Actually disagree mickysavage, there is a court ruling that pipe line should stop. They have not and are carrying on. Also many of these police are crossing state lines. So Obama could call a halt to this at any time, leaving aside that it is currently passing through federal land, it being military land.
No wait, lets not, Obama also has the power to stop it, as commander and chief.
Im responding to the suggestion that it is all Obama’s fault. I don’t understand the intricacies of what is happening so maybe he should make a stand. I was responding to the implication that Obama is wrong but Trump will fix it. If Obama is on a rocky road to hell over this Trump is sitting down there with a devil suit on and holding a trident …
I think Obama did good original reaching out to native Americans, but this is more of the same old, same old from the US establishment. It also he has the ability to not only up hold the law, but to intervene via some many avenues -that is frustrating.
Also with the escalating violence from the police, it is a worry someone has not said stop! I also blame Jack Dalrymple a lot, a hell of a lot actually.
Obama spent his whole first term figuring that republicans won’t give him nothing, reps even went as far as not producing a budget, Obama said he’d close gettmo-fail, recall troops- pass, financial reform – fail, jobs growth- pass, so Obamas a 50/50 president. The only reason his D- is talked about, is because it’s so much better than the F under Bush
The US would be a radically different place if Obama hadn’t have been cut off at the knees by republicans blocking his every move in congress and the senate.
For all the talk about the system failing and people being fed up with stale politics, their lives wouldn’t have been half as bad if they hadn’t voted in tea party, hardliner right wing governors and senators.
It’s always good common sense stuff from me, it’s just you’ve finally found something you can agree with publicly, without fear of getting gang banged by the bigger kids .
So well done, for that, at least. lol
For all the talk about the system failing and people being fed up with stale politics, their lives wouldn’t have been half as bad if they hadn’t voted in tea party, hardliner right wing governors and senators.
Blaming the voters? That’s a winning strategy in a democratic system.
Face facts. Obama has left the Democratic Party in total disarray, at its weakest state in terms of elected legislators since the 1920s, right from the state level through to federal government.
The Republicans now control something like 68 of the country’s 99 state legislatures, and have total control of something like 26 states (state house, state senate and Governor). The Democrats have control of just 7 states.
And in just two months, liberals are also going to lose control of the Supreme Court.
It’s not blaming the voters, it’s holding them accountable to how they voted, and yeah, they did bad, and that’s the only fact worth knowing.
You spout on how the republicans control this and that, which absolutely supports my claim the voters got what they voted for. They, like you, don’t want to admit their part in the mess they’re in, especially when they have a lame duck scapegoat at the ready, as is the way with the modern world.
Why take responsibility when you can blame someone else? 🙄
US voters sh1t lives – Absolutely of their own making.
At least with the republicans controlling the holy trinity, you won’t be able to spin/shill your agenda in 4 years time. Blessings wherever you find ’em lol
Only a modicum of sense, big boy. The Republicans were responsible for only some of what Obama didn’t do. Most if it was for the same reasons Hillary Clinton lost the election. Creative writing course or not, you really are illiterate. Learn to fucking read.
It’s all about personal responsibility, comrade, not a student union or foreign sponsored slogan contest.
But I haven’t seen you advocating any “personal responsibility” for the shitty out of touch constantly losing coastal elite focussed Democratic Party leadership team.
“But I haven’t seen you advocating any “personal responsibility” for the shitty out of touch constantly losing coastal elite focused Democratic Party leadership team.”
Yep, and Vivian is a total bastard. Right on, Rick. 🙄
“But I haven’t seen you advocating any “personal responsibility” for the shitty out of touch constantly losing coastal elite focussed Democratic Party leadership team.”
Yep, and Vivian is a total bast*rd. Right on, Rick 🙄 lol
The great thinker who says Obama was one of the greatest leaders the US has ever had. Yeah, extra-judicial killings, corporate puppet. Shove one of your pathetic lols up your arse.
“The great thinker who says Obama was one of the greatest leaders the US has ever had. Yeah, extra-judicial killings, corporate puppet. Shove one of your pathetic lols up your arse.”
I wrote I can’t recall a president better than Obama, can you? Certainly not either Bush, or Clinton, not Reagan, Carter, nor Ford or Nixon.
Perhaps you could stop acting like a chided child and think about the implications of what you’re actually meaning when you write such guff.
But if you think any of those presidents were better than Obama, so be it, I’m not defeated by a difference of opinion. Just have the nads to go ahead and state it, in public, for all to see and laugh at. lol
“But I haven’t seen you advocating any “personal responsibility” for the shitty out of touch constantly losing coastal elite focussed Democratic Party leadership team.”
Yep, and Vivian is a total bast*rd. Right on, Rick. 🙄 lol
Obama oversaw the decimation of his party at every level of government. Most of his executive order legacy as President is going to be cancelled by the end of January and the guts of Obamacare put in the deep fryer by mid year.
Yes, a great President.
Meanwhile, here is Obama on the Fallon show saying that Trump will never ever be President.
And Vivian is still such a bast*rd. Thanks for that, Rick 🙄 lol
America would be much better off if it wasn’t for your right wing republicans in congress and the senate. Fact.
Blame the bogey man Obama, like you and US voters have been taught to, but that’s your limitation and your complex, not mine.
Hillary Clinton won a pathetic ~300 out of the more than 3,000 counties in the USA.
The Democratic establishment backed the ultimate status quo candidate in a change election year.
The Democrats are now at a 90 year low in terms of elected legislators and have effectively lost control of every single arm of the US government: executive, congress and judiciary.
And you’re still blaming the public as being the problem?
And it would, on both counts, chump 🙄
Go play your arse lick games with people who have the patience and tolerance for misinformed halfwits and the slogan driven enlightened.
Spare me the inner guilt of having to dismiss you as yet another afflicted inconsequential nothing.
That’s harsh, but you won’t get it anyway, so all good. 🙂
Yep the destruction of indigenous rights is a long term project. Just as here we can look at most political parties being implicated in the loss of rights so it is in the US. It is incorrect to blame an individual for the issue. We can say that any fixes have fallen short and responsibility there is obvious.
Indigenous rights activists know this and fight on here there and everywhere.
The US Constitution is clear on this point. While Trump is the President-Elect, there is only one President of the United States in office. And that is Barrack Obama.
But my guess is that no, there won’t be much reason for the “left” (does this grouping actually exist? Many commentators here tell me there is no such grouping) to rejoice in his handling of this mess which has been left over for Trump to handle by a timid procrastinating lawlessness tolerating Barrack Obama.
If Trump has any chance of making America great again he has to drop a trillion a year in unfunded promises, US defence budget- 1 trillion, makes sense to start there
“Why on earth doesn’t President Obama intervene in this ongoing disaster ?”
Counterpunch
November 23, 2016
Buying Silence: Why So Many Democrats are Mute About Standing Rock
The response from the … Obama Administration to what has been occurring at Standing Rock has left a stain on the end of President Obama’s second presidential term. Despite visiting the Standing Rock reservation in 2014 and affirming his commitment to Native American rights, his administration has remained neutral amid reports for weeks of abuses towards the water protectors.
Most politicians have remained silent or neutral on the Dakota Access Pipeline. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) who has claimed to be Cherokee, said she opposes the pipeline when questioned by a supporter, but has avoided making any public comments on the issue. Hillary Clinton issued a neutral, meaningless statement after protesters sat in her campaign headquarters demanding action. Since her defeat to Donald Trump, she has refrained from devoting any effort to addressing the Dakota Access Pipeline. Democratic Party leaders in the Senate, including Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, have ignored the issue.
This is likely because the Dakota Access Pipeline is being funded by some of the most prolific donors to the Democratic Party. Sunoco Logistics Partners is set to acquire Energy Transfer Partners, the company constructing the pipeline, while Sunoco will oversee its operation. The owners of the company primarily consist of Wall Street firms, including Goldman Sachs.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer has been one of the top recipients of campaign donations from Wall Street, and he has encouraged Wall Street firms to spread their donations to other Democrats. After the 2008 economic recession, Schumer received 15 percent of Wall Street donations to the Senate in 2009, nearly twice as much as any other Senator. “Wall Street welcomes expected Chuck Schumer promotion,” read a CNN headline from 2015 immediately following Reid’s announced retirement.
Phillips 66, who have financed 25% of the Dakota Access Pipeline project, is primarily owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s holding company. Buffett actively campaigned for Hillary Clinton this past presidential election, and has made large donations to Clinton, Obama, and other Democrats over the past several years.
In December 2015, congressional leaders rescinded a 40-year-ban on oil exports, increasing the potential profits the Dakota Access Pipeline could yield its investors if government officials don’t intervene. Based on their slow reaction so far, and the Democratic Party establishment progressively favoring its corporate and wealthy donors, that window of opportunity for the Obama Administration and top Democrats to step in before Trump enters the White House is rapidly closing.
If you watched the video it actually asks that question. It also points out what the establishment are doing. It’s a one party state, with two parties.
We have just moved into our tiny house. 2 adults and 9 and 2 year olds a dog and cat.
I really wondered how my head would cope. It is awesome. Think, if you are watching a movie then the rest of the big house is empty and unused but not for us. Mentally it is about being mindful and present. It may not be for everyone but imo it is future proofing the kids and us.
Wonderful to hear, marty. I wish you and your whanau all the best in your marvelously modest home. Please keep us up to date with how your cosy life goes and flows.
2.7 wide 7 m long 4.25 high. Like a bus without a motor sort of – road legal as in towable with vehicle. We do have a shed and another structure so the tiny house is the heart of the zone. it is new so that is nice.
“The safety of Wellingtonians should come before a $120 million film museum and $90 million set aside for the airport runway extension.”
Councillor Pannett agreed that funding for the reservoir should come before funding for the runway extension, putting her at odds with recently-elected mayor Justin Lester.
When contacted by Newshub, Mr Lester refused to comment other than to say the reservoir was a “priority”.
A couple of months ago now I wrote a post about the new set of discount rates government agencies are supposed to use in undertaking cost-benefit analysis, whether for new spending projects or for regulatory initiatives. The new, radically altered, framework had come into effect from 1 October last year, ...
Huawei dominates Indonesia’s telecommunication network infrastructure. It won over Indonesia mainly through cost competitiveness and by generating favour through capacity-building programs and strategic relationships with the government, and telecommunication operators. But Huawei’s dominance poses risks. ...
Democracy and the liberal tradition have long been seen as among the most basic tenets of the American way of life. They are also the main reason the West has for the past 80 years ...
Nicola Willis continues to compare the economy to a household needing to tighten its belt to survive. Photo: Getty Images The key long stories short in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, April 29 are: Nicola Willis today announced a cut in the Government’s new spending ...
The Herald had another announcement today about a new solar farm being officially opened - this time the 63MW Lauriston solar farm in Canterbury. It is of course briefly "NZ’s biggest solar farm", but it will soon be overtaken by Kōwhai park at Christchurch airport (168MW) and Tauhei (202MW), both ...
I woke this morning to the shock news that Tory Whanau was no longer contesting the Wellington mayoralty, having stepped aside to leave the field clear for Andrew Little. Its like a perverse reversal of Little's 2017 decision to step aside for Jacinda - the stale, pale past rudely shoving ...
In a pre-Budget speech this morning the Minister of Finance announced that this year’s operating allowance – the net amount available for new initiatives – was being reduced from $2.4 billion to $1.3 billion (speech here, RNZ story here). Operating allowance numbers in isolation don’t mean a great deal (what ...
Of the two things in life that are certain, defence and national security concern themselves with death but need to pay more attention to taxes. Australia’s national security, defence and domestic policy obligations all need ...
The Coalition of Chaos is at it again with another half-baked underwhelming scheme that smells suspiciously like a rerun of New Zealand’s infamous leaky homes disaster. Their latest brainwave? Letting tradies self-certify their own work on so-called low-risk residential builds. Sounds like a great way to cut red tape to ...
Perfect by natureIcons of self indulgenceJust what we all needMore lies about a world thatNever was and never will beHave you no shame don't you see meYou know you've got everybody fooledSongwriters: Amy Lee / Ben Moody / David Hodges.“Vote National”, they said. The economic managers par excellence who will ...
The Australian Defence Force isn’t doing enough to adopt cheap drones. It needs to be training with these tools today, at every echelon, which it cannot do if it continues to drag its feet. Cheap drones ...
Hi,Just over a year ago — in March of 2024 — I got an email from Jake. He had a story he wanted to tell, and he wanted to find a way to tell it that could help others. A warning, of sorts. And so over the last year, as ...
Back in the dark days of the pandemic, when the world was locked down and businesses were gasping for air, Labour’s quick thinking and economic management kept New Zealand afloat. Under Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson, the Wage Subsidy Scheme saved 1.7 million jobs, pumping billions into businesses to stop ...
When I was fifteen I discovered the joy of a free bar. All you had to do was say Bacardi and Coke, thanks to the guy in the white shirt and bow tie. I watched my cousin, all private school confidence, get the drinks in, and followed his lead. Another, ...
The Financial Times reported last week that China’s coast guard has declared China’s sovereignty over Sandy Cay, posting pictures of personnel holding a Chinese flag on a strip of sand. The landing apparently took place ...
You might not know this, but New Zealand’s at the bottom of the global league table for electric vehicle (EV) chargers, and the National government’s policies are ensuring we stay there, choking the life out of our clean energy transition.According to the International Energy Agency’s 2024 Global EV Outlook, we’ve ...
We need more than two Australians who are well-known in Washington. We do have two who are remarkably well-known, but they alone aren’t enough in a political scene that’s increasingly influenced by personal connections and ...
When National embarked on slash and burn cuts to the public service, Prime Minister Chris Luxon was clear that he expected frontline services to be protected. He lied: The government has scrapped part of a work programme designed to prevent people ending up in emergency housing because the social ...
When the Emissions Trading Scheme was originally introduced, way back in 2008, it included a generous transitional subsidy scheme, which saw "trade exposed" polluters given free carbon credits while they supposedly stopped polluting. That scheme was made more generous and effectively permanent under the Key National government, and while Labour ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
The news of Virginia Giuffre’s untimely death has been a shock, especially for those still seeking justice for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. Giuffre, a key figure in exposing Epstein’s depraved network and its ties to powerful figures like Prince Andrew, was reportedly struck by a bus in Australia. She then apparently ...
An official briefing to the Health Minister warns “demand for acute services has outstripped hospital capacity”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThe key long stories short in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, April 28 are: There’s a nationwide shortage of 500 hospital beds and 200,000 ...
We should have been thinking about the seabed, not so much the cables. When a Chinese research vessel was spotted near Australia’s southern coast in late March, opposition leader Peter Dutton warned the ship was ...
Now that the formalities of saying goodbye to Pope Francis are over, the process of selecting his successor can begin in earnest. Framing the choice in terms of “liberal v conservative” is somewhat misleading, given that all members of the College of Cardinals uphold the core Catholic doctrines – which ...
A listing of 30 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 20, 2025 thru Sat, April 26, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...
Let’s rip the shiny plastic wrapping off a festering truth: planned obsolescence is a deliberate scam, and governments worldwide, including New Zealand’s, are complicit in letting tech giants churn out disposable junk. From flimsy smartphones that croak after two years to laptops with glued-in batteries, the tech industry’s business model ...
When I first saw press photos of Mr Whorrall, an America PhD entomology student & researcher who had been living out a dream to finish out his studies in Auckland, my first impression, besides sadness, was how gentle he appeared.Press released the middle photo from Mr Whorrall’s Facebook pageBy all ...
It's definitely not a renters market in New Zealand, as reported by 1 News last night. In fact the housing crisis has metastasised into a full-blown catastrophe in 2025, and the National Party Government’s policies are pouring petrol on the flames. Renters are being crushed under skyrocketing costs, first-time buyers ...
Would I lie to you? (oh yeah)Would I lie to you honey? (oh, no, no no)Now would I say something that wasn't true?I'm asking you sugar, would I lie to you?Writer(s): David Allan Stewart, Annie Lennox.Opinions issue forth from car radios or the daily news…They demand a bluer National, with ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Do the 31,000 signatures of the OISM Petition Project invalidate the scientific consensus on climate change? Climatologists made up only 0.1% of signatories ...
In the 1980s and early 1990s when I wrote about Argentine and South American authoritarianism, I borrowed the phrase “cultura del miedo” (culture of fear) from Juan Corradi, Guillermo O’Donnell, Norberto Lechner and others to characterise the social anomaly that exists in a country ruled by a state terror regime ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
Chris Bishop has unveiled plans for new roads in Tauranga, Auckland and Northland that will cost up to a combined $10 billion. Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from Aotearoa political economy around housing, poverty and climate in the week to Saturday, April 26:Chris Bishop ploughed ahead this week with spending ...
Unless you've been living under a rock, you would have noticed that New Zealand’s government, under the guise of economic stewardship, is tightening the screws on its citizens, and using debt as a tool of control. This isn’t just a conspiracy theory whispered in pub corners...it’s backed by hard data ...
The budget runup is far from easy.Budget 2025 day is Thursday 22 May. About a month earlier in a normal year, the macroeconomic forecasts would be completed (the fiscal ones would still be tidying up) and the main policy decisions would have been made (but there would still be a ...
On 25 April 2021, I published an internal all-staff Anzac Day message. I did so as the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, which is responsible for Australia’s civil defence, and its resilience in ...
You’ve likely noticed that the disgraced blogger of Whale Oil Beef Hooked infamy, Cameron Slater, is still slithering around the internet, peddling his bile on a shiny new blogsite calling itself The Good Oil. If you thought bankruptcy, defamation rulings, and a near-fatal health scare would teach this idiot a ...
The Atlas Network, a sprawling web of libertarian think tanks funded by fossil fuel barons and corporate elites, has sunk its claws into New Zealand’s political landscape. At the forefront of this insidious influence is David Seymour, the ACT Party leader, whose ties to Atlas run deep.With the National Party’s ...
Nicola Willis, National’s supposed Finance Minister, has delivered another policy failure with the Family Boost scheme, a childcare rebate that was big on promises but has been very small on delivery. Only 56,000 families have signed up, a far cry from the 130,000 Willis personally championed in National’s campaign. This ...
This article was first published on 7 February 2025. In January, I crossed the milestone of 24 years of service in two militaries—the British and Australian armies. It is fair to say that I am ...
He shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.Age shall not weary him, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morningI will remember him.My mate Keith died yesterday, peacefully in the early hours. My dear friend in Rotorua, whom I’ve been ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on news New Zealand abstained from a vote on a global shipping levy on climate emissions and downgraded the importance ...
Hi,In case you missed it, New Zealand icon Lorde has a new single out. It’s called “What Was That”, and has a very low key music video that was filmed around her impromptu performance in New York’s Washington Square Park. When police shut down the initial popup, one of my ...
A strategy of denial is now the cornerstone concept for Australia’s National Defence Strategy. The term’s use as an overarching guide to defence policy, however, has led to some confusion on what it actually means ...
The IMF’s twice-yearly World Economic Outlook and Fiscal Monitor publications have come out in the last couple of days. If there is gloom in the GDP numbers (eg this chart for the advanced countries, and we don’t score a lot better on the comparable one for the 2019 to ...
For a while, it looked like the government had unfucked the ETS, at least insofar as unit settings were concerned. They had to be forced into it by a court case, but at least it got done, and when National came to power, it learned the lesson (and then fucked ...
The argument over US officials’ misuse of secure but non-governmental messaging platform Signal falls into two camps. Either it is a gross error that undermines national security, or it is a bit of a blunder ...
Cost of living ~1/3 of Kiwis needed help with food as cost of living pressures continue to increase - turning to friends, family, food banks or Work and Income in the past year, to find food. 40% of Kiwis also said they felt schemes offered little or no benefit, according ...
Hi,Perhaps in 2025 it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the CEO and owner of Voyager Internet — the major sponsor of the New Zealand Media Awards — has taken to sharing a variety of Anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish conspiracy theories to his 1.2 million followers.This included sharing a post from ...
In the sprint to deepen Australia-India defence cooperation, navy links have shot ahead of ties between the two countries’ air forces and armies. That’s largely a good thing: maritime security is at the heart of ...
'Cause you and me, were meant to be,Walking free, in harmony,One fine day, we'll fly away,Don't you know that Rome wasn't built in a day?Songwriters: Paul David Godfrey / Ross Godfrey / Skye Edwards.I was half expecting to see photos this morning of National Party supporters with wads of cotton ...
The PSA says a settlement with Health New Zealand over the agency’s proposed restructure of its Data and Digital and Pacific Health teams has saved around 200 roles from being cut. A third of New Zealanders have needed help accessing food in the past year, according to Consumer NZ, and ...
John Campbell’s Under His Command, a five-part TVNZ+ investigation series starting today, rips the veil off Destiny Church, exposing the rot festering under Brian Tamaki’s self-proclaimed apostolic throne. This isn’t just a church; it’s a fiefdom, built on fear, manipulation, and a trail of scandals that make your stomach churn. ...
Some argue we still have time, since quantum computing capable of breaking today’s encryption is a decade or more away. But breakthrough capabilities, especially in domains tied to strategic advantage, rarely follow predictable timelines. Just ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Pearl Marvell(Photo credit: Pearl Marvell. Image credit: Samantha Harrington. Dollar bill vector image: by pch.vector on Freepik) Igrew up knowing that when you had extra money, you put it under a bed, stashed it in a book or a clock, or, ...
The political petrified piece of wood, Winston Peters, who refuses to retire gracefully, has had an eventful couple of weeks peddling transphobia, pushing bigoted policies, undertaking his unrelenting war on wokeness and slinging vile accusations like calling Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick a “groomer”.At 80, the hypocritical NZ First leader’s latest ...
It's raining in Cockermouth and we're following our host up the stairs. We’re telling her it’s a lovely building and she’s explaining that it used to be a pub and a nightclub and a backpackers, but no more.There were floods in 2009 and 2015 along the main street, huge floods, ...
A recurring aspect of the Trump tariff coverage is that it normalises – or even sanctifies – a status quo that in many respects has been a disaster for working class families. No doubt, Donald Trump is an uncertainty machine that is tanking the stock market and the growth prospects ...
The National Party’s Minister of Police, Corrections, and Ethnic Communities (irony alert) has stumbled into yet another racist quagmire, proving that when it comes to bigotry, the right wing’s playbook is as predictable as it is vile. This time, Mitchell’s office reposted an Instagram reel falsely claiming that Te Pāti ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
In a world crying out for empathy, J.K. Rowling has once again proven she’s more interested in stoking division than building bridges. The once-beloved author of Harry Potter has cemented her place as this week’s Arsehole of the Week, a title earned through her relentless, tone-deaf crusade against transgender rights. ...
Health security is often seen as a peripheral security domain, and as a problem that is difficult to address. These perceptions weaken our capacity to respond to borderless threats. With the wind back of Covid-19 ...
Would our political parties pass muster under the Fair Trading Act?WHAT IF OUR POLITICAL PARTIES were subject to the Fair Trading Act? What if they, like the nation’s businesses, were prohibited from misleading their consumers – i.e. the voters – about the nature, characteristics, suitability, or quantity of the products ...
Rod EmmersonThank you to my subscribers and readers - you make it all possible. Tui.Subscribe nowSix updates today from around the world and locally here in Aoteaora New Zealand -1. RFK Jnr’s Autism CrusadeAmerica plans to create a registry of people with autism in the United States. RFK Jr’s department ...
We see it often enough. A democracy deals with an authoritarian state, and those who oppose concessions cite the lesson of Munich 1938: make none to dictators; take a firm stand. And so we hear ...
370 perioperative nurses working at Auckland City Hospital, Starship Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre will strike for two hours on 1 May – the same day senior doctors are striking. This is part of nationwide events to mark May Day on 1 May, including rallies outside public hospitals, organised by ...
Character protections for Auckland’s villas have stymied past development. Now moves afoot to strip character protection from a bunch of inner-city villas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories shortest from our political economy on Wednesday, April 23:Special Character Areas designed to protect villas are stopping 20,000 sites near Auckland’s ...
Artificial intelligence is poised to significantly transform the Indo-Pacific maritime security landscape. It offers unprecedented situational awareness, decision-making speed and operational flexibility. But without clear rules, shared norms and mechanisms for risk reduction, AI could ...
For what is a man, what has he got?If not himself, then he has naughtTo say the things he truly feelsAnd not the words of one who kneelsThe record showsI took the blowsAnd did it my wayLyrics: Paul Anka.Morena folks, before we discuss Winston’s latest salvo in NZ First’s War ...
Nicola Willis announced that funding for almost every Government department will be frozen in this year’s budget, costing jobs, making access to public services harder, and fuelling an exodus of nurses, teachers, and other public servants. ...
The Government’s Budget looks set to usher in a new age of austerity. This morning, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis said new spending would be limited to $1.4 billion, cut back from the original intended $2.4 billion, which itself was already $100 million below what Treasury said was needed to ...
The Green Party has renewed its call for the Government to ban the use, supply, and manufacture of engineered stone products, as the CTU launches a petition for the implementation of a full ban. ...
Te Pāti Māori are appalled by Cabinet's decision to agree to 15 recommendations to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector following the regulatory review by the Ministry of Regulation. We emphasise the need to prioritise tamariki Māori in Early Childhood Education, conducted by education experts- not economists. “Our mokopuna deserve ...
The Government must support Northland hapū who have resorted to rakes and buckets to try to control a devastating invasive seaweed that threatens the local economy and environment. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill that would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law. “This is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything. This is about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the ...
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...
Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting ...
The Green Party is proud to have voted down the Coalition Government’s Treaty Principles Bill, an archaic piece of legislation that sought to attack the nation’s founding agreement. ...
A Member’s Bill in the name of Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter which aims to stop coal mining, the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill, has been pulled from Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ today. ...
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s Members Bill to make the law simpler and fairer for businesses operating on Easter, Anzac and Christmas Days has passed its first reading after a conscience vote in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Professor of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology The lights are mostly back on in Spain, Portugal and southern France after a widespread blackout on Monday. The blackout caused chaos for tens of millions of people. ...
By Anish Chand in Suva Filipo Tarakinikini has been appointed as Fiji’s Ambassador-designate to Israel. This has been stated on two official X, formerly Twitter, handle posts overnight. “#Fiji is determined to deepen its relations with #Israel as Fiji’s Ambassador-designate to Israel, HE Ambassador @AFTarakinikini prepares to present his credentials ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Victoria University India and Pakistan are once again at a standoff over Kashmir. A terror attack last week in the disputed region that ...
We are sending send a strong message to those in power that we demand a better deal for working people, and an end to the attack on unions. We will also be calling on the Government to deliver pay equity and honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Federico Tartarini, Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture Design and Planning, University of Sydney New Africa, Shutterstock Many Australians struggle to keep themselves cool affordably and effectively, particularly with rising electricity prices. This is becoming a major health concern, especially for our ...
Led by the seven-metre-long Taxpayers' Union Karaka Nama (Debt Clock), the hīkoi highlights the Government's borrowing from our tamariki and mokopuna. ...
Wellington's deputy mayor is "absolutely gutted" by Tory Whanau's decision to not run for the mayoralty, but another councillor believes it is an opportunity for a fresh start. ...
Wellington's deputy mayor is "absolutely gutted" by Tory Whanau's decision to not run for the mayoralty, but another councillor believes it is an opportunity for a fresh start. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona MacDonald, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Northern British Columbia Canada’s 2025 federal election will be remembered as a game-changer. Liberal Leader Mark Carney is projected to have pulled off a dramatic reversal of political fortunes after convincing voters he was ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Pawson, Professor of Housing Research and Policy, and Associate Director, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Any doubts that Australia’s growing housing challenges would be a major focus of the federal election campaign have been dispelled over recent weeks. Both ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tegan Cohen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology Ti Wi / Unsplash Another election, another wave of unsolicited political texts. Over this campaign, our digital mailboxes have been stuffed with a slew of political appeals and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tegan Cohen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology Ti Wi / Unsplash Another election, another wave of unsolicited political texts. Over this campaign, our digital mailboxes have been stuffed with a slew of political appeals and ...
Queenstown resident Ben Hildred just spent 100 days doing more uphill cycling than almost anyone else could imagine. He talks to Shanti Mathias about its psychological impact. Ben Hildred swings his leg over his bike, parks it, orders a kombucha and sits down opposite me at Bespoke, a Queenstown cafe. ...
Queenstown resident Ben Hildred just spent 100 days doing more uphill cycling than almost anyone else could imagine. He talks to Shanti Mathias about its psychological impact. Ben Hildred swings his leg over his bike, parks it, orders a kombucha and sits down opposite me at Bespoke, a Queenstown cafe. ...
Lawyers for Wellington City Council say councillors were given multiple options, and deny staff pushed them towards demolishing the City to Sea Bridge. ...
Lawyers for Wellington City Council say councillors were given multiple options, and deny staff pushed them towards demolishing the City to Sea Bridge. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Crosby, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, Macquarie University The Oscars have entered the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Last week the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences explicitly said, for the first time, films using generative AI tools will not ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Crosby, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, Macquarie University The Oscars have entered the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Last week the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences explicitly said, for the first time, films using generative AI tools will not ...
$1.3bn in operating allowance isn’t enough to pay for cost pressures in health alone ($1.55bn). There is no money for cost pressures in education and other public services, or proposed defence spending. This is a Budget that will be built on cuts ...
Shane Jones says if the $2 million study proves it viable, it could turn Northland into a major power-exporting region and reduce prices nationally. ...
Shane Jones says if the $2 million study proves it viable, it could turn Northland into a major power-exporting region and reduce prices nationally. ...
Nicola Willis talks about ‘limited fiscal means’ forcing cuts to the operating allowance - well, she is the author of those, and it is a choice that she made.The PSA will strongly resist any further threats to the jobs of public service or health ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sue Hand, Professor Emeritus, Palaeontology, UNSW Sydney Mary_May/Shutterstock As the world’s only surviving egg-laying mammals, Australasia’s platypus and four echidna species are among the most extraordinary animals on Earth. They are also very different from each other. The platypus is well ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary Anne Kenny, Associate Professor, School of Law, Murdoch University When refugees flee their home country due to war, violence, conflict or persecution, they are often forced to leave behind their families. For more than 30,000 people who have sought asylum in ...
After nearly a decade of let’s-and-let’s-not, Wellington City Council has officially commenced work on the Golden Mile upgrade. It’s hard to imagine why city dwellers wouldn’t want a better place to live, argues Lyric Waiwiri-Smith. The truck carrying a load of port-a-loos had stopped at the least opportune time. Idling ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Gillespie, Professor of Management; Chair in Trust, Melbourne Business School Matheus Bertelli/Pexels Have you ever used ChatGPT to draft a work email? Perhaps to summarise a report, research a topic or analyse data in a spreadsheet? If so, you certainly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Kirkland, Professor of Geochronology, Curtin University Stoer Head lighthouse, Scotland.William Gale/Shutterstock We’ve discovered that a meteorite struck northwest Scotland 1 billion years ago, 200 million years later than previously thought. Our results are published today in the journal Geology. This ...
Poor performance reporting, difficulty tracing what government spending actually achieves and the erosion of trust in the public sector have been key concerns of outgoing Auditor-General John Ryan. ...
New Zealand is now running the worst primary deficit of any advanced economy, and government debt has exploded from $59 billion in 2017 to a projected $192 billion this year. Every dollar of new spending needs to be matched by savings — not a ...
Disruption during a traditional Welcome to Country at Melbourne’s Anzac Day dawn service has revealed the grim state of race relations across the ditch, writes Ātea editor Liam Rātana.It was 5.30am on Anzac Day. The sky was still dark, but 50,000 people had gathered at the Shrine of Remembrance ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena Wajrak, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, Edith Cowan University Arsenic is a nasty poison that once reigned as the ultimate weapon of deception. In the 18th century, it was the poison of choice for those wanting to kill their enemies and spouses, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Singh, Research Fellow, Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia SarahMcEwan/Shutterstock If you’ve ever tried to build a new habit – whether that’s exercising more, eating healthier, or going to bed earlier – you may have heard the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Hegedus, Associate Professor, Griffith Film School, Griffith University Shutterstock The Australian screen industry is often associated with fun, creativity and perhaps even glamour. But our new Pressure Point Report reveals a more troubling reality: a pervasive mental health crisis, which ...
Apologies for lateness …
Standing Rock, now they blowing arms off. PLEASE be warned, the photo is very stark.
Why on earth doesn’t President Obama intervene in this ongoing disaster?
You have to be joking. Trump has shares in the disaster and is looking forward to profiting from it. Why blame Obama?
Actually disagree mickysavage, there is a court ruling that pipe line should stop. They have not and are carrying on. Also many of these police are crossing state lines. So Obama could call a halt to this at any time, leaving aside that it is currently passing through federal land, it being military land.
No wait, lets not, Obama also has the power to stop it, as commander and chief.
Im responding to the suggestion that it is all Obama’s fault. I don’t understand the intricacies of what is happening so maybe he should make a stand. I was responding to the implication that Obama is wrong but Trump will fix it. If Obama is on a rocky road to hell over this Trump is sitting down there with a devil suit on and holding a trident …
Fair enough mickysavage.
I think Obama did good original reaching out to native Americans, but this is more of the same old, same old from the US establishment. It also he has the ability to not only up hold the law, but to intervene via some many avenues -that is frustrating.
Also with the escalating violence from the police, it is a worry someone has not said stop! I also blame Jack Dalrymple a lot, a hell of a lot actually.
Obama spent his whole first term figuring that republicans won’t give him nothing, reps even went as far as not producing a budget, Obama said he’d close gettmo-fail, recall troops- pass, financial reform – fail, jobs growth- pass, so Obamas a 50/50 president. The only reason his D- is talked about, is because it’s so much better than the F under Bush
Why blame Obama?
Maybe because this lawless, dangerous mess developed, is ongoing and is escalating under his watch as POTUS?
Nope it started years before. He should not be blamed for stuff that has been happening for years …
Remind me MS how many years has Barrack Obama been POTUS? Since 2009, right? How many years does Obama need to act?
Don’t give Obama a pass on this long standing festering mess for tribal political reasons.
Come on CV, mickysavage is right. This sort of rubbish has been going on for years, and years. No matter what political party has power.
The US would be a radically different place if Obama hadn’t have been cut off at the knees by republicans blocking his every move in congress and the senate.
For all the talk about the system failing and people being fed up with stale politics, their lives wouldn’t have been half as bad if they hadn’t voted in tea party, hardliner right wing governors and senators.
Finally a modicum of sense from swift Peter.
It’s always good common sense stuff from me, it’s just you’ve finally found something you can agree with publicly, without fear of getting gang banged by the bigger kids .
So well done, for that, at least. lol
Blaming the voters? That’s a winning strategy in a democratic system.
Face facts. Obama has left the Democratic Party in total disarray, at its weakest state in terms of elected legislators since the 1920s, right from the state level through to federal government.
The Republicans now control something like 68 of the country’s 99 state legislatures, and have total control of something like 26 states (state house, state senate and Governor). The Democrats have control of just 7 states.
And in just two months, liberals are also going to lose control of the Supreme Court.
Absolute Democratic led disaster.
It’s not blaming the voters, it’s holding them accountable to how they voted, and yeah, they did bad, and that’s the only fact worth knowing.
You spout on how the republicans control this and that, which absolutely supports my claim the voters got what they voted for. They, like you, don’t want to admit their part in the mess they’re in, especially when they have a lame duck scapegoat at the ready, as is the way with the modern world.
Why take responsibility when you can blame someone else? 🙄
US voters sh1t lives – Absolutely of their own making.
At least with the republicans controlling the holy trinity, you won’t be able to spin/shill your agenda in 4 years time. Blessings wherever you find ’em lol
The political class and commentariat are going to hold the voters accountable???
How fucking moronic and inverted.
Cluetip – that’s not how a democracy works, that’s how technocratic totalitarianism works.
It’s all about personal responsibility, comrade, not a student union sponsored slogan contest.
Only a modicum of sense, big boy. The Republicans were responsible for only some of what Obama didn’t do. Most if it was for the same reasons Hillary Clinton lost the election. Creative writing course or not, you really are illiterate. Learn to fucking read.
But I haven’t seen you advocating any “personal responsibility” for the shitty out of touch constantly losing coastal elite focussed Democratic Party leadership team.
I’m as illiterate as you are a great thinker. lol
“But I haven’t seen you advocating any “personal responsibility” for the shitty out of touch constantly losing coastal elite focused Democratic Party leadership team.”
Yep, and Vivian is a total bastard. Right on, Rick. 🙄
“But I haven’t seen you advocating any “personal responsibility” for the shitty out of touch constantly losing coastal elite focussed Democratic Party leadership team.”
Yep, and Vivian is a total bast*rd. Right on, Rick 🙄 lol
The great thinker who says Obama was one of the greatest leaders the US has ever had. Yeah, extra-judicial killings, corporate puppet. Shove one of your pathetic lols up your arse.
“The great thinker who says Obama was one of the greatest leaders the US has ever had. Yeah, extra-judicial killings, corporate puppet. Shove one of your pathetic lols up your arse.”
I wrote I can’t recall a president better than Obama, can you? Certainly not either Bush, or Clinton, not Reagan, Carter, nor Ford or Nixon.
Perhaps you could stop acting like a chided child and think about the implications of what you’re actually meaning when you write such guff.
But if you think any of those presidents were better than Obama, so be it, I’m not defeated by a difference of opinion. Just have the nads to go ahead and state it, in public, for all to see and laugh at. lol
“But I haven’t seen you advocating any “personal responsibility” for the shitty out of touch constantly losing coastal elite focussed Democratic Party leadership team.”
Yep, and Vivian is a total bast*rd. Right on, Rick. 🙄 lol
Obama oversaw the decimation of his party at every level of government. Most of his executive order legacy as President is going to be cancelled by the end of January and the guts of Obamacare put in the deep fryer by mid year.
Yes, a great President.
Meanwhile, here is Obama on the Fallon show saying that Trump will never ever be President.
And Vivian is still such a bast*rd. Thanks for that, Rick 🙄 lol
America would be much better off if it wasn’t for your right wing republicans in congress and the senate. Fact.
Blame the bogey man Obama, like you and US voters have been taught to, but that’s your limitation and your complex, not mine.
Hillary Clinton won a pathetic ~300 out of the more than 3,000 counties in the USA.
The Democratic establishment backed the ultimate status quo candidate in a change election year.
The Democrats are now at a 90 year low in terms of elected legislators and have effectively lost control of every single arm of the US government: executive, congress and judiciary.
And you’re still blaming the public as being the problem?
No wonder the Dems got reamed.
“The US would be a radically different place…..”
“…their lives wouldn’t be half as bad if they hadn’t. …”
Speculation is rife, but that’s all it is…
Speculation!
And it would, on both counts, chump 🙄
Go play your arse lick games with people who have the patience and tolerance for misinformed halfwits and the slogan driven enlightened.
Spare me the inner guilt of having to dismiss you as yet another afflicted inconsequential nothing.
That’s harsh, but you won’t get it anyway, so all good. 🙂
Yep the destruction of indigenous rights is a long term project. Just as here we can look at most political parties being implicated in the loss of rights so it is in the US. It is incorrect to blame an individual for the issue. We can say that any fixes have fallen short and responsibility there is obvious.
Indigenous rights activists know this and fight on here there and everywhere.
Indeed why has he not? And why has your boy not said anything?
Mean while, behind the muck, Elon is slowly taking over the world. 1.4 MEGAWATTS! Baby, read and weep, be a winner, not a loser
Edit: link; http://www.teslarati.com/tesla-powering-entire-island-solar-panels-batteries/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=elonquotes
Complete edit:
Great link Clump_AKA Sam, well worth the read.
Wonder how long we can keep talking in edit mode
forever
and 9 minutes
🙂
The US Constitution is clear on this point. While Trump is the President-Elect, there is only one President of the United States in office. And that is Barrack Obama.
Deafening silence from your so called champion of working people.
So CV what will Trump do? Will it be reason for the left to rejoice?
Dunno. We’ll have to see.
But my guess is that no, there won’t be much reason for the “left” (does this grouping actually exist? Many commentators here tell me there is no such grouping) to rejoice in his handling of this mess which has been left over for Trump to handle by a timid procrastinating lawlessness tolerating Barrack Obama.
1) repatriat 5 trillion corporate cash, 2) disband NATO, 3) close half all US forign military bases, 4) golf.
Europe is already preparing for a NATO withdrawal, corporate cash is already flowing back into the US.
Making America Great agin is all academic at this point
– 5 year ban on people leaving his administration and then working as corporate lobbyists
– burying the TPP
– a trillion bucks worth of infrastructure spend with support from both sides of the House.
Not sure if the Left will cheer or cry about the TPP, might want to clear that up a bit
Might ask Andrew Little, he seems to think that TPP is not too bad.
Shh, I think that’s Trump on the line, wants to know where all the factories are
If Trump has any chance of making America great again he has to drop a trillion a year in unfunded promises, US defence budget- 1 trillion, makes sense to start there
Although interestingly enough, Trump realises that he has a printing press. The world’s biggest, most powerful, most valuable printing press.
“Why on earth doesn’t President Obama intervene in this ongoing disaster ?”
Counterpunch
November 23, 2016
Buying Silence: Why So Many Democrats are Mute About Standing Rock
Thanks swordfish.
If you watched the video it actually asks that question. It also points out what the establishment are doing. It’s a one party state, with two parties.
NZ isn’t much better. National and Labour have essentially the same economic policies.
Agree with you there. Liberalism is a big house.
We have just moved into our tiny house. 2 adults and 9 and 2 year olds a dog and cat.
I really wondered how my head would cope. It is awesome. Think, if you are watching a movie then the rest of the big house is empty and unused but not for us. Mentally it is about being mindful and present. It may not be for everyone but imo it is future proofing the kids and us.
Sounds like an excellent set up. I cannot stand those ridiculous huge new 350m2 houses with 2 people living inside them.
Yeah times are changing and the old ways of thinking must change too ☺ imo of course.
Wonderful to hear, marty. I wish you and your whanau all the best in your marvelously modest home. Please keep us up to date with how your cosy life goes and flows.
Good on you, sounds like a fun project. Can I be nosy and ask the square metreage?
2.7 wide 7 m long 4.25 high. Like a bus without a motor sort of – road legal as in towable with vehicle. We do have a shed and another structure so the tiny house is the heart of the zone. it is new so that is nice.
That’s impressive, less than 21m ground floor space. Great that it’s portable too could be very handy.
I couldn’t live in that – it would drive me bonkers.
But have watched a few documentaries on tiny living and think it’s a fantastic idea for those who want to give it a crack.
I know some councils are a bit anti – but they need to get on board – there are a lot of people who this appeals to and it should be encouraged.
It’s a hell of a jump and commitment. But bloody good on you.
Hope it goes really well and you are happy there.
Good on you Marty Mars and family. Excellent initiative and showing another way…
All the best
Crikey.
Gutsy move there Marty.
I guess that being on wheels this will add you to the homeless figures ?
Got to be movable for regulations. Not homeless and we are doing it by choice but part of that is affordability.
Fantastic Marty. All the best to you and your whanau.
On ya Marty. I have been seriously thinking of a tiny house for a while but my beloved is not so keen …
Go small, easier to clean and heat. For me the clean bit is a big plus.
Plus added bonus, you get uncluttered, because you have to.
low ceilings and facing the sun in just the right way
You can have tesla power wall and panels installed for 14k, best to just save up 14k
Disclaimer: 30% of my investment portfolio is deployed in Tesla/Solar City/SpaceX or anything else Elon publicly trades
Yep had to downsize stuff considerably
It’s quite enjoyable in a way, once you move all the stuff to the op shop.
Cleaning 14 square metres as opposed to 140 square metres….no brainer!
A surprising number of families raising 3+ offspring in 10 x 2.3 metre buses…they make it work.
Onya marty mars.
Insurance Council lashes out against non-structural damage
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/86768554/insurance-council-lashes-out-against-nonstructural-damage
k…so why am i (or we) in moderation?
You probably have a login using the same “email”. There is a new security protocol that treats comments for emails with logins as being suspicious.
I will check
If I were to comment using a different email than my login one, would I stop going straight to moderation?
Yes. Or I could just send you a updated password. Whichever
Thanks lprent. I am now logged in, using the password you sent, and will see if my comment comes up immediately.
thanks…i probably do, can’t remember , i usually don’t “log in” though i have in an attempt to post past cpl days.
Nope. You aren’t in the users, and don’t match bans.
I’ll have to have a look over the weekend at the logs.
It is quite weird. You appear to sometimes get through and sometimes not.
Yup. All good.
“The safety of Wellingtonians should come before a $120 million film museum and $90 million set aside for the airport runway extension.”
Councillor Pannett agreed that funding for the reservoir should come before funding for the runway extension, putting her at odds with recently-elected mayor Justin Lester.
When contacted by Newshub, Mr Lester refused to comment other than to say the reservoir was a “priority”.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/new-wellington-reservoir-must-be-priority-after-quake—councillor-2016112221