Daily Review 19/03/2018

Written By: - Date published: 5:31 pm, March 19th, 2018 - 45 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 …

45 comments on “Daily Review 19/03/2018 ”

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  1. Monty 1
    19 March 2018 at 5:39 pm

    Where is OAB, I enjoy OAB contributions (maybe not the name calling)

    Haven’t seen any comments for a while.

    • Anne 1.1
      19 March 2018 at 6:39 pm

      I think he received a ban Monty.

      Like you I hope he returns. Whilst he may sometimes go a wee bit too far, his mind is one of the sharpest on this site and his barbs are often brilliant and funny.

      • weka 1.1.1
        19 March 2018 at 6:46 pm

        His ban ended today I think.

        • chris73 1.1.1.1
          19 March 2018 at 7:35 pm

          While not everyone may agree I’d say the recent bannings has improved the boards or at least yesterdays open board went quite well and considering the subject (Greens questions to National) it could have gone down hill rapidly

          • weka 1.1.1.1.1
            19 March 2018 at 7:36 pm

            I think so too. It’s up to commenters now to build a space that works well.

          • Brigid 1.1.1.1.2
            19 March 2018 at 10:10 pm

            I’d agree with that. The discussions have been damned interesting and informative.
            There’s nothing to be gained by anyone when the conversation deteriorates into school playground bullying and sniping.

          • Monty 1.1.1.1.3
            19 March 2018 at 10:50 pm

            I completely agree. It’s been refreshing to not see constant cut and paste/video posts that seem to get repeated day after day then tit for tat that follows.

            I have seen robust debate and what’s refreshing a lot more respect. We are allowed to have opinions and disagree it’s one of the great things about us. We are all different, have our own opinions and thoughts and that makes us human.

            Whilst I may not always agree I try to respect the others view.

      • Carolyn_Nth 1.2.2
        19 March 2018 at 8:26 pm

        Thanks. It’s a bit confusing as to who wrote the post. It is a post referencing Brit Craig Murray’s analysis of the Skripal poisoning. The post is attributed to Larry Krummer editor of this US website.

        The post concludes;

        What do we know? Two people are dead by chemical assassination. Since most (all?) major nations have used assassination and have the capability to have committed this crime, we must rely on motives to finger the guilty. Since we do not know the details of secrets involved, that cannot be done. Until we get more information, the logical conclusions from Craig Murray’s analysis is that we do not know much

        The useful lesson from the material here is that no matter how often our leaders lie to us – and during the Cold War they have lied a lot – many in America and Britain still automatically believe them. We are gullible sheep, a gift to our ruling elites.

        Then after that it says "About the Author" and has a bio of Craig Murray.

        Murray’s work is indeed interesting and well worth a look.

        Murray is quoted as saying that he has had a lot of abuse for his views on the Skripal case – mainly on twitter and a lot from mainstream journalists, including George Monbiot.

        • McFlock 1.2.2.1
          19 March 2018 at 9:52 pm

          Are they actually dead? I haven’t seen that anywhere else.
          I mean, the prognosis probably sucks, but it’s a basic fact.

          • Carolyn_Nth 1.2.2.1.1
            19 March 2018 at 9:57 pm

            That post is a bit sloppy. Craig Murray’s actual posts are worth more of a look. I wasn’t aware anyone had died.

      • Psycho Milt 1.2.3
        19 March 2018 at 9:12 pm

        Still waiting for anyone to offer a plausible alternative to attempted assassination by the Russian government…. [crickets, tumbleweeds]

        • Carolyn_Nth 1.2.3.1
          19 March 2018 at 9:34 pm

          That’s what forensic and criminal investigations are for. So, we will just need to wait.

        • Carolyn_Nth 1.2.3.2
          19 March 2018 at 9:59 pm

          And I’m so far not finding it plausible that the Russian state would kill a defunct operative who is no longer of any interest. And organise a hit in such a sloppy way that it failed (at least to kill the target outright). And that it would use a substance easily traceable to the Russian state.

          So, I’m still waiting for ANY plausible explanation.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2.3.2.1
            20 March 2018 at 6:49 am

            Punishments and rewards must be seen to be consistent. Cf: Sun Tzu.

            In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?

            ….

            If, when the soldiers have become attached to you, punishments are not enforced, they will still be useless.

            Plus what PM said at 1.2.3.4.2.

        • Brigid 1.2.3.3
          19 March 2018 at 10:21 pm

          Are you saying, that if a plausible alternative to a yet unproven scenario is not presented, we must accept the first accusation as true?

          Defining what’s plausible is subjective anyway, isn’t it?

          • Psycho Milt 1.2.3.3.1
            19 March 2018 at 11:12 pm

            I’m saying that something that walks like a duck and quacks like a duck is probably a duck, unless someone’s got a credible alternative theory. So far, “duck” is looking pretty likely.

        • Carolyn_Nth 1.2.3.4
          19 March 2018 at 10:28 pm

          Well, any of the ideas suggested in this interview are possible explanations, with the Russian State/Putin ordering a hit, just one possibility.

          Non state actors, including Russians: Skripal gave up names of many Soviet spies, causing many to be killed – so could be a revenge attack.

          Murky world of Russian Oligarchs in London – any one could have ordered a hit for diverse reasons.

          Iran is the only state known to have actually developed Novichoks: others could have illegally.

          Could be an attempt to frame Putin/Russia e.g. because of their actions in Syria.

          Could be Russian State – but it seems strange they would have done it and in the way it was done – unless there is an unknown motive yet to be revealed.

          • Brigid 1.2.3.4.1
            19 March 2018 at 10:38 pm

            And an investigation does not start with ‘who may have dun it’.
            Well it shouldn’t.

            Theresa May is such a dork.

          • Psycho Milt 1.2.3.4.2
            19 March 2018 at 11:10 pm

            Non state actors, including Russians: Skripal gave up names of many Soviet spies, causing many to be killed – so could be a revenge attack.

            Murky world of Russian Oligarchs in London – any one could have ordered a hit for diverse reasons.

            Which is why the Russian government wouldn’t just have him shot or stabbed – wouldn’t want other potential “traitors” thinking Skripal was hit by an individual out for revenge. As with Litvinenko, a method that’s only available to governments is an advantage.

            Iran is the only state known to have actually developed Novichoks: others could have illegally.

            Could be an attempt to frame Putin/Russia e.g. because of their actions in Syria.

            So, a hugely risky plot by Iran that doesn’t significantly benefit Iran, but looks exactly like something Putin would do. Well, it’s possible, but then it’s possible that OJ will find the real killer one day too.

            Could be Russian State – but it seems strange they would have done it and in the way it was done…

            It’s strange they should try to assassinate Skripal in a very similar way to their assassination of Litvinenko? What’s strange about that?

  2. Keepcalmcarryon 2
    19 March 2018 at 5:44 pm

    Just watched an interview by Richard loe with Simon Bridges at field days, can’t seem to link but of note: bridges tells loe that farmers are Nationals backbone and the party represents their interests on immigration, irrigation the environment and overseas land sales. That right there is a big chunk of our issues as a country and that right there is what created the rural/urban divide.
    It’s on NZ farming Facebook page.
    What a disgrace when a party can push one sectors interests to the detriment of everything else.

    • bwaghorn 2.1
      19 March 2018 at 7:37 pm

      maybe he should have asked why rural nz cant get doctors , why young people will never own a farm unless they can get serious help from someone else , why small town nz has been left to rot so people flock to a life of debt ant traffic in the big smoke

    • Psycho Milt 2.2
      19 March 2018 at 9:16 pm

      That right there is a big chunk of our issues as a country and that right there is what created the rural/urban divide.

      Always makes me laugh when National complains about environmentalists encouraging a rural/urban divide, for all the world as though waterway pollution via intensive farming and the mass import of cheap labour were givens that no-one could possibly object to. Who created the rural/urban divide? Tory scumbags out for profit – the usual suspects.

  3. Carolyn_Nth 3
    19 March 2018 at 6:29 pm

    More excellent work from Matt Nippert at NZ Herald: Ombudsman forces release of defence spending on spy software

    After a year of wrangling the New Zealand Defence Force has been forced to reveal how much it pays for software from Peter Thiel’s secretive firm Palantir.
    …
    The Herald first requested information last January about Palantir’s use by government agencies under the Official Information Act, and the NZDF initially declined to answer claiming even confirming contact with Palantir could prejudice national security.
    …
    Objections from the NZDF and Palantir were this week dismissed, with Boshier writing this week in a letter to the Herald: “Having considered the issues raised, I have now formed the opinion that NZDF have not shown that the prejudice to Palantir’s commercial position is likely, unreasonably, to occur if the information at issue were released.”

    Boshier went on to further dismiss objections saying that even if prejudice could be shown to occur, public interest considerations would outweigh this concern. “Therefore, the NZDF should not have relied on this provision to withhold the information at issue.”

    Boshier gave the NZDF until March 29 to advise on how it will release the requested information.

    Unfortunately, it requires patience and perseverance to get information that should be in the public arena.

  4. Anne 4
    19 March 2018 at 8:07 pm

    Third attempt.

    Russia’s fair and free election and the winner is…

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43452449

  5. mauī 5
    19 March 2018 at 8:18 pm

    Troll #13 from the troll farm speaks out,

  6. Pat 6
    19 March 2018 at 9:32 pm

    “Latest UN projections expect the world’s population to grow by 2.9 billion – equal to another China and India – in the next 33 years, and possibly by a further 3 billion by the end of the century. By then, says the UN, humanity is expected to have developed into an almost exclusively urban species with 80-90% of people living in cities”….and we think things are bad now.

    https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/mar/19/urban-explosion-kinshasa-el-alto-growth-mexico-city-bangalore-lagos

  7. Muttonbird 7
    19 March 2018 at 9:33 pm

    The hologram, David Seymour, and the tobacco companies are blaming government taxes for heightened risk to dairy owners and the demise of the corner dairy.

    Here’s an idea, dairy owners…

    Stop selling cigarettes!

    • Carolyn_Nth 7.1
      19 March 2018 at 9:54 pm

      One dairy in Dominion Road has – 20% drop in their profits. And others are suggesting cigarette machines.

      • Muttonbird 7.1.1
        19 March 2018 at 9:58 pm

        But a 100% increase in not getting robbed, maybe?

        Depends on what’s more important to them, I suppose.

        • McFlock 7.1.1.1
          20 March 2018 at 3:12 pm

          Heightened risk, not total risk.

          But this really is the logical conclusion of ASH zealotry: people selling a legal product somehow deserve to be beaten and robbed.

    • AB 7.2
      19 March 2018 at 10:35 pm

      Quasi-prohibitionism was always going to have this affect – encourage a black market, crime and push the actual addicts to the point of desperation.

      In principle it would be better to offer carrots not sticks – require tobacco companies to fully fund cessation programmes including any nicotine replacement therapy and on top of that give monetary rewards for meeting reduction targets and a lump sum once the addict is clean. (Obviously the addict would need to be registered in a programme of some sort and cheating may be an issue.)
      But really who cares if tobacco companies are cheated? We should be looking for every opportunity to take their money off them. And the idea of forcing them to fund their own demise has a sort of poetic justice.
      But no doubt this would violate some trade agreement and result in a ISDS case….

    • Psycho Milt 7.3
      19 March 2018 at 11:21 pm

      Here’s an idea, dairy owners…

      Stop selling cigarettes!

      I dread to imagine what your ideas on how women could avoid being raped might be.

      • KJT 7.3.1
        20 March 2018 at 3:02 pm

        I don’t think selling addictive drugs, has anything to do with the other.

        • Psycho Milt 7.3.1.1
          20 March 2018 at 3:23 pm

          The implied suggestion “Avoid being robbed by not selling stuff that might attract robbers” has a fairly obvious parallel with “Avoid being raped by not…”

          • KJT 7.3.1.1.1
            20 March 2018 at 3:43 pm

            Really. Didn’t know that rape was cynically sold by retailers, to their addicted customers?

            • Psycho Milt 7.3.1.1.1.1
              20 March 2018 at 3:50 pm

              Your inability to see the same shit argument being used in two very different contexts isn’t my problem.

              Also: you’re now implying that dairy owners deserve to be beaten by armed robbers for selling cigarettes to people, which is pretty fucked up.

  8. Carolyn_Nth 8
    19 March 2018 at 10:54 pm

    Such an interesting photo of Nats’ front bench. Bridges & Adams best buddies. Collins at a small distance, looking covetously at their seats.

    • tracey 8.1
      20 March 2018 at 3:11 pm

      Little Judy no mates. Is Nicky Wagner about to dump her water on Collins? It would be the first time Wagner did anything constructive

  9. eco maori 9
    20 March 2018 at 9:44 am

    Good morning Rumble Rock radio yes Roger I could see that you still have faith in my innocents Kia kaha bro Ka kite ano

    • eco maori 9.1
      20 March 2018 at 12:02 pm

      Eco Maori wants the truth and a better future for all in the old Maori ways when one is giving a gift the people receiveing the gift would allways give back better not just take an take

      • eco maori 9.1.1
        21 March 2018 at 10:52 am

        What _____me off the most is when the sandflys start intimidating my elderly clients I have a 83 year old nice principal client I spend more time taking to her than it takes to mow her lawn and the sandflys Park a white van which I took a photo of right were she could see it she was nervous as. They sent a actor in to try and convince her to go into a retirement home she refused. I said to her so long as she can care for her self she will be fine. They are just____ers.
        I notice another phenomenon and that these Tauranga sandflys have very expensive cars I wonder how they can afford to pay for the cars. Eco Maori know how. Ana to kai Ka kite ano