Daily Review 16/05/2017

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, May 16th, 2017 - 49 comments
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Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

49 comments on “Daily Review 16/05/2017 ”

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  1. Anne 1
    16 May 2017 at 5:35 pm

    Yet again!

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-classified-information-russia-intel-white-house-minister-ambassador-lavrov-kislyak-isis-a7737706.html

    In his meeting with Mr Lavrov, Mr Trump was said to have boasted about his inside knowledge of the looming threat. “I get great intel. I have people brief me on great intel every day,” Mr Trump reportedly said.

    Like he’s talking about the women he meets:

    “I meet great women in this job. Some of them have great legs”.

    Shishhhh

    • Cemetery Jones 1.1
      16 May 2017 at 8:58 pm

      All good by me. So much good video of militants getting BTFO by Russia and Syria, long may it continue.

  2. joe90 2
    16 May 2017 at 5:40 pm

    The internets are pdq.

  3. Andre 3
    16 May 2017 at 5:44 pm

    Why the motherfucker resigning really is our best hope to be rid of him.

    https://www.vox.com/2017/5/15/15644826/trump-ryan-mcconnell-congress-impeach-end-presidency

    But if he did resign, would he go meekly with some excuse like “medical reasons” or would he try for a blaze of glory with a line like “The only people willing to waste their time working for me in government are idiots and losers so I can’t be bothered anymore. Your loss, suckers”

    • BM 3.2
      16 May 2017 at 6:02 pm

      There’s millions and millions of Trump believers out there who categorically believe there are forces in play desperately trying to take down Trump, he’s their man and they’ll fight for him if required.

      If Trump is forced out the US could fall apart.

      • Andre 3.2.1
        16 May 2017 at 6:07 pm

        Yep. I’m surprised the Vox piece didn’t talk about that aspect. But if Republicans vote to impeach Trump, they will wear the rage of Trumpkins forever. Which I’m sure they’re keenly aware of.

        • BM 3.2.1.1
          16 May 2017 at 6:13 pm

          The Trumpkins are really unhinged.

          It’s actually quite disturbing to see intelligent thinking people switch off the logical part of their brain when there’s anything remotely negative about Trump.

          it’s like Christians having their faith in God questioned, the shutters go down and that’s it all information is blocked.

          • mickysavage 3.2.1.1.1
            16 May 2017 at 8:35 pm

            If that happens, and I agree it is a possibility the democrats should apologise for their timidity and their careerism and the republicans should apologise for their stupidity and their attempt to garner the support of fundamentalist christians for their plans of neoliberalism dominance.

      • Draco T Bastard 3.2.2
        16 May 2017 at 6:44 pm

        There’s millions and millions of Trump believers out there who categorically believe there are forces in play desperately trying to take down Trump, he’s their man and they’ll fight for him if required.

        Yes, it’s well known that authoritarian followers always defend their leaders no matter what the leader does. We see it so much from the RWNJs on this sight as well.

        If Trump is forced out the US could fall apart.

        That could do the world a whole lot of good.

      • Muttonbird 3.2.3
        16 May 2017 at 6:56 pm

        A bit melodramatic isn’t it? You’ve been watching too many hollywood movies.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.3
      16 May 2017 at 7:02 pm

      “We have no way to know what was said, but protecting our nation’s secrets is paramount,” House Speaker Paul Ryan’s spokesperson said in a statement. “The speaker hopes for a full explanation of the facts from the administration.”

      Such meetings should be fully recorded for both sight and sound.

      He acknowledged that it was in the president’s right to declassify classified information — however “disturbing.”

      but surely there should be some sort of process to it rather than just having the president blurt whatever whenever?

      And, of course, Republicans are the majority party in the House and Senate.

      Which means that neither house will hold the other accountable until the brown stuff hits the whirly thing.

      So much for the power of multicameral houses to bring about better decisions.

      But the matter is in Ryan and McConnell’s hands, and no one else’s. As long as they remain on Trump’s side, the president is going nowhere.

      Which tells us that there’s a major problem with bringing political criminals to court.

      • Andre 3.3.1
        16 May 2017 at 7:17 pm

        I’ve long thought there might be merit in having two equal versions of things like the Oversight Committee, one controlled by the majority party and one controlled by the minority or opposition party. Both versions with equal tools and powers like subpoena power.

        • Draco T Bastard 3.3.1.1
          16 May 2017 at 7:33 pm

          And what happens when they come up with contradictory answers?

          • Andre 3.3.1.1.1
            16 May 2017 at 7:37 pm

            At least some light has been shone into murky corners for the voters to see what’s there and help them make up their minds.

            With the present system the majority party has the power to turn off the lights when they start getting near something nasty.

    • Ad 3.4
      17 May 2017 at 7:34 am

      The Democrats in government are so crap and hated, Trump needs to stay in power for at least a full term for any meaningful opposition to the Republicans to arise.

      • Andre 3.4.1
        17 May 2017 at 8:06 am

        Well, there’s still the paradox of how almost everyone hates Congress, but almost always re-elect their incumbent.

        I reckon the best scenario for Dems is Trump stays in past the 2018 midterms, which spook the Repugs enough that they evict Trump in 2019 thereby earning the eternal wrath of the Trumpkins. But I’m not sure that’s the best scenario for America’s long term future.

        • Ad 3.4.1.1
          17 May 2017 at 8:12 am

          Unless the Democrats really gain some ground in the mid-terms – which is pretty unlikely given the seats in play – I see good ground for a strong Independent presidential candidate rising. Enter ……………. The Rock

  4. joe90 4
    16 May 2017 at 6:03 pm

    Mutti has a word with the Donald.

    Merkel: "What did I tell you about the Russians?"Trump: "Don't tell them secrets."Merkel: "What did you tell them?"Trump: "Everything." pic.twitter.com/qLJJbxulZF— Alex Cavendish (@PrisonUK) May 15, 2017

  5. greywarshark 5
    16 May 2017 at 6:14 pm

    If there is one word that I think denotes how screwed up people are about things that are important and should be respected it is the word “Motherfucker”. It seems that it’s regarded as a brave, forthright word that puts somebody in their place who deserves a big kick. But actually the kick rebounds onto women especially mothers who are shown to be just pawns in men’s competitive, brawling games.

    Can this disgusting, demeaning heading be removed. Or can someone who has the technical ability to replace it with some other word with dirty connotations like ‘Resign Chief Turd’.?

    • Rosemary McDonald 5.1
      16 May 2017 at 8:49 pm

      I second that.

      Thanks greywarshark.

      • greywarshark 5.1.1
        17 May 2017 at 8:39 pm

        Rosemary Mc
        You know what things are important, such as on a left-wing blog one of the main writers and a person of standing choosing to endorse that disgraceful term, just because the common people use it. It’s not that it is commonly used, it is more something that those with no boundaries or respect for others use.

        To me it is worse than many of the things hotly argued here, on the basis that they demonstrated a rape culture mentality. Just a trio of us have commented about this blog on the Standard.

    • Incognito 5.2
      16 May 2017 at 9:48 pm

      Resign Pompous POTUS

      Resign Preposterous POTUS

      Don Begone

      Dump Trump

      Bump Trump

      Jump Trump

      • greywarshark 5.2.1
        16 May 2017 at 9:57 pm

        Thanks Incognito and Rosemary
        Can we have some acknowledgement that the above slogan is not acceptable.
        Or be equally derogatory and have Resign Fatherfucker.

        I know it is encouraging violence (which the bent would probably consider worse than defrocking mothers) but Thump Trump could come next, or Resign Poxy POTUS.

        [I chose the graphic. The phrase is part of the vernacular. I’m happy to use the alternative. My view is that it does not encourage violence but expresses extreme disgust – MS]

        • Incognito 5.2.1.1
          16 May 2017 at 10:16 pm

          @ MS, it is not as if it is Mother’s Day today, is it?

          I personally dislike the (American) slang and the crass vulgarity but Hey, that’s just my opinion.

        • greywarshark 5.2.1.2
          17 May 2017 at 11:11 am

          MS
          ‘vernacular’
          noun: vernacular; noun: the vernacular
          1.
          the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people of a country or region.

          I think some people are more ordinary than others.

          You demonstrate how far we have all gone from having respect for others, and particularly people who are generally good people but not feted much, and rather vulnerable to the vagaries of the fickle, materialistic and unempathetic in society, mothers.

          Mothers aren’t just objects to adopt sentimental attitudes to on ‘their Day’. Mothers may be seen as pathetic to some, often objects of scorn or blame to the psychopath but don’t bite the hand that made you and feeds you should be the attitude widely held in a practical, if not principled, society.

  6. Muttonbird 6
    16 May 2017 at 7:08 pm

    It’s almost as if the Nats deliberately got Ngaro to throw the dead cat in order to distract from the Labour Party congress…

  7. Muttonbird 7
    16 May 2017 at 7:11 pm

    Oh dear.

    A European advocacy group has ranked New Zealand 158th out of 165 countries on children’s rights.

    Ethiopia is ranked 137th on child rights, ahead of New Zealand.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11857119

    • Muttonbird 7.1
      16 May 2017 at 8:06 pm

      I spent 6 weeks in Thailand recently for work and 2 days in Hokianga this last Sunday and Monday, also for work.

      While I didn’t get to many very remote places in Thailand apart from an area North of Chiang Mai near the Myanmar border, I saw that a similar amount of material poverty exists in both countries and I’d say that because of the climate in Thailand, the disadvantaged there are better off than the disadvantaged in NZ with respect to what is considered ‘housing’ in Northland.

      I saw a good effort with schooling in both countries, kids laughing on an open topped bus in the highlands of North Thailand, and a good bus (better than my own kid’s school bus at one of the highest achieving decile 8 schools in Auckland) picking up individual children on metal roads at Mangungu on the Hokianga Harbour.

      NZ’s GDP per capita is USD37K and Thailand’s just USD5K yet their somewhat remote villages in my view have a better quality of life that do those forgotten people of Northland.

  8. Muttonbird 8
    16 May 2017 at 7:27 pm

    If you want to know what really gets me mad it’s soft, journalism school reporting like this from the oily one, well known National Party supporting RWNJ, Claire Trevett.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11857144

    This thing is relevant to the current discussion around corruption in the current government with respect to NGOs being cut off if they step out of line with National Party policy, no matter how ham-fisted and ill-directed it might be.

    Nowhere in the article does Trivet nail Tolley to the mast on this screw up. To Trevit, Tolley is an innocent and exasperated bystander (rather than the architect of the whole shebang) even though we hear that National Party ministers breathe over their ministries like Darth fucking Vader.

    Nowhere does Treveeit ask Tolley or the government why their ministries are struggling to implement this weird ‘social investment’ approach in actual management realities, or what it’s even meant to achieve apart from ‘doing some stuff for poor people on the cheap’. Rather she just goes with the line that ‘it’s all one person at the the ministry’s fault, and Datacom.’

    The only time this National Party suck up Claire trevitt addressed the screw up that is Bill Englishes stupid and rushed think-a-thon on what to do with poor people is a pathetic and robotic paragraph at the end.

    • Ed 8.1
      16 May 2017 at 7:29 pm

      You only get Trevett’s position if you toe the neoliberal establishment’s line.

  9. Muttonbird 9
    16 May 2017 at 7:40 pm

    Even thought there’s no credit line, this cut and paste job must be the ‘work’ of Bryce Edwards because it’s his sit-on-the-fence, come to no conclusions style of opinion.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11856955

    I wonder how much he gets paid for this shit.

  10. joe90 10
    16 May 2017 at 9:09 pm

    .
    Other than the usual over promise under deliver on jobs and regional benefits bullshit, the despoiling of another pristine place, and discharged, and likely tropical, ballast water swimming with invasive exotic marine organisms, what could possibly go wrong?.

    //

    The consents are renewals of permits first given 25 years ago during the first Gulf War, and were granted without public notification.

    Greens environment spokesperson Eugenie Sage said it was outrageous that an area many New Zealanders cared about would be affected in this way without anyone getting a say.

    Ms Sage said the area included sensitive habitats for Hector’s dolphin, penguins and Haast kiwi, and the council had not properly considered the risks.

    The regional council said it was confident it had given thorough regard to the risks.
    Eugenie Sage.

    The company wants to set up the water exporting facility to take water from two alpine lakes and pipe it to tankers for export.

    The project involves redirecting up to 800 litres a second from Tuning Fork Creek to an export facility at Neils Beach.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/330920/west-coast-water-export-project-approved

    • Jenny Kirk 10.1
      16 May 2017 at 9:20 pm

      This is appalling – given all the information that has been made public about the despoiling of NZ’s waterways in recent years. And here it comes again – whatever they do, however careful they say they will be – this will ruin these beautiful waterways and the creatures which abide within them. We have lousy laws which makes this sort of thing so easily available to exploiters.

    • bwaghorn 10.2
      16 May 2017 at 9:25 pm

      imagine what it could do for the west coast if they got 10 cents a litre, better than mining coal.

      • joe90 10.2.1
        16 May 2017 at 9:42 pm

        No royalties payable on water so the only ones benefiting would be those directly involved.

        • bwaghorn 10.2.1.1
          16 May 2017 at 9:48 pm

          i know , but a government with balls would stick it on export water tomorrow.

  11. greywarshark 11
    16 May 2017 at 9:51 pm

    I see the image of the briefcase is still at the head of this post. I see the same words remain. Please remove it asap. When you get time that is. When it suits, if it suits.

      • greywarshark 11.1.1
        18 May 2017 at 9:14 pm

        I’d like to thump people who put up slick sexist phrases because everyone else is doing it. Just no respect, and I expected better from Micky Savage.

    • Bill 11.2
      18 May 2017 at 9:28 pm

      It’s gone greywarshark.

      My apologies…to you and the others who were offended. I saw it and thought wtf, but just couldn’t be bothered going through the whole rigmarole of laying out all that was wrong with the phrase or doing anything about it….hoped it would just slip oon by and disappear. Sorry MS – hope you don’t take it personally (if you even notice) . Just doing it and a wee bit pissed off with myself for not speaking up or doing something about it at the time.

      • greywarshark 11.2.1
        22 May 2017 at 11:30 am

        Thanks Bill
        I was a bit sick at seeing it and it is good to know you saw the fault. I am not sympathetic to finding fault with some present feminist complaints but acknowledging and respecting each other’s natural and good persona is important.

        Also r0b
        Your headline on the budget is carefully worded, sensitivity shown there.
        I haven’t read it yet, so hope that it does do something for all mothers (and women who need support too, also the men who are also in the line needing support.)

  12. millsy 12
    17 May 2017 at 12:27 am

    Donald Trump is impeached, found guilty, resigns and we get….President Mike Pence, devout adherence to the church of neo-liberalism and hard right Christian Dominionism.

    Nice work guys, great effort. Also coming up, we have Paul Ryan, who wants to party like it’s 1799 with the size of government to match – a small army, a small navy, a couple of post offices, a few tax collectors and a weather station or two. And next up, Orrin Hatch, who wants to remotely fry your computer for downloading music from torrent site.

  13. Adrian Thornton 13
    17 May 2017 at 1:14 pm

    @millsy, exactly right, do people understand that when they get rid of Trump, then they bring in some one smarter ,some one who will be just as bad if not worse, just a better salesman….
    And all the while the Democrats take no responsibility for losing the most winnable election in modern US history ..
    Still have not got rid of the corrupt Donna Brazile
    Hillary still blaming the Russians
    Obama taking $400, 000 from Wall St

    This is where progressives should be focused, reforming their sick and diseased party which has absolutely zero credibility, then start on bring down The Republicans.