Daily Review 27/07/2016

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1. Paul 1

   27 July 2016 at 8:01 pm

   Chris Hedges.
   Saying it as it is.
   Listen from 2:30 to 7:10, from 11:35 to 14:45, from 25:00 to 28:05 and from 29:15.

   We do not live in a functioning democracy and we have to stop pretending that we do.

   When you eviscerate privacy, you can’t use the word liberty. That is the relation between a master and a slave.

   You can’t build movements in a political system where money has replaced the vote.

   .
   • weka 1.1

     27 July 2016 at 8:12 pm

     so who is he saying to vote for?
     • Paul 1.1.1

       27 July 2016 at 8:47 pm

       Jill Stein.

       This is why I support Dr. Jill Stein, who is running to be the Green Party candidate for president after having won her party’s nomination in 2012. I support Stein because she understands that this is primarily about building a global movement, not about participating in an election. She, unlike Bernie Sanders, knows that this movement will never be realized within the Democratic Party or by paying deference to the power elites, the Israel lobby or the arms industry and the military establishment. She grasps that until we name and destroy the evil of militarism and imperialism, genuine social and political reform, indeed democracy, is impossible. She does not want to work within the corporate establishment. She wants to dismantle it. And all the pundits who tell us not to waste our vote miss the point. It is time to stop playing the game.

       http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/why_i_support_dr_jill_stein_for_president_20160221
       • weka 1.1.1.1

         27 July 2016 at 10:04 pm

         ta.
     • swordfish 1.1.2

       27 July 2016 at 8:58 pm

       Jill Stein

       And this is, of course, why I support Dr. Stein and the Green Party. We have to remember that 10 years ago, Syriza, which controls the Greek government, was polling at exactly the same spot that the Green Party is polling now—about 4 percent. We’ve got to break out of this idea that we can create systematic change within a particular election cycle. We’ve got to be willing to step out into the political wilderness, perhaps, for a decade.

       If I was American, I’d be voting for her too.

       Here’s Hedges on Trump and Clinton:

       Trump is this kind of grotesque figure. He’s like the used car salesman who rolls back the speedometer. But Hillary Clinton is like, you know, the managers of Goldman Sachs. They both engage in criminal activities that have—and Clinton’s record, like Trump, exposes this—that have preyed upon the most vulnerable within this country and are now destroying the middle class.
       • Colonial Viper 1.1.2.1

         27 July 2016 at 9:16 pm

         Thumbs up Chris Hedges. So pleased he finally got ordained, too.
       • Wayne 1.1.2.2

         27 July 2016 at 9:21 pm

         The US is not Greece. There has not been a viable third party in the US for over 150 years. What happens is that insurrectionaries channel through the two main parties – Trump and Sanders being the latest examples.
         In the right state, a heavily Green Democrat would get elected to Congress. After all the Vermonters elected Bernie to the Senate, and he was only affiliated to the Democrats.
         • Colonial Viper 1.1.2.2.1

           27 July 2016 at 9:39 pm

           If you are so keen on making the US more democratic, you could always back the Greens “ranked voting bill” for states in the general election.

           More proportional and all that stuff you know.
       • weka 1.1.2.3

         27 July 2016 at 10:09 pm

         I had thought I would vote for her unless the election was looking close (CV pointed out how that works within the US system). Today I’m much more fuck it, now’s the time to risk it all.
         • Macro 1.1.2.3.1

           28 July 2016 at 12:05 am

           Jill Stein offered to give up the candidacy for the Greens to Bernie a few weeks back. Regretfully he declined. I think he would have taken a raft of voters with him for the Green policies are very much the policies he has been espousing, and then we would have had a real contest. Now it is like some one commented here before – a choice between lung cancer and bowel cancer. 🙁
           Given the above choice I would vote for Jill Stein – no matter if it was close between lung and bowel cancer.
           • weka 1.1.2.3.1.1

             28 July 2016 at 12:19 am

             Her argument against the lesser evil vote is compelling. I’m a very pragmatic voter, and we don’t really have the same dilemma in NZ despite the whole lesser of evils thing. I think it’s the combination of her and the Bern movement, something exciting is happening that will impact beyond this election. That’s worth supporting over the pragmatics.
             • The Lone Haranguer …

               28 July 2016 at 9:26 am

               “I think it’s the combination of her and the Bern movement, something exciting is happening that will impact beyond this election.” (Weka)

               coulda
               woulda
               shoulda

               But Bernie sold out, so I think it aint gunna happen in Bernies lifetime at least. Hes chosen to be inside the tent “pissing out” when he should be outside the tent “pissing in”

               Bernie blew it. Sold out for the baubles of influence at the DNC instead of staying with his “movement”

               So the Bern movement need another hero. And quickly or they will wander off discouraged.
               • weka …

                 28 July 2016 at 12:14 pm

                 I’m not really that big a fan of heroes. I’m more interested in the broader dynamics at play. Sanders is a man, of a certain milieu. He’s actually a man of the establishment, he’s a career politician, who also has good politics and is a decent human being, but he’s still in the system. Expecting him to be radical and step outside of that doesn’t seem reasonable to me and I’m not convinced it would have been the most effective strategy either.

                 He is who he is, and given all the work he has done I think he’s entitled to make the decision as he sees fit. And then his supporters are entitled to do what they want too. It might work out better for him to stay with the DNC and for the Bust crew to do things they couldn’t if he was still leading them.

                 [-sigh- Ten minutes and counting. Released.]
                 • Bill …

                   28 July 2016 at 12:34 pm

                   I just think it’s a shame that Sanders didn’t sit back, allow Clinton to go on her preferred campaign platform and then (assuming she becomes president) use the movement as leverage in a bid to wrench on-going concessions over the longer term.

                   Sadly, in getting short term concessions, he’s killed the movement he was a figurehead of, and I’m pretty sure Clinton will, at the appropriate moments and as opportunity presents itself, quietly drop much of what Sanders thinks he successfully bargained for.
                   • weka …

                     28 July 2016 at 12:48 pm

                     I haven’t really followed his negotiations, but what you say sounds likely.

                     I don’t think the movement is killed as such. It’s a thing of its own beyond him, he’s just been the leader for this period of time. I think we will see it morph into something else now. It’s not going to go away (the bigger social change movements). I guess much will depend on who becomes pres.
                   • Bill …

                     28 July 2016 at 12:55 pm

                     I could be being overly-pessimistic, but I really think momentum will have been lost now – a bit like a breaking wave…or maybe more like a wave that has been broken.

                     And now we have to wait for the next one. (It won’t be unconnected to this one)
                   • weka …

                     28 July 2016 at 1:35 pm

                     True, although the tide might still be coming in 😉
           • Colonial Viper 1.1.2.3.1.2

             28 July 2016 at 12:20 am

             If you weren’t in a marginal or swing state you’d be quite safe to vote for Stein as your vote wouldn’t count one iota to the Presidential result.
             • Macro …

               28 July 2016 at 12:38 am

               Even if I was in a marginal electorate I would still not vote for either Trump or Clinton. I could not vote for something I do not believe in.
2. Paul 2

   27 July 2016 at 8:45 pm

   Can you believe this?
   ‘Hundreds of state and council homes north of Wellington up for sale’

   Uncaring, greedy…….

   Some tenants living in the hundreds of state and council homes north of Wellington that have been put on the market are worried about what the sale mean for their future.

   The Government and Horowhenua District Council have unveiled a plan to sell 364 houses across Horowhenua and Kapiti, including 151 Housing New Zealand homes in Levin, 21 in Foxton, 70 in Otaki and seven in Shannon.

   Almost all of the houses are occupied and their tenants are mostly elderly, single people or single parents.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/82526332/housing-new-zealand-council-plan-to-sell-hundreds-of-state-and-council-homes
   • Garibaldi 2.1

     27 July 2016 at 8:59 pm

     Perhaps Ray White Real Estate can sell them to the Chinese (of course they’re only doing it because ” if we don’t do it someone else will ” ). Great aspirational stuff for a brighter future. This has to be the worst government we have ever had.
3. adam 3

   27 July 2016 at 9:01 pm

   Bring on the GREEN NEW DEAL!!

   Jill Stein owns on FOX News
   • Colonial Viper 3.1

     27 July 2016 at 9:14 pm

     Love what this woman is doing
   • mauī 3.2

     27 July 2016 at 10:26 pm

     Hah, those fox anchors were terrible! Cartoon people.
   • weka 3.3

     27 July 2016 at 10:29 pm

     wow, she is very good there.
   • ianmac 3.4

     28 July 2016 at 9:10 am

     Jill Stein has a clarity that defeats the tired rhetoric of the professional politicians. Refreshing like a swim in a mountain stream. Can see why Burnie supporters would flock to Greens.
4. swordfish 4

   27 July 2016 at 9:11 pm

   Jeremy Corbyn will set up a fund to help people on low incomes become Labour MPs

   The candidate says the party needs to reflect the people it purports to represent better

   Jeremy Corbyn said Labour’s members of parliament needed to be drawn from people who were facing the brunt of government policy so that they would understand what was at stake.

   The diversity fund would help party members in the top 100 target seats from working class backgrounds with selection costs, which the Corbyn campaign says can amount to as much as £4,500.

   “If the party is to win back the five million predominantly working-class voters lost since 1997, then we must reflect those we seek to represent. It is not enough to be for working people – we have to be of working people as well,” the candidate argued.

   “Because if at the next election we as a party have hardly any candidates from the frontline of Tory cuts then it will be very hard to be heard by voters we need to win back …

   http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-will-set-up-a-fund-to-help-people-on-low-incomes-become-labour-mps-10468820.html
   • Colonial Viper 4.1

     27 July 2016 at 9:13 pm

     this man is just amazing.

     What business does he have being Leader of the Labour Party…
     • b waghorn 4.1.1

       28 July 2016 at 7:04 am

       I guess he decided he could make more of a difference from the inside , instead of leaving and attacking from the outside.
       • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.1

         28 July 2016 at 9:10 am

         The party membership are now seriously backing him to do so and the Blairites are finding that they don’t have any such support.
   • weka 4.2

     27 July 2016 at 10:31 pm

     that’s impressive.
   • ianmac 4.3

     28 July 2016 at 9:12 am

     Great idea there Burney. Hard to be convincing if from a privileged background.
5. Repateet 5

   27 July 2016 at 9:31 pm

   The women interviewing Stein should come to New Zealand. They could interview John Key and Steven Joyce. They would be really good at that. I look forward to Mike Hosking getting out from where he dwells to condemn Stein as being on another planet.

   Oh, and if those women were to turn up at our border, at least when asked if they had anything to declare they could fairly declare they didn’t have a brain between them.
6. Muttonbird 6

   27 July 2016 at 10:32 pm

   Here is the brighter future under the current government. Girls skip school because their families can’t afford tampons and pads. Awful situation for young people to be in yet the number of these sorts of stories are undoubtedly increasing under John Key’s government.

   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11682505

   This story, along with hundreds of others in the last few months around homelessness and the running down of social housing and CYF etc, highlight the major shift from public support to private donations in order to keep those struggling afloat.

   This was John Key’s 12 year plan, remember. To turn a once egalitarian NZ into the dog-eat-dog United States.

   Why do we want to be like the United States?
   • Rosemary McDonald 6.1

     27 July 2016 at 10:48 pm

     You beat me to it Muttonbird.

     FFS.

     We have a new measure for ‘poverty’.

     Perhaps there should be a “Special Bleeds Grant” available from WINZ?

     Off course it is not funny….

     I’ll just weep then.
     • Sabine 6.1.1

       28 July 2016 at 9:30 am

       and the sad thing, if the family receives a benefit it does not take into account the costs of female centric hygiene products. Well i guess they can always use toilet paper from the public loo as do so many homeless women and girls.

       some things just never change.
       • Rosemary McDonald 6.1.1.1

         28 July 2016 at 10:27 am

         “…some things just never change.”

         Yep, a giant leap backwards from a feminist perspective.

         How many women and girls are forced to ‘roll their own’?

         Not for them the ease of a clean, fit for purpose pre-packaged product. Unwrap and deploy, and get on with your day of educational achievement or career advancement. Not for them participation in sports without fear of embarrassment.

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