and fact then they should probably change their opinion – not complain that they can’t have an opinion.
Looking forward to taking on the god-botherers over gay marriage. Its going to be a big scrap, like smacking was 5 years ago..
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/the-anti-semitism-that-goes-unreported-1.452594
The anti-Semitism that goes unreported
The daily dose of terror inflicted on these Semites isn’t noticed by most Jews – even though the incidents resemble stories told by our grandparents.
by Amira Hass, Haaretz, July 18, 2012
Here’s a statistic that you won’t see in research on anti-Semitism, no matter how meticulous the study is. In the first six months of the year, 154 anti-Semitic assaults have been recorded, 45 of them around one village alone. Some fear that last year’s record high of 411 attacks – significantly more than the 312 attacks in 2010 and 168 in 2009 – could be broken this year.
Fifty-eight incidents were recorded in June alone, including stone-throwing targeting farmers and shepherds, shattered windows, arson, damaged water pipes and water-storage facilities, uprooted fruit trees and one damaged house of worship. The assailants are sometimes masked, sometimes not; sometimes they attack surreptitiously, sometimes in the light of day.
There were two violent attacks a day, in separate venues, on July 13, 14 and 15. The words “death” and “revenge” have been scrawled in various areas; a more original message promises that “We will yet slaughter.”
It’s no accident that the diligent anti-Semitism researchers have left out this data. That’s because they don’t see it as relevant, since the Semites who were attacked live in villages with names like Jalud, Mughayer and At-Tuwani, Yanun and Beitilu. The daily dose of terrorizing (otherwise known as terrorism) that is inflicted on these Semites isn’t compiled into a neat statistical report, nor is it noticed by most of the Jewish population in Israel and around the world – even though the incidents resemble the stories told by our grandparents.
The day our grandparents feared was Sunday, the Christian Sabbath; the Semites, who are not of interest to the researchers monitoring anti-Semitism, fear Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. Our grandparents knew that the order-enforcement authorities wouldn’t intervene to help a Jewish family under attack; we know that the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Police, the Civil Administration, the Border Police and the courts all stand on the sidelines, closing their eyes, ….
Read more….
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/the-anti-semitism-that-goes-unreported-1.452594
so for a bit of light relief who is going to support the WWF in their call for China, Vietnam and Thailand to do something about their contribution to Elephant and Rhinoceros extinction threats.
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1341612018.html
The smearing of Julian Assange by the Guardian
So I’ve read it all again, again. This time in English. Before I’d stuck to the Swedish versions of the leaked police interviews to make sure I was going to the closest source. The translation into English is good and accurate, in my opinion. Here’s the link…
http://rixstep.com/1/20110204,04.shtml
It’s all here, virtually everything I tried to get the Guardian, the Independent, the Observer, the New Statesman interestsed in examining.
One’s struck by lots of things in the police interveiws. Firstly the Swedish police can conduct telephone interviews in the case, as they’ve done with several of the ‘witnesses’, without the need to arrest anyone, so why not Assange?
The almost total lack of any witnesses or evidence to confirm that any crime actually took place, apart from the statements of the two women involved, and they are ‘tainted’ and arguably wouldn’t stand up in court to cross-examination, even in Sweden, which is why the first prosecutor in Stockholm dropped the case like a hot stone.
The two women did not go to the police and claim that Assange attacked, asssaulted, used violence, or raped them. And they should know. ….
Learn more by clicking on the following….
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1341612018.html
Another cut&paste I see.
By the way, what’s the provenance of the transcripts? I’ve not seen it mentioned that they’d been leaked before. I’d hate for someone to think that I just took random internet websites at face value.
You’ll notice that at the end of the post, I wrote that one could learn more by clicking onto the Media Lens site, and I helpfully provided a hyperlink.
Maybe you missed it.
I did click on it.
And the rixstep link.
No evidence whatsoever that transcripts had been leaked. How do you know that this isn’t just Assange fanfic?
No evidence whatsoever that transcripts had been leaked.
They were leaked, all right. That’s an English translation.
How do you know that this isn’t just Assange fanfic?
It’s not. Unlike the fictional “case” against Assange, this leaked evidence stands on its merits: it has not been refuted.
But what a neat and nasty little propaganda coinage: “Assange fanfic”.
It’s demeaning to his defenders on two levels:
1.) The FAN part of “fanfic” implies that, as well as being “celebrities like Jemima Khan”, Assange’s principled defenders (Chomsky, Pilger, Maguire, Ellsberg, and millions more) are merely “fans”;
2.) The FIC part of “fanfic” implies that Assange’s defence is fictional, and fraudulent.
Neat propaganda, but shallow, and utterly without merit—just like the fictional “case” against Assange.
So your evidence of the authenticity of these transcripts is that the Swedish government hasn’t commented on the accuracy of internet documents that claim to be leaked evidence in ongoing investigations?
And I wasn’t suggesting Chomsky or Pilger invented the transcripts. Just that some little internet groupie who bought a “team assange” tshirt might have wanted to write their own Shades of Grey.
Do you have any evidence whatsoever that any or all witness interviews have been leaked? And that this “transcript” is accurate?
And even if the link IS true and accurate (doubtful), do you seriously have no qualms at all about publicly distributing the evidence gathered in ongoing police investigations into sexual assault? IMO, a group prepared to do that would be just as willing to fabricate “transcripts” to help defend their cause. The ends justify the means, and all that.
“… millions more …”
I imagine Assange’s supporters would number in the dozens nowadays. For some reason people tend to go off cowards who run away rather than face the consequences of their own sleazy actions. Those who have gone off him recently include most of the people that you list as being his supporters. They were helping him and showing a remarkeable degree of trust right up until he did a runner and blew the money they’d put up as security against him bottling out.
On the up side, if he ever needs a bed for the night in NZ, I’m sure he’ll find you most obliging, Mozza. If you know what I mean 😉
I imagine Assange’s supporters would number in the dozens nowadays.
His supporters include the most admired and principled political dissidents in the world. And millions more, of course. But feel free to go ahead and pretend otherwise.
For some reason people tend to go off cowards who run away rather than face the consequences of their own sleazy actions.
His “sleazy actions” were to sleep with groupies. I’ll bet you would do the same if you ever did anything brave enough to give you the heroic status that Assange has earned. There is no evidence that he did anything illegal—but you would know that if you did any serious reading on the subject.
Those who have gone off him recently include most of the people that you list as being his supporters.
Oh really? And your evidence for this is…. what, exactly?
Just so everyone is clear on the new convention here:
Documents or links stating anything helpful to Assange’s defence shall be referred to as dubious or as fiction.
Documents or links supporting the sexual allegations made against Assange shall be considered serious or factual.
Anyone whose behaviour does not conform to this new protocol should be considered a rape apologist.
Clear, everyone?
Seriously, CV? Morrissey has been spamming the Open Mikes for days now with copypasted Assange defence crap. When asked to actually establish provenance for his sources, he cannot.
Meanwhile, we’ve already had an epic thread wherein plenty of explanatory articles have been linked to and generally brushed away by Morrissey, yourself, et al because … well … Sweden should just cede its legal sovereignty, and Zionism, and also “sex makes fools of us all.”
Yeah, but it’s the people who want Assange held accountable for his actions who are just meanies.
Ever considered that maybe the way rape culture oppresses and victimizes women might be a little bit more important than how much it ~hurts your feelings~ to be called a rape apologist when you’re indulging in rape apologism?
So all you are interested in is Assange being held accountable, yeah? Hey I go with that 100%.
If Sweden can give an assurance that they aren’t going to ship Assange off to Guantanamo Bay asap – a pretty easy statement to make I would have thought – than I agree Assange should be shipped off to Sweden asap to face the legal music.
If Sweden made such a statement, Ecuador would have no more grounds to protect Assange in their embassy either.
But yeah, why don’t you keep focussing on protecting Sweden’s ‘legal sovereignty to ship Assange to a US military prison anytime they want to’.
Why didn’t the US extradite him from the UK?
Not sure. Factors might include:
– Level of media attention
– Lack of UK political agreement
– Strength of public support for Assange
– Complications from UK judicial oversight
Regardless, Sweden should give Assange (and the rest of the w/orld) an assurance that he will not be shipped off to Guantanamo Bay asap.
Not sure. Factors might include:
– Level of media attention
– Lack of UK political agreement
– Strength of public support for Assange
– Complications from UK judicial oversight
– becue Sweden doesn’t have any media?
– doesn’t do shit against a red notice
– damned Assande-hating swedes
– because the one and only time Swedish inteligence services broke the rules (just after 9/11) the courts didn’t get involved?
And face it – the Swedes haven’t shot any electricians since 9/11, have they?
So getting an assurance should be a walk in the park right, McFlock? One little assurance and the Ecuador embassy has no more grounds to protect Assange.
You get what you want: Assange with no where else to run to.
Did the UK provide the same assurance?
A fair legal system means favours aren’t made just because you’re famous.
An assurance not to be shipped to Guanatano Bay under the pretext of routine investigative questioning on something completely irrelevant is not that big a “favour” now, is it.
And you would get what you want: Assange kicked out of Ecuador embassy protection and on a plane to Sweden.
Did the UK give the same assurance?
Still: the US’s extradition treaty with the UK gives them pretty much carte blanche (thanks TB…), Sweden’s less so. Why would the US want him in a country it will be harder to extradite him from?
But I’m not getting into this, I’ve seen the epic threads…
Run awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
Morrissey has been spamming the Open Mikes for days now with copypasted Assange defence crap.
The examples of “spam” I posted were: (1) an official release by Women Against Rape, expressing the gravest concern about the sincerity and the truthfulness of the “allegations” against Assange; (2) a meticulously detailed Media Lens exposé of the (so-called) liberal media’s parroting of official lies about Assange; and (3) Nobel Peace laureate Mairead Maguire’s plea to the Ecuadorean government to grant Assange political asylum.
If that’s “spam” then Garth George is a brilliant journalist, Christine (Spankin’) Rankin is a child advocate, and Peter “Possum” Dunne is a profile in courage.
When asked to actually establish provenance for his sources, he cannot.
I can, and I did. It’s interesting, on the other hand, that the persecutors of Assange have provided not a scintilla of evidence.
….generally brushed away by Morrissey, yourself, et al because … well … Sweden should just cede its legal sovereignty, and Zionism, and also “sex makes fools of us all.”
I’ve never said or written any of those things. You’re just making it up as you go. Have you considered a job with the Key administration?
Yeah, but it’s the people who want Assange held accountable for his actions who are just meanies.
There is no evidence against him at all, as you would know if you read up on this travesty with any seriousness at all. However, there is of course evidence that he did what a journalist should do, and exposed massive state crimes being perpetrated by (among others) the United States and its satellite regimes. Those are the actions that they want to punish him for; but they were not illegal, of course. Hence the invention of these sex allegations.
The prosecutors of Assange seem to think there is probable cause. Contrary to what teamassange groupies might think, the interwebz are not the judiciary.
What “provenance” did you provide? A link to some random web page? No other sources to suggest that the swedes were investigating a massive leak of documents relating to sexual assault investigations? None of the witnesses confirming the contents of the transcript? No swedish “bradass87”?
The faithful have been fabricating icons and supporting evidence for millenia. And not everything on the internet is true. All I want is some corroborating evidence.
Sweden should give Assange an assurance that he will not be shipped out to Guantanamo, the Ecuadorians will have no grounds to keep him in their embassy, and then you will get exactly what you want – Assange in front of Swedish criminal investigators.
So an entire Swedish legal system should compromise because some guy jumped bail in the UK?
I much prefer the option of patient justice – if he ever wants to go anywhere in the developed world, he has Swedish and British fugitive notices to worry about, as well as US. And if Ecuador wants to build international links, well they’ve got him on tap, haven’t they. A cross between Carlos the Jackal and Paul Gadd.
Promising to not ship someone to military internment in Guantanamo Bay on completely unrelated matters can compromise a so-called justice system?
So you don’t want to get Assange in front of Swedish criminal investigators asap? You prefer to keep the Swedish women complainants waiting while some kind of international espionage intrigue gets played out?
Nope.
A promise not to extradite someone to country B is a compromise of the justice system:
A promise not to deport straight to guantanamo means a promise not to extradite to the US, period.
A promise not to extradite to the US means a promise not to extradite to the US even on charges that are legitimate, such as if he raped someone in the US (if he’s ever been there).
A banket promise not to extradite to the US means a promise not to extradite to any nation that might give him to the US. Even if they, too, have 100% legitimate charges.
Basically, you’re asking the Swedes to guarantee that he’ll never be deported to damned near anywhere on the panet, no matter what he’s accused of and no matter how much evidence and no matter what international obligations.
But there’s no compromise if they look at requests on a case by case basis. Just like the UK did.
But I’d actually prefer it if Assange decided to take responsibility for what he did, and front up to face the charges. The dangers of plane flight back to Sweden would be a bigger threat to his life and freedom than the danger of rendition to the states.
Hey McFlock – where did you put your concern that the women complainants in Sweden get justice quickly, on that priority list of international law, intrigue and espionage?
Oh yeah I see now, you added it as a footnote: Assange should just man up and take the risk of being shipped out to Guantanamo Bay held under military arrest on the chin, as a matter of course.
I’m sure he’ll take that candid suggestion under advisement.
Don’t be dumb.
The choice between waiting for justice and compromising it permanently should be no choice at all.
Why didn’t the UK send him to the states again? Why are the swedes more likely to?
Yeah McFlock, you’re all for justice eh?
You want to protect Sweden’s justice system and you want to protect Sweden’s sovereign right to extradite persons anywhere in the world that they are empowered to, for any reasons their justice system and various international treaties allow.
You want to protect the integrity of both the Swedish justice systems and international law. Is that right, eh? Are you sure that’s all?
I want justice systems to work with integrity. Extradition is part of that. That way they can hold all criminals accountable for their actions, and ensure that the innocent aren’t convicted unjustly.
That will improve public confidence in the justice system, so the public would be more likely to report crme of all types – especially sexual crimes, which have a microscopic reporting nature.
That wil reduce crime.
Is there anything inconsistent in all that? What more do you think I want?
oh, by the way:
Why didn’t the UK send him to the states again?
Why are the swedes more likely to?
Are you truly genuine about that?
Specifically, do you believe that in addition to extradition, asylum from politically motivated prosecution is another legitimate part of the system of international law?
And if so, do you then accept that Ecuador has the full right (under established international law) to provide Assange with temporary refuge while its government assesses his individual case on its individual merits?
So why didn’t he ask for political asylum in the UK? They take asylum-seekers, too. Like Sweden does, interestingly enough.
I’m not sure I’ve ever criticised Ecuador’s right to consider and grant asylum. I’m criticising Assange for hiding behind conspiracy theories to avoid a sexual assault investigation.
oh, by the way:
Why didn’t the UK send him to the states again?
Why are the swedes more likely to?
To be clear then McFlock:
You accept that seeking asylum from politically motivated prosecution is a legitimate part of established international law. Just like extradition is.
You further accept that Ecuador has the right to give Assange temporary refuge while it assesses the merits of his case on its individual merits.
And since you said that you would be very patient with the necessarily slow movement of complex legal processes (in order to protect the integrity of the international justice system was your rationale), you will no doubt accept Assange exercising his rights under international law to request asylum, and for Ecuador to exercise its sovereign rights to assess that request thoroughly and with due process.
Am I correct, or have I misread your stance of principal on international law as being more genuine than it really is?
Nah, you’ve got a slide in there.
I believe in asylum, I even believe in Assange’s right to claim asylum for protection against political prosecution.
So why didn’t he ask for asylum from the UK? What was the ruling when his lawyers brought up political oppression in the extradition hearing. Did they? The UK can grant asylum too.
He’s claiming asylum from country C because country B decided to extradite him to country A on probable cause for investigation into sexual assault and rape.
I believe in Assange’s right to claim asylum as protection from political persecution. I don’t believe in his right to pervert the principle of asylum by using it to avoid answering questions about sexual assaults. To me, it looks suspiciously like the latter.
So:
Why didn’t the UK send him to the states again?
Why are the swedes more likely to?
and I’ll add:
why didn’t he ask for asylum in the UK?
So you are willing to wait for Ecuador to do what it needs to, in order for them to properly and legally assess Assange’s request for political asylum using thorough due process?
Lets wait and see what happens then. You won’t try and rush or prejudge the issues will you?
Ah fuck it, I’m off to bed.
I have no choice but to wait for Ecuador’s decision. Interwebz arguments do not substitute for a justice system in any nation.
I do find your hierarchy of competent legal systems intriguing, though:
Sweden is a corrupt politicised pawn of the US satan;
The UK is better than Sweden, but not good enough to be asked for asylum or indeed not extradite to Sweden;
Ecuador is an enlightened nation that will deliver the judgement of Solomon.
Bear in mind that so far Assange has struck out with 2 out of 3 seperate judicial systems. And I get the impression that if Ecuador refuses asylum you’ll be saying “let’s try the next one”. And if he camps further and further down Embassy Row you’ll end up praising the wisdom and justice of the Iranian government.
Why didn’t the UK send him to the states again?
Why are the swedes more likely to?
why didn’t he ask for asylum in the UK?
The justice system by its nature presents individuals with more than one opportunity for their case to be heard. That is what the system of appeals is all about.
I thought you would understand that.
I do.
My point was that it’s all very well for you to ask me to keep an open mind, but the fact is that your mind is closed to the possibility that he did it, knows there is no real risk of being deported to the US by sweden, but is using fear of TPTB as an excuse to avoid accountability for his actions.
Seriously, if that were the true state of affairs, how could someone convince you of it? All courts that rule against him are stooges of US imperialist hegemony. All accusers are ignorantly spreading black propaganda. The most flimsy uncorroborated internet link in his favour proves his innocence. Is there any theoretical way that the logical possibility of his guilt and abuse of asylum could be demonstrated to you, if it were true?
Why didn’t the UK send him to the states?
Why are the swedes more likely to?why didn’t he ask for asylum in the UK?
Yeah they are only silly women making a silly rape complaint. Some things are more important than that when you are taking on the US. Take that Obama.
Yeah they are only silly women making a silly rape complaint.
No, they did no such thing. There have been no rape complaints made against Assange.
I’m interested to know something, my friend: why are you commenting on this topic when you have no idea what you are writing about?
dogma, what you find when solutions never materialize, welcome
to the under perfrorming NZ economy, for decades and decades.
The same trite arguments that miss the essential point about the NZ
economy, that we reward investment in housing over productive endeavors.
But wait its worse.
Values. Glen Owen charity is a role model hang over from the
class system because it reinforces the view that we must be all
wealth to be generous to our lesser citizens. That merit be damned,
wealth is all that matters. Surely to be successful like Nordic nations
we need also to look up to successful people who are fabulously wealth.
In fact its because we speak the same language as Americans, and
their culture dominates ours, and we don’t have Nobel prizes (or wealthy
people who reward intellectualism), that we continue to pick the worse
economic policies for NZ, because some trite US twit says charter schools,
or whatever, is the next cool economic fad.
National and Labour are hollow idiots pandering to poor policy prescriptions
because they can’t beat out the nonsense imported from the US.
+1
The biggest problem for NZs economy (and that of the rest of the world) is that we’ve been rewarding the rich for being rich and not only letting them get away with corruption but giving them multi-million dollar golden handshakes when their hands are caught in the till.
How have we been rewarding the rich for being rich in NZ ?
Massive tax cuts and giving them a wonderful opportunity to buy our infrastructure at basement prices, to name two ways.
Not to mention tax cuts that have to be financed from debt paid for by the rank and file taxpayer….dont give me any crap about the rich paying the most tax.
Actually that’s a good point – where is that dataset that used to be regularly published of the tax take by tax type and income bracket ?
Its now a very real fact, that the artificial construct of a business entity is consider equivalent to a person (SCOTUS), but the greatest burden, tax if you will, upon Mother Earth has not yet been provided with even basic rights. Sue God? NO! Mother Earth should sue the USA.
I’m assuming that most still pay significant tax under the progressive tax system and have also been subject to the same GST rises as everyone else ?
As for the SOE sell down if you’re bemoaning the fact that people can purchase a few thousand dollars worth of shares as a reward for the rich being rich I think you’re being overly bombastic.
1: they pay less tax than they did 5 years ago. That is a “reward”. The poor pay more.
2: Subject to the same GST rises… depending on how they structured their finances, how much goes through companies or trusts, and how much is invested. Unlike the poor, who spend all their money on personal goods and services therefore probably pay 15% of their entire “after tax” income on GST.
3: You might sniff at a few thousand bucks returning 18% not being much of a reward. Alternatively, the other 95% of the country would gratefully appreciate it.
1. How do you know they pay less tax than they did five years ago, they might then again they might not with GST changes and other tweaks in the tax system? As I said there used to be an interesting dataset published by treasury I think on tax by type and income bracket.
2. Again you make assumptions – this may or may not be the case.
3. Are you suggesting that the shares in SOEs being offered are going to return 18% ….fantastic i’ll make sure to invest and if that’s the case you should invest as mush as possible yourself.
1: tax rates are lower in higher brackets
2: indeed. Just as if my lotto numbers come up, I don’t have to collect the winnings.
3: yeah good call – fubared those math alright 🙂 But it’s still an investment that poor people can’t make in infrastructure that everybody already equally owns.
1.Tax rates are lower than they used to be in higher tax brackets, they are still higher in the higher tax brackets and those in the higher brackets still pay the majority of income tax in NZ. I still believe that there is room for a high earners tax bracket in NZ in line with the highest level across the Tasman.
2. Not sure what you’re trying to say here.
3. I’ll bet you that even someone of very very modest means could lend money if they could ensure an 18% return.
1: So because higher earners have a slightly higher tax proportion, the tax cuts they received (coincidentally just before we nosedived into massive deficit) is in no way a reward?
2: they might or might not funnel their spare cash through trusts or companies. Therefore they might ot might not be subject to the same proportion of GST payment. Just as I might or might not choose to pick up my winnings, the prize is still there for me.
3: aye, that’s why I said I fubared the math. But they’re solid investments (barring ToW claims or a leftwing govt getting balls and renationalising at punitive rates). And rich people are the ones with the opportunity to invest – poor people have no assets against which they can borrow to play stockmarket trader.
1. Higher earners pay more tax always have and always should, as I’ve said in the present conditions I think there should be a high earners tax bracket in NZ in line with the highest level across the Tasman.
2. It is illegal to charge non-business expenses to a business
3. I think we’re getting into the argument about what is rich, there are certainly people who wouldn’t have the funds or be able to get the funds to invest, there are also likely to be many who couldn’t be classed as rich who could if they so chose. For those people i wonder if they should be offered to cash in the government’s contribution to their Kiwisaver funds to invest if they so chose ?
1: The question is, if they receive a tax break on what they previously paid – isn’t that a reward? Even if they still pay a higher proportion of tax?
2: Yes. But it’s amazing what counts as a “business expense”.
3: allowing people to use government retirement contributions to help them purchase part of a company they already own via the government? See, “rich” people don’t need to risk their retirement savings in order to buy something that they already owned.
2. anyone who has run a business or worked as a contractor knows to claim back GST and minimize tax as much as possible. It’s prudent business sense to do so.
So the only assumption is that you are assuming that NZ’s middle and upper class are not prudent in business.
There is really no arguing that a high income tax break and a rise in GST hit’s PAYE earners whilst limiting the impact on high income earners.
I’ll think you’ll find that if people are rorting GST they’ll receive a major rodgering from IRD sooner or later. Similarly you’re assuming that the majority of those on more than an average or those on high incomes a making that income through their own business i’m not sure that is the case and even if it is whether you could assume that they are all not paying their fair share of tax.
You’ll need to give me an example on the second point so I can understand what you’re meaning.
The company doesn’t need to be their primary source of income.
Just the mechanism through which they funnel their income, or hold assets in (e.g. Double Dipton and his trust). And it doesn’t need to be illegal rorting, just “minimisation” (as CV sorry, UR, said).
pah, in editing completely stuffed strikethrough tag. 🙄 need coffee……
It’s not hard to rort GST on things that a low income earner couldn’t.
Transport, entertainment costs, furniture. It’s as easy as a couple becoming joint shareholders in your own company, suddenly dinners out are share meetings and offset tax.
Sure not all high income earners run their own trusts or companies (The majority i’ve met do).
But they still did get a tax break anyway while everyone below gets a GST hike. And the people below don’t have the opportunity/means to offset their GST.
No matter whether your rorting the system legally (which isn’t hard to do) or not, it doesn’t change the fact that this is an option generally only available to the wealthier.
holidays are conferences
Come on HS mate, you can’t seriously be trying to insinuate that the higher earners have had equal breaks to those on the lower rates under National.
You really believe that National’s policies are bringing a brighter future for the poor?
270,000 children in poverty, the great exodus of our talented and poor job prospects (unless you are high skilled and white apparently).
Surely a GST rise and a tax break for top earners wouldn’t be considered as rewarding the rich for being rich, would it?
It wouldn’t be a priority if I was in Government with the above environment.
Their policies risk a further exodus of our young and talented. The very young, talented youth who for 20 years our taxes have invested in through one of the OECD’s best education systems. This would be my priority, minimizing a massive loss on investment.
That’s not an assumption any more. We know for a fact that the bludgers are stealing from the rest of us.
How is that relevant to the majority of the ‘rich’ in NZ ?
And for that matter you should probably define rich – McF seems to be implying it’s anyone who used to be on the top tax rate ?
Because we can assume that the majority of the rich in NZ are using similar wealth hiding schemes to minimise taxes.
Aero Noble sentiments indeed
But a lot of the dynamite used in the world today is used to kill other people and dig up vast quantities of minerals for big corporations.
Sweden has its first right wing government in a log time.
so would you trust them .
http://rixstep.com/1/20110130,02.shtml
The Assange Police Protocol: Translator’s Note
30,000 words in five days. Translators normally manage about 2,000 words per day. This feat was by no means a world record but it was difficult and a lot of hard work.
The roughest parts were the transcripts. Transcripts are the next best thing to being there – to having a video recording. The task of the transcriber is to record every non-word, sound, and pause in addition to the actual content, this to as accurately as possible convey the attitude and reactions of the interviewee.
Good translations normally never attempt a ‘word for word’ approach. It’s not only words that differ in different languages – it’s the ideas and concepts as well. The goal of a translator is otherwise to get the idea across rather than produce stilted language no one really grasps. But the translations of the transcripts necessarily took another approach: reproduce all the commas, full stops, ellipses, and even the strange constructs as found in the originals.
There’s only one way to study these documents: as a whole and with the working assumption everyone is telling the truth. Save for several deliberate attempts by Anna Ardin to obfuscate the truth, this approach seems to work.
The ‘case’ (if one dare call it that) hovers on two incidents. One takes place in Enköping in the morning. The two people involved have a simple exchange of two lines each before going at it again for what likely is the fifth time in a long sleepless night. The girl’s just come back to bed after being out early and shopping, the two of them make love again, and start dozing off to sleep.
Suddenly the one starts all over again. The girl senses the man is about to penetrate her. ….
Read more. . . .
http://rixstep.com/1/20110130,02.shtml
Yeah. Read that. Do you have any evidence it’s genuine?
It’s pro-Assange, ergo factual.
If it were anti-Assange, it would obviously be lies, and probably Zionist. (That link may mark the point at which I chose to stop engaging people obviously willing to spin anything they can in order to avoid stating simple facts: “Assange should face the allegations made against him because they are serious allegations, and if the US wanted his ass David Cameron would have served it up to them already.”)
… it would obviously be lies, and probably Zionist.
That’s twice today you’ve tried to trivialize my case by mentioning the word “Zionist”. The fact that I have never said anything like that probably won’t make any difference to you, but I’d like to point it out to serious readers.
I linked to exactly who did say it, Morrissey. Sorry for not actually tarring all you “shut up, all evidence against Assange is lies and if you aren’t pro-Assange you haven’t read anything about the case, except you might have read a lot but it’s all lies if it’s not pro-Assange” fanpeeps with the same brush.
I linked to exactly who did say it, Morrissey.
Yes, it was Vicky, not me. And probably not most of the other supporters of Assange. I’m interested to see that you still chose to include it as one of the arguments you allege his supporters make, in spite of the fact they do not.
Sorry for not actually tarring all you “shut up, all evidence against Assange is lies and if you aren’t pro-Assange you haven’t read anything about the case, except you might have read a lot but it’s all lies if it’s not pro-Assange” fanpeeps with the same brush.
You don’t have to be pro-Assange, but if you are foolish enough to parrot the black propaganda of the U.S. and U.K. governments, then you either have NOT read a lot on this travesty of a case, or you are profoundly corrupt.
The whole issue has become too bound up in absolutes. Of course Assange should comply with the laws of the countries he parades through. Of course he shouldn’t treat women (or anyone else) as though they are disposable. Of course an interview can be carried out by phone. Of course Assange should go to America and martyr himself, and of course the Yankees should stop pretending to occupy the moral high ground.
Of course Ecuador should not let itself be used as a straight man to this clown’s antics. Of course Wikileaks should have properly protected its data from external access and/or betrayal.
Of course Wikileaks can be a force for “good”.
Of course we sound like economists discussing rational actors.
The whole issue has become too bound up in absolutes.
So everything’s relative, is it? The lies told by the authorities and their media vassals like the Guardian, the Murdoch gang and the BBC somehow balance up the exposure of those absolute lies by truth-tellers like Assange and Bradley Manning? It seems that the fact that the U.S. military was absolutely caught out by an absolutely dedicated, absolutely determined journalist is just too much for you to take in, my friend. The only cure for that is more reading. Serious reading, that is.
Of course Assange should comply with the laws of the countries he parades through.
He does comply with the law. There is no evidence he has committed any criminal act. And… he “parades through” countries? Maybe you’ve mixed him up with that fraudster Barack Obama.
Of course he shouldn’t treat women (or anyone else) as though they are disposable.
Who says he does? Take care, my friend, not to automatically believe what government apparatchiks tell you.
Of course Ecuador should not let itself be used as a straight man to this clown’s antics.
So Assange is a “clown” now? A “clown” who “parades” through countries. Now that is a clown with gravitas.
Of course Wikileaks should…
How about dropping the sarcasm? There are enough bewildered people on this forum as it is.
Someone forgot to drink their kool-aid…
”Now the private sector needs to do the sort of things that the private sector claims it can do so particularly well.”
Dunno if this has been posted before, but its worth a second look anyway. I can’t eat your ghost jobs, John.
Speaking of dodgy men doing a runner, Sea Shepherd skipper Paul Watson joins the club.
Serious workplace accidents seem to be running at the pace of about one a day at the moment – I’m sure the market will sort it out.