Open Mike 01/03/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 1st, 2018 - 189 comments
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189 comments on “Open Mike 01/03/2018 ”

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  1. Ed 1
    1 March 2018 at 6:31 am

    Not one headline in the NZ msm this morning about the crisis in the Arctic.
    Go back to sleep New Zealanders.
    It must be solved.

  2. AsleepWhileWalking 2
    1 March 2018 at 6:38 am

    We need to think about what this means for rape victims in the courts

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/101863902/sexual-harassment-is-a-legal-industry-norm-former-lawyer-says

    …and what it says when the government renews contracts to a law firm that obviously has a rape culture

    • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1
      1 March 2018 at 6:46 am

      As the article makes clear, the problem is industry-wide. Which other rape culture breeding ground should the government pick?

      • McFlock 2.1.1
        1 March 2018 at 2:56 pm

        The first one that makes a clear and honest attempt to sort its shit out, imo.

      • Cinny 2.1.2
        1 March 2018 at 4:39 pm

        The problem isn’t just industry wide, it’s nation wide. Already Miss 13 is being sexually harrassed at high school.

        Today she asked a male friend for a sip on his water bottle, he gave her the bottle, she gave it a shake (habit of hers) then had a drink, his friends then started making comments like, do you shake a dick like you shake that bottle… etc. She’s a number of admirers because she is attractive and she’s really over all the attention, only been at high school a month.

        Any ideas on how to deal with that?

        We had a big chat about sexual harrasment in the work place. But she’s a long way from joining the work force.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1.2.1
          1 March 2018 at 4:59 pm

          Any ideas on how to deal with that?

          Mace.

          Or how about “if it were yours I’d have to use tweezers”?

          The problem is, bullying/banter encourages more bullying/banter, and she probably doesn’t want to hear that either. There’s strength in numbers, and I expect she isn’t the only person who’s experienced such ‘banter’. She might find some of the boys have better ethics if encouraged, too.

          I can never figure out whether being in single-sex education until 17 was a good thing for me, but watching my own childrens’ experience of co-ed, it’s tempting to say so.

          • Cinny 2.1.2.1.1
            1 March 2018 at 5:10 pm

            am so hearing you OAB. Girls and boys hormones at the same ages are at such different stages.

            She was so taken back she didn’t say anything. Might ask if they teach about sexual harrasment etc in social studies. Got to educate the next generation, so we don’t have any more dodgy law firms and the likes.

            • weka 2.1.2.1.1.1
              1 March 2018 at 5:23 pm

              I think if it’s happening more than once talking to the school is a good idea. They should keep your names out of it too.

              Another options is find a good self-defence teacher (from one of the women’s networks), because not only do they teach what to do if one is attacked, but also how to set boundaries and have the confidence/strength to manage those other kinds of situations.

              I used to follow feminist blogs that talked about porn and the impact on women in relationships with men who were porn users. The comments section was pretty full on, so many stories of women in relationships with men who were using porn and the problems from that, because of the kind of porn being watched rather than there being a problem with visual sex per se. I think this applies to young men too and it gets reinforced all over the place.

              The gist of it is that many young men are socialised into expectations around sex (including talking to girls) that are power based. This happens on lots of levels and in many situations. The dudes hassling your daughter know full well that it affects her, that’s why they’re doing it. It’s on the school and society to wake them up about that, but the sooner young women get the skills to deal with that in ways that are safer for them the better.

          • weka 2.1.2.1.2
            1 March 2018 at 5:18 pm

            Single sex worked very well for me, just not having to deal with that shit. Didn’t even really have to deal with it that much out of school either, but that’s probably about the people I hung out with. I’m tempted to say it’s worse now.

            (edited)

          • McFlock 2.1.2.1.3
            1 March 2018 at 5:33 pm

            Comparing my sister’s experiences at school with her daughter’s at the same school, I’m amazed at the progress they made. I mean, the classmates were still teenagers, but the quantity and extent of dickishness was way down on the days my sister and I were there (myself included).

            And they seem to do a lot better at things like sex ed, even though it’s a religious school. My sister has a story about her teacher in the girl’s class poking her head out the door then giving the girls a proper rundown on condoms etc, on the understanding nobody said where they got the info. By the time of my niece, parents had to opportunity to recuse their kids but the school publicity said explicitly that it would not teach false or unsafe information.

            My sex ed was at a boys’ school being shown weird goat-head diagrams by someone who swore themselves to celibacy thirty years before (at least). It was not overly informative.

        • McFlock 2.1.2.2
          1 March 2018 at 5:08 pm

          My niece had the temperament to escalate out of it at school – if they wanted her to feel uncomfortable, they were going to feel scared. But that’s not for everyone – for it to work you need to be able to follow through. Dunno if she ever had to use any of the wee tricks a bouncer-at-the-time uncle taught her, though. Usually chatting about them to all her friends seemed to do the trick. And, in first aid class, volunteering to break someone’s leg when the teacher asked for someone to be the patient. I got a bit of stick for that one.

          Their reward is the embarrasment they cause. This gives them power, which gives them status because they can say such things, get a reaction and get away with it. So the way to minimise that behaviour is to remove the reward, or flip it back if you have the temperament. If you don’t want to flip it back, Bushido the hell out of it, hide the reaction, never let them see you bleed.

          For the teens with infatuations and if contact is unavoidable, one thing that might work is find something they love and consistently screw it up. If they love Monty Python,say how good Adam Sandler was in it. If they’re into the marvel universe, let him overhear how you couldn’t understand why thor had a glowing thing on his chest. Be a fan of the cricketer the guy hates. Anything to get the nerdside to overpower his hormones so he moves on to someone else.

          And if he starts stalking, document it and tell the school.

    • Antoine 2.2
      1 March 2018 at 6:48 am

      Is there actually provision in Govt procurement policies to refuse to hire a firm that has a bad reputation/character?

      A.

      • Pat 2.2.1
        1 March 2018 at 7:03 am

        Interview with Shane Jones yesterday (RNZ) suggested there is a good character test…overlooked by officials apparently.

        • alwyn 2.2.1.1
          1 March 2018 at 10:24 am

          I find it rather amusing that they can interview the porn king Shane Jones about good character tests.
          They obviously don’t apply to Cabinet Ministers.

          • patricia bremner 2.2.1.1.1
            1 March 2018 at 10:39 am

            Alwyn You are talking about “good character”??? LOL LOL

            • alwyn 2.2.1.1.1.1
              1 March 2018 at 11:13 am

              People of “good character” really do exist.
              If you inhabit the more lefty political circles you aren’t likely to run into very many of course.
              The pick of politicians, for good character, in New Zealand this century was probably David Shearer. The Labour Party of course crucified him and switched to that popinjay Cunliffe.
              With Shearer in the leader’s job I would have gladly voted Labour at the last election.

              • patricia bremner …
                1 March 2018 at 3:17 pm

                The man of good character who badmouthed bene’s !!
                Real top drawer character.
                Yes Cunniliffe had personality problems, so did Shearer.

                Finding “good character ” among the candidates to lead National proved problematical. So the right are not angels.
                They chose the best of a poor lot. Cheers.

          • Pat 2.2.1.1.2
            1 March 2018 at 10:41 am

            you would have been rolling around the floor in hysterics when the Nats created an ambassadorial role for him then….

            https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/ambassador-pacific-economic-development-appointed

            • alwyn 2.2.1.1.2.1
              1 March 2018 at 10:50 am

              Not quite hysterics but I thought it was pretty stupid. I couldn’t see anything useful that he would accomplish and I think my opinion turned out to be correct. An expensive way to give a middle finger to the then Opposition parties.
              Jones is a lazy trougher.

              • Pat …
                1 March 2018 at 10:59 am

                I assume the same assessment re character tests was made of McCully’s (to name but one) various appointments as well….no?

                • alwyn …
                  1 March 2018 at 11:04 am

                  I don’t quite understand what you are talking about.
                  Jones was a McCully appointment wasn’t he? Obviously he didn’t care about getting the best person for the job if he appointed Jones to almost anything. Am I wrong. Was it someone else who gave Jones that job?
                  What is the point of your comment?

                  • Pat …
                    1 March 2018 at 11:11 am

                    “They obviously don’t apply to Cabinet Ministers.”

                    The character test applying to Ministers (or not) was your construct, I noted that in terms of the previous administration you have plenty to support your view….

                    • alwyn …
                      1 March 2018 at 11:27 am

                      Not at all.
                      You may not realise it but an Ambassador is not a Politician. They are Public Servants. They may have been politicians before, and politicians afterward but while an Ambassador, or High Commissioner they are meant to be apolitical.
                      A good character test probably does (or should) apply to the Public Servants. In Jones case there was clearly little attempt to check it.

                      Now it appears to be a black mark to have “good character”. If it was a requirement for a Politician it is very hard to see how the deputy-PM could be allowed near the House.
                      Of course the only person who applied the test to Winnie was John Key. As he said in 2008, before the election
                      “When Mr Key ruled not working with NZ First after the election, he said he would have to be able to look his colleagues in the eye and trust them. “

                  • Pat …
                    1 March 2018 at 11:33 am

                    what a load of irrelevant bollocks

      • DoublePlusGood 2.2.2
        1 March 2018 at 11:13 am

        It’s difficult enough just to get Government organisations to hire organisations that can actually do what they say they can do…

      • Antoine 2.2.3
        2 March 2018 at 3:41 am

        > Is there actually provision in Govt procurement policies to refuse to hire a firm that has a bad reputation/character?

        I looked it up.

        From https://www.procurement.govt.nz/procurement/principles-and-rules/government-rules-of-sourcing/approaching-the-market/reasons-to-exclude-a-supplier/:

        An agency may exclude a supplier from participating in a contract opportunity if there is a good reason for exclusion. Reasons for exclusion include:
        – bankruptcy, receivership or liquidation
        – making a false declaration
        – a serious performance issue in a previous contract
        – a conviction for a serious crime or offence
        – professional misconduct
        – an act or omission which adversely reflects on the commercial integrity of the supplier
        – failing to pay taxes, duties or other levies
        – a threat to national security or the confidentiality of sensitive government information
        – the supplier is a person or organisation designated as terrorists by New Zealand Police,

        An agency must not exclude a supplier before it has evidence supporting the reason for the exclusion.

        I actually think the Govt would struggle to nail Russel McVeagh on those counts. In the absence of any convictions, what have you got left, “professional misconduct”, but does that apply to bad behaviour by staff members “off the clock”, I’m not a lawyer or an HR person but I wouldn’t have thought it did.

        A.

    • Ed 2.3
      1 March 2018 at 7:24 am

      “The power balance is skewed – the normal scenario involves a powerful male partner and a young female intern or solicitor. The partner holds all the power. He literally holds the young woman’s whole future career in his hands.

      1. Investigate, prosecute, try and sentence.

      2. Change the law.
      Close down legal firms who flout it.
      Years of community service for those found guilty, as well as the appropriation of all their assets.

      3. Make 50% of all partners women.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 2.3.1
        1 March 2018 at 8:51 am

        Meanwhile, on Earth, there may some practical steps the government can take. Like making sure officials properly apply the good character test.

      • solkta 2.3.2
        1 March 2018 at 8:56 am

        4. Nationalise all law firms.

        • Stunned Mullet 2.3.2.1
          1 March 2018 at 9:21 am

          😆 or 🙄 if it wasn’t sarcasm.

        • mac1 2.3.2.2
          1 March 2018 at 10:23 am

          They certainly Act (Seymour’s =T-shirt) like they’ve been Nationalised (hair-pulling, bullying, illegally surveilling).

          Certainly not socialised……..

    • Keepcalmcarryon 2.4
      1 March 2018 at 12:40 pm

      Could be a long search looking for a lawyer of good character ( although I’m sure the odd one lurks here abouts) let alone a whole firm of them.
      Another option is to make their professional body discipline their members in line with what society expects.
      I’m holding my breath.

  3. Bill Drees 3
    1 March 2018 at 7:04 am

    Brexit time! The exit date is only a year away and the Tory Party is still flailing like a demented windmill. The lasted tactic is to threaten to throw the Good Friday Agreement in to the bin of broken English commitments.

    Remember before Christmas when they agreed and signed the report on the exit: divorce bill, EU citizen rights in UK and the regulatory alignment of both sides of Ireland. That is now published in a legal form and the Tories/DUP have gone ballistic.
    I’ve just listened to BBC 4 news and its coverage and questioning is below its ususal low quaility. Hence RNZ’s coverage will probably be equally poor.

    To get up to speed on the Irish border issue have a look at Fintan O’Toole’s recent piece in the Guardian.

    “….you can have a hard Brexit or you can have the Belfast Agreement but you can’t have both. And it is increasingly clear which choice they want Britain to make: throw the dead weight of the peace process overboard so that the Brexit balloon may soar into the blue skies of its triumphant future.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/25/brexit-vision-england-perfidy-over-ireland-good-friday-agreemnt

  4. chris73 4
    1 March 2018 at 7:11 am

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/101869326/winston-peters-drops-national-party-lawsuit

    If this is correct it means that the damage was already done so why bother continuing it

    • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1
      1 March 2018 at 8:54 am

      It isn’t correct.

      • alwyn 4.1.1
        1 March 2018 at 10:28 am

        I would be willing to bet that no further proceedings are ever commenced. Winston will never admit he has dropped it and he, and his lawyer, will continue to claim that they are still preparing a claim but it will never appear on any actual Court proceedings.

    • Keepcalmcarryon 4.2
      1 March 2018 at 12:43 pm

      Fake news in a right wing rag to weaken Peters, seized on by the usual suspects.
      Surprise all round.

  5. eco maori 5
    1 March 2018 at 7:26 am

    Am show OUR rate of suicide rate is directly connected to the suppression of a minority culture.
    Te tangata need to feel proud positive and loved most of all.
    A system that advertise all the bad stats on Maori the main MSM that we see positive articles about Maori is Te Karere I will support Maori news that’s why I’m getting Sky I can watch Te Karere on channel 501 one hour later .
    Our mokos need to feel and be treated as equals with all other cultures in Aotearoa they need 2 parent family not one. The moves the Labour government is making know will raise Maori Mana and lower the bad stats on Maori.
    Ka kite ano

  6. Psycho Milt 6
    1 March 2018 at 7:39 am

    How a small town reclaimed its grid and sparked a community revolution

    In which the Germans gift us the term Rekommunalisierung, the returning of privatised assets to community ownership. I did enjoy this bit:

    He ponders all the failures of British privatisation – with a special, sad mention of “your rail system”. (Every German I meet uses the same regretful tone about British trains, as if discussing a child with behavioural problems.)

    You could swap out “British” for “NZ” with no loss of accuracy (well, other than that I doubt Germans ever talk about NZ’s trains, regretfully or otherwise).

    • Sabine 6.1
      1 March 2018 at 8:05 am

      oh we do talk about NZ missing trains, regretfully in general.

      AS it would be lovely, like seriously lovely to not have to drive on NZ roads but rather use the trains to go about.

      And for what its worth NZ trains situation reminds me of Germany in the early to mid 80’s when our then conservatives overlords under Helmut Kohl and the CDU/CSU thought that everyone wanted a car and thus lets close train lines up and down the country. This in the end did not go well, and the train lines were opened again, services were restored to many low population areas and ‘gasp’ a generous tax write off was offered to people to commute by train rather then use their own car.
      Now Germany has high speed trains, work/sleep trains, the ‘weekend ticket’, discounts for elderlies and students, work tickets that can be bought for the full year (tax write off……) and why would the Germans do that? …..Cause frankly they had a choice to make, either pave over the last bits of green to create more roads or try to get people to use other alternatives.

      Sadly in NZ, we don’t have the choice, we don’t get tax write offs for Bus/Train tickets, heck we can’t even get the busses to be on time, and thus if we want to get there we all drive there in our own Sardine Box.

      • Graeme 6.1.1
        1 March 2018 at 11:14 am

        Don’t despair too much Sabine, there are some good things happening around the country. And in surprising places.

        Queenstown got a new bus service late last year. Funded 3 ways by ORC, NZTA and QLDC. $2.00 flat fare with a card and after 3 months usage is running ahead of projections.

        http://queenstownlife.com/2017/11/orbus-queenstown-and-the-2-fare/

        But. It only happened because TINA. Projections of traffic volumes said we stop in 5 to 7 years, and the cost of providing parking in Queenstown CBD was stratospheric. Roading upgrade options also didn’t exist. So we got a sometimes shinny new bus service. Only sometimes shinny at present because it was put together in a few months by Ritchies out of whatever busses they could find. But they’re getting it together and it’s being used.

        Medium term plans (5 years) are for park and ride facilities and fleet upgrades, 10 years has an electric and right sized fleet and frequency improvements. The free word is even getting a run, but not officially yet.

        • Sabine 6.1.1.1
          2 March 2018 at 4:49 pm

          i am sure the tourists in Queenstown will rejoice re the cheap tickets. 🙂

          • Graeme 6.1.1.1.1
            2 March 2018 at 11:03 pm

            It’s mostly local workers that are using it, but the airport is on one of the routes so it’s taking a bit of traffic to/from there, but the airport and associated trade is a big employer too. Any car, taxi or shuttle van of the road and not using a car park is a win for the town.

            The biggest issue is finding drivers and somewhere for them to live. https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown/accommodating-drivers-biggest-bus-problem That’s an all over issue in town, there are far more jobs than both people who want them and accomodation. Even paying really good wages isn’t helping employers get or keep staff, when there’s nowhere to live, there’s nowhere to live, and attempts to build more just make it worse because the builders have to have somewhere to live first. The last government poured fuel onto an existing boom and just made everything worse. Won’t be long before it all comes to a shuddering halt when people are going broke left right and centre.

            Heard “Oh, they can’t sell their house, it’s not looking good for them” a couple of times lately so there’s people hurting with it getting hard to do things. Quite foreseeable but happens every cycle here.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 6.2
      1 March 2018 at 8:42 am

      Thanks for that PM. A blueprint.

    • Macro 6.3
      1 March 2018 at 4:25 pm

      How a small Isle off the coast of Scotland also reclaimed it’s grid, Island, community and land

      I visited Gigha (the home of my ancestors) last year. The dancing ladies (the 4 wind turbines that supply the Island and the national grid with electricity) can be seen as you approach the island from the the ferry. The Gardens of the Big Hoose were filled with rhodos and azaleas all in flower, and the local ice cream was almost as yummy as rush munros 🙂
      A large battery storage has also recently been added
      http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/environment/14742762.Gigha_s_wind_power_to_be_stored_under_UK_government_funded_trial/

      • greywarshark 6.3.1
        1 March 2018 at 7:24 pm

        These snippets of what awake communities are managing round the globe are fascinating and welcome info.

  7. eco maori 7
    1 March 2018 at 7:39 am

    There you go Duncan one minute you are wearing Red and the next day you put on your blue underwear lol well at least national will now serve te tangata the 99.9%,of Common people of Aotearoa under Simon Bridge gidence. Ka kite ano

    • Ed 7.1
      1 March 2018 at 7:42 am

      Garner is blue.
      Dark blue with a tinge of yellow.

    • Stunned mullet 7.2
      1 March 2018 at 7:43 am

      Politicians serve the interest of politicians first and foremost regardless of whether they’re black, brown, white or orange.

    • eco maori 7.3
      1 March 2018 at 7:53 am

      That’s positive Duncan I had that thought uterlising our churches and other community building to house OUR homeless people Ka pai.
      Yes it he tangata he tangata that counts the most in any society working to gather helping each other
      Ka kite ano

      • eco maori 7.3.1
        1 March 2018 at 8:06 am

        Duncan I Back the youth vote after all they are going to inherited the good and bad situation that we are leaving behind for them.
        And the governments won’t forget about OUR youth. compolsery voteing as well I say the intelligence youth know what the reality is with the Internet informing them.
        These people Saying the youth can not make up their minds.
        ECO MAORI Says the Adults can not make up there minds on climate changes reality that we are going to leave behind for the youth and there mokos come on Aotearoa MSM get it together report the truth lucky we have website like the standard to tell the truth about reality .
        Ana to kai Ka kite ano

  8. Sanctuary 8
    1 March 2018 at 9:57 am

    Why does the MSM think the toxic sewer of twitter is worth constantly mining for stories? Twitter is for retards and morons.

    For example – today there is a frontpage story on the Herald about people hating on J-Laws latest movie, featuring as it’s primary evidence a twitter post from an Australian nobody with less that 4000 followers who didn’t like the movie.

    The non-story then blandly notes “…The film has had positive reviews from some…” “Some” in this case including Variety and the San Francisco Chronicle…

    And the Herald thinks people will pay for access to this rubbish?

  9. The Chairman 9
    1 March 2018 at 10:30 am

    It has been suggested to me that it would be certain death for the Greens if they took a stand and pulled their backing of the Government over the TPP.

    However, wouldn’t it be certain death if they fail to utilize the platform their supporters gave them to take a genuine stand?

    Surely Green supporters will see their words mean little if they aren’t prepared to take a genuine stand or will their lip service be enough to appease them, thus maintain their support?

  10. Ed 10
    1 March 2018 at 10:54 am

    Barry Soper doesn’t like Simon Bridges.
    2 articles now slamming him.
    Which Nat was Soper supporting?

    Barry Soper: Simon Bridges’ rubbish first full day as National Party leader

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12004021

  13. greywarshark 13
    1 March 2018 at 11:09 am

    The world is warming, the poles are melting. Perhaps our voracious little businesspeople can help us make a profit on a falling market. The poles are melting, oh dear. Well pole vaulters will look for somewhere to land when they come down and seem to be choosing to come here.

    So let’s charge them an arm and a leg to come here. Stop being price takers and be price makers. We are selling ourselves too cheaply as we prostitute ourselves to the Great Devil Money. If the world’s wealthy are saying that people can go to hell, and they are leading the way, let’s make it hot for them.

    I reckon this is going to be the best idea and best written piece of news and comment today!

  14. Ad 14
    1 March 2018 at 11:29 am

    Hope Hicks, one of President Trump’s staunchest supporters from the campaign right through to being the key figure in communications, has simply walked out on him:

    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/

    Also her Deputy Comms Director is leaving.
    Still, pretty awesome career accelerant for a 29 year old.

    • Andre 14.1
      1 March 2018 at 11:44 am

      ” … awesome career accelerant …”

      Hmm, might leave that judgement until after Mueller’s investigation is done and dusted.

      • greywarshark 14.1.1
        1 March 2018 at 11:49 am

        She lost hope. I wonder what the killing point was?

        • joe90 14.1.1.1
          1 March 2018 at 12:01 pm

          Doing a deal?.

          Hicks’ resignation came a day after she testified before the House Intelligence Committee and said she had told white lies in the course of her duties, though there was no indication the two were connected. A source familiar with her thinking said she first seriously considered resigning in the wake of the scandal involving former senior aide Rob Porter, whose public defense Hicks helped craft while also dating him at the time.

          https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/28/politics/hope-hicks-white-house/index.html

      • Ad 14.1.2
        1 March 2018 at 12:14 pm

        In that town a Senate callup is no liability, it’s a qualification.

        She’s made the timing very cleverly.

        • Andre 14.1.2.1
          1 March 2018 at 12:50 pm

          Yeah, the way she reportedly stonewalled the senate probably is a badge of honour in some parts.

          But Mueller has powers the senate doesn’t and seems to be digging a lot deeper and may yet unearth something too stinky even for DC.

    • Andre 14.2
      1 March 2018 at 5:43 pm

      So who’s he got left in the WhiteHouse from before the election? Apart from family, that is. The only ones I can bring to mind are Kellyanne the Alien, Gollum Miller, and Mr. Magoo Sessions.

  15. eco maori 15
    1 March 2018 at 11:42 am

    He tangata I told you that people in powerful positions will try and undermine ECO MAORI Mana I can see it all over the media.
    They don’t want to admit that a common broke Ngti Porou Maori has the Mana Iv got. Not all the powerful people are in denial I know exactly who supports me now.
    The sandflys behave just like someone that Cat Williams the American comedian talks about in his latest video and that a fact. Ana to kai

    • eco maori 15.1
      1 March 2018 at 12:51 pm

      I say we have more important issues than young 16 year olds voting like climate change and getting more common people to vote compolsery voteing the sandflys will use anything to undermine me these people who are acting maliciously against ECO Maori will all have water blown in there face.
      Ana to kai

  16. ropata 16
    1 March 2018 at 1:28 pm

    Great piece by prolific historian of NZ and the Pacific, Scott Hamilton, with a worrying conclusion:

    Peter Thiel is looking for paradise in New Zealand. History is against him
    China is the world’s new superpower, and its steady expansion into the Pacific shows how capitalism and the state still march side by side. Chinese businesses now dominate the economies of Pacific countries like Tonga and Fiji. Chinese diplomats negotiate on these businesses’ behalf, and Beijing’s aid to Pacific nations is dependent on permission for Chinese capital to circulate there. Behind the businessmen and the diplomats looms the largest military in the world. It is China, and not a few eccentric Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, that today poses the real threat to the sovereignty of South Pacific nations.

    • ropata 16.1
      1 March 2018 at 1:30 pm

      Examples:

      2 Over the last fifteen years China has taken economic control of Tonga. The 2006 riot that destroyed downtown Nuku'alofa targeted many Chinese stores. China evacuated its citizens after the riot, but regained influence by loaning huge sums for the rebuild of Tonga's capital. pic.twitter.com/tHZjIEARUW— Scott Hamilton RTM (@SikotiHamiltonR) February 26, 2018

      4 Last year Tonga's PM Pohiva made the startling admission that his kingdom was under Chinese control. Recently Chinese officials summoned Pohiva to a meeting, & demanded he do something about anti-Cinese crimes. Pohiva deflected the demand, knowing how unpopular China is. pic.twitter.com/ZCnMWTe7xl— Scott Hamilton RTM (@SikotiHamiltonR) February 26, 2018

    • Ed 16.2
      1 March 2018 at 5:29 pm

      China is taking economic control of New Zealand, aided and abetted by Quisling politicians.
      You all should read Brady’s work.

  17. weka 17
    1 March 2018 at 1:51 pm

    Do you support the TPP SoD?

    (btw, there are two moderation notes for you to respond to in this thread).

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

    • Son of Don 17.1
      1 March 2018 at 2:11 pm

      TPP; Not sure. When I look at the long term economic benefits I am inclined to think its of marginal benefit (unlike the FTA with China that accounts for billions).

      Regarding your comments on moderation. I am an ex PSA delegate that previously has been a GP supporter. I view myself as centralist that will swing either left or right, depending on policy (FYI I did not vote in the last election).

      While you may not have the same view as me, I see incredible hypocrisy within the GP at present in which (to me) trading off principals seems almost a regular occurrence for what, being a ‘serf’ party to Labour?

      Like many, I am annoyed that environmental issues are being pushed to the margins when in fact they should be front and centre. Clearly I don’t agree with mixing social policy with environmental issues, as for hatred?, not my words. I have not referred to you as the Green Party, many comments here are aimed towards National so its no different.

      As for banning? let the debate flow. I read far worse comments from both sides on Kiwiblog and banning there is very rare. A ban is overturned in as much time as it takes to set up a new email or redirect a VPN.

      [1. in moderator mode, I don’t care about your politics, I care about your behaviour and the impact it will have on a thread (there are other issues re behaviour too, read the Policy). Throwing up an off topic, I hate the Greens comment, that is basically your feels, rather than making an actual political argument is a problem because it derails conversations and that style of commenting is very hard to debate with and more likely to end up in a flame war. Make the arguments, and I will argue back as an author or commenter, but am much less likely to get involved as a moderator.

      2. don’t tell us how to moderate or run this site. It’s a bannable offence. I’m happy to pass onto the sysop that you intend to try and bypass any ban if that is what you would like. It’s also quite hard to hide personal style, so if you disappear I will notice a new handle appearing that slags off the GP.

      3. Kiwiblog is a sewer because it doesn’t moderate and it actively and passively allows the development of prejudice and Dirty Politics. Authors at TS don’t. Again, read the Policy, it clearly states that the site is run for robust debate and to be inclusive by not allowing ‘tone or language that has the effect of excluding others”.

      4. You did talk to me as if I were the Green Party. You said “While you may despise my politics its ‘unfortunate” that the Greens have taken this stance. Lets be clear; it took the Green Party so long to get around the table because of the Clark era – it appears you are no more than a party of convenience for Labour.”

      Basically I’m seeing you not taking any notice of the moderation notes I have already made, so putting you in moderation for a while. All your comments will have to be released manually until further notice. My suggestion is that you take note here, because the pertinent bit in the Policy right now is the bit about wasting moderator time and there won’t be any more warnings. – weka]

      • tracey 17.1.1
        1 March 2018 at 3:07 pm

        I think you are confusing Greenpeace with the Green party. The later have never hidden its belief that people and the environment are side by side.

      • weka 17.1.2
        1 March 2018 at 3:34 pm

        last mod note for you.

  18. The Chairman 18
    1 March 2018 at 2:04 pm

    [deleted]

    [don’t take my comments out of context and without linking so people can see the context and the whole argument. I take it as a sign of bad faith to selectively quote in that way. I don’t have time for sorting through this, so have deleted your comment entirely – weka]

    • The Chairman 18.1
      1 March 2018 at 4:07 pm

      Shame on you for silencing a counter view.

      And I dispute your black writing accusation.

      [you don’t dispute though, you just assert. I just double checked and you took two verbatim statements of mine from another thread, selectively quoted, and didn’t link to them to provide context.

      1 month ban for wasting moderator time – weka]

  19. weka 19
    1 March 2018 at 2:27 pm

    Guns, Americans and a religious cult, what could possible go wrong,

    https://apnews.com/34e81927d36f4c01b6d2527771d447c6

  20. Puckish Rogue 20
    1 March 2018 at 4:02 pm

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/101857808/axed-private-school-scholarships-made-the-impossible-possible–solo-mother

    “I’m really excited he’s going to St Paul’s on the Aspire scholarship,” O’Sullivan said. “But I’m really gutted that, because of dirty politics, the Government is pulling these scholarships from this boy and many like him. This is a poor show.”

    Someones gearing up for a run in politics which is good because hes someone every young kid could aspire to emulate

    • weka 20.1
      1 March 2018 at 4:06 pm

      where’s the dirty politics?

      • Puckish Rogue 20.1.1
        1 March 2018 at 4:11 pm

        Its less about what I think is dirty politics and more about it looking like Lance is making some quite political statements to begin his entrance into politics, in my always humble opinion

        Personally speaking though I don’t think its dirty politics, its a short sighted, ideologically driven dumb decision but its not dirty politics as far as I can see

        • weka 20.1.1.1
          1 March 2018 at 4:19 pm

          The guy’s a political idiot and strikes me as authoritarian. Let’s hope that’s an example of his stupid rather than him deliberately using a misleading statement for political purposes.

          • Puckish Rogue 20.1.1.1.1
            1 March 2018 at 4:27 pm

            Maybe he has more information about this but more importantly he has the potential to be a major force in politics

            • weka 20.1.1.1.1.1
              1 March 2018 at 4:32 pm

              I doubt it. The guy’s a numpty. People love him over his stance against anti-vaxxers, but lefties are going to get a wake up call. I picked the authoritarian stuff from his interviews on vaccination.

              • One Anonymous Bloke …
                1 March 2018 at 5:28 pm

                Sheltered life, if you ask me. Catholic boarding school, elite education, probably believes he worked hard to get where he is.

                • chris73 …
                  1 March 2018 at 5:37 pm

                  Well thats one way of looking at it I guess

                  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_O%27Sullivan_(doctor)

                  O’Sullivan and his wife, Tracy, set up the low-cost health clinic “Te Kohanga Whakaora” (The Nest of Wellness) to make basic healthcare accessible for people in the Far North. He has stated: “I see people on a daily basis who can’t afford to see me, who can’t afford to pay for their medications. We have emergency prescription funds donated to our clinic from New Zealanders around the country who heard about us”. O’Sullivan also set up the “Manawa Ora Korokoro Ora (Moko) programme”, Northland’s first full-time, school-based health clinic, providing medical care to 2000 children across the region, as well as the “Kainga Ora (Well Home) initiative”, which promotes the idea of fixing rundown homes, as he believes that wellness begins in safe warm homes.

                • McFlock …
                  1 March 2018 at 5:45 pm

                  Bit harsh.

                  There’s a bit of Gareth Morgan syndrome in there, but it’s more that he went to a good school so removal of that scholarship denies others his advantage. A reverse-Bennett. Thing is, the only reason private schools might be better is because the public system has been underfunded and abused.

                  He might go into politics, in which case he might be a nat, but I suspect he’s more NZ1 flavour.

                  He’s bloody right on antivaxxers, though.

                  • weka …
                    1 March 2018 at 5:50 pm

                    Last year he was saying he wanted to be the sole leader of the Māori Party.

                    Some of the anti-vaxxer interviews he did were a red flag. He had difficulty separating out his emotional overload from his facts and he said some stupid shitty things about the anti-vaxxers that made him look off balance. I’m sure you will say there is nothing wrong with saying stupid shitty things about anti-vaxxers, but it was still a bad look for a GP, and for a politician.

                    • chris73 …
                      1 March 2018 at 5:54 pm

                      Yeah maybe its not a good look but from his pov hes probably seen what actually happens to kids when not vaccinated so he probably does take it a bit personally and isn’t it sometimes good to see politicians with a bit of passion?

                    • Andre …
                      1 March 2018 at 5:55 pm

                      What kinds of things did he say about anti-vaxxers that you think were stupid and shitty?

                    • McFlock …
                      1 March 2018 at 6:01 pm

                      Yeah, and if he wasn’t emotional about it, he’d be a bloody sociopath.

                      Before we criticise him for saying shitty things, maybe we should ask how many kids he’s held in his hands when they were in dire straits from an easily preventable condition.

                      It might be a shitty thing to say that antivaxxers kill kids, but it’s true. And for all we know, he could well be thinking of specific kids he met and bonded with before they died.

                      Maybe he didn’t mean to get emotional, but in the moment, facing those people? Yeah, nah.

                      On a lighter note, the MP thing sounds plausible, but I suspect he’d expect them to do better than a poorly-understood funding monolith if they get back in.

                    • weka …
                      1 March 2018 at 6:24 pm

                      nah, you misunderstand McFlock, and I didn’t say there was anything wrong with him being emotional. And he wasn’t in the moment, facing those people, he was in prepared radio interviews.

                      I watched where he went when he couldn’t handle his emotional state. That he was critical of anti-vaxxers wasn’t a problem. That he got disjointed and nasty in public made me think there are some issues there.

                      Like I said, I think he’s authoritarian (hence his position that he would lead the MP if *he can be the sole leader), and someone like that losing sight of the factual basis of his argument is not a good mix in a politician. If someone did that on TS they’d get slammed. You can excuse it because you support the anti-anti-vaxxer cause, but I’m less interested in that than in the dynamics that I saw.

                    • McFlock …
                      1 March 2018 at 6:34 pm

                      ok, the MP thing, fair enough. Like I said, a bit gareth morgany.

                      But a pediatrician getting vicious about anti-vaxxers is still understandable, no matter the medium. A “prepared radio interview” is still a largely impromptu deal where you don’t read off a script.

                    • weka …
                      1 March 2018 at 7:05 pm

                      I still don’t think you’ve understood my point, but maybe it’s ok for a pediatrician to get vicious on radio (I’m not sure about that). My comment was about him wanting to be a politician and lead a political party. It wasn’t Gareth Morgany, it was qualitatively different (although I see the same potential for divisive politics too).

                    • McFlock …
                      1 March 2018 at 7:10 pm

                      I guess without links i’ll call it a night on this one.

                    • weka …
                      1 March 2018 at 8:29 pm

                      fair enough, I can’t be bothered looking it up and it’s probably not that important. If he has issues I guess they will become apparent in time.

                  • Molly …
                    1 March 2018 at 10:50 pm

                    The Aspire scholarship is ballot allocated. Not provided for academic achievement or focus, but purely a hand pulling out a name from the proverbial hat of candidates.

                    The reason for this was that private schools were suffering from falling rolls. The Aspire scholarship was another public donation to the private school purses, all done under the name of “ashpiration”.

              • Molly …
                1 March 2018 at 10:47 pm

                Me too. Strikes me as an authoritarian that is chomping at the bit to get into power.

                • weka …
                  1 March 2018 at 10:52 pm

                  thanks Molly, good to hear someone else is seeing similar things. I’m guessing he won’t work well with others unless it’s to further his own agenda.

          • Muttonbird 20.1.1.1.2
            1 March 2018 at 6:12 pm

            I agree. If it’s the Nat version of the Maori Party he’s interested in then that mirrors his tendency toward elitism. Nothing wrong with wanting to help talented young kids from disadvantaged backgrounds but to select them in this way is pretty gross.

            The Maori Party was turfed out of government and parliament because of its focus on elitism and Iwi business concerns rather than the concerns of actual Maori. O’Sullivan seems to be cut from the same cloth and will make the same if not worse mistakes on this.

            Can’t understand how wedded he is to Nat/ACT processes while pretending to be a fighter for the disadvantaged. The two are mutually exclusive.

  21. Macro 21
    1 March 2018 at 4:52 pm

    So what was that nonsense about arming teachers?
    When will the US just bite the bullet and get rid of guns…
    not until the 12th of never.

    • chris73 21.1
      1 March 2018 at 5:12 pm

      Guns arn’t the issue, its how ‘murica treats the mentally ill is the problem. Responding to calls is the problem. Storage of weapons is the problem. Sharing information is the problem

      https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/27/us/parkland-shooter-cruz-sheriff-calls-invs/index.html

      • weka 21.1.1
        1 March 2018 at 5:16 pm

        you can never get all those things right, so in a country where you have people who are socialised into violence, taking their kill machine guns away is a smart move. No-one is suggesting that all guns in the US be destroyed.

        • chris73 21.1.1.1
          1 March 2018 at 5:32 pm

          When was the last time a machine gun was used to commit a mass killing in the usa? Yeah I know its pedantic but with an issue like this I think its important to be accurate especially given the hysteria that can happen

          Rather than remove rights (and the 2nd amendment means it wont happen anyway) I’d rather see existing laws enforced properly, information shared properly etc

          • Ed 21.1.1.1.1
            1 March 2018 at 5:36 pm

            OMG
            A gun toting Trump supporter.

          • weka 21.1.1.1.2
            1 March 2018 at 5:38 pm

            Sorry, I meant ‘kill machine’ guns, not kill ‘machine guns’. I’m talking about the rapid fire and reload weapons now routinely being used in the US to kill people. Basically domestic terrorism. Of course those weapons should be restricted.

            There was a meme going round recently that said something like “when my kid hits another child with a stick, I talk to the child about behaviour but I also take the stick away”. Not rocket science.

            • chris73 21.1.1.1.2.1
              1 March 2018 at 5:49 pm

              Personally speaking if the USA was to follow NZs gun laws they’d be doing a lot better but when it comes to firearms deaths its overwhelmingly pistol not rifle thats the problem and mental health/depression is a huge driver

              https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2014/crime-in-the-u.s.-2014/tables/table-20

              https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/upshot/gun-deaths-are-mostly-suicides.html

              • weka …
                1 March 2018 at 5:52 pm

                and when it comes to terrorism, it’s the rapid fire weapons that are the problem.

                You can try and frame it any way you want, anyone can uses stats to support their argument. But try looking at school shooting deaths.

                “mental health/depression is a huge driver”

                Symptom not a cause. The whole country has a mental health problem and that is only going to get worse.

                • chris73 …
                  1 March 2018 at 6:04 pm

                  How many warnings about this guy were ignored? How many mass shooters are, some form of, mentally ill?

                  Ignoring the issue is whats causing these tragedies

                  • joe90 …
                    1 March 2018 at 6:06 pm

                    The vast majority of mass shooters are men.

                    Ignoring the issue is whats causing these tragedies.

                  • Ed …
                    1 March 2018 at 6:15 pm

                    ‘Ignoring the issue is whats causing these tragedies.’

                    Read Johan Hari’s Lost Connections.
                    We are a social and cooperative species and we have lost the connections that give our lives meaning.
                    The issue that is causing these tragedies is called neoliberal capitalism, an ideology you shill for at every opportunity.

                    • chris73 …
                      1 March 2018 at 6:32 pm

                      You are an ass hat.

                      “The issue that is causing these tragedies is called neoliberal capitalism, an ideology you shill for at every opportunity.”

                      So whys it not happening in NZ, you know the country you think has been run on neo-liberal lines for the last thirty years, where you can buy AR15s and other former military semi-autos on a firearms licence

                  • KJT …
                    1 March 2018 at 6:45 pm

                    The vast majority of mass shooters were NOT mentally ill.
                    A great many school shooters, were bullied and ostracised, however. A sign of a sick society

                    Just as the vast majority of politicians in New Zealand who willingly keep children in poverty, are not, mentally ill.

                    We have all of the above in New Zealand, including fairly easy access to firearms. But we do not have the same problems with mass shootings.

                    • chris73 …
                      1 March 2018 at 6:48 pm

                      “The vast majority of mass shooters were NOT mentally ill.”

                      I’m sorry but, to me anyway, if you walk into a school or whatever and gun down as many people as you can then yeah theres something not right in your head

                    • McFlock …
                      1 March 2018 at 6:59 pm

                      the school shooter might just be a massive dickhead. Or someone in pain lashing out. But probably not mentally ill.

          • McFlock 21.1.1.1.3
            1 March 2018 at 5:53 pm

            No it’s not. When a “semi-auto” rifle has a stock that allows a rate of fire in the range of an automatic rifle, there is no distinction between the two.

            So, Las Vegas, in answer to your question.

            • chris73 21.1.1.1.3.1
              1 March 2018 at 6:02 pm

              If you google how to make a bump fire stock you get so many ways of how to get your hands on one its not funny so banning them won’t help (I don’t think they’re needed but thats not the point) but to me if someone wants to kill as many people as they can then something in their head is’t right.

              It might be depression, it might be anger it might be a lot of things I’d like to see the USA follow what NZ already does because banning AR15s won’t solve the issue in the USA

              • McFlock …
                1 March 2018 at 6:16 pm

                Oh bull.
                I can improvise a zip gun in NZ today. Could probably even make some very unsafe and probably corrosive ammunition to go with it. If it was legal, I probably would, just for the technical challenge and the fun.

                But I don’t. And most criminals don’t. Because as soon as it exists, it’s a liability.

                And maybe, if I wanted to do Very Bad Things, my homemade design will fail. Like any number of attempted bombers who pretty much just set a car on fire rather than getting a lethal bang.

                So making lethality-increasing adaptations illegal limits firearms damage in two ways:
                if someone stumbles across the adaptation before the Very Bad Thing, that’s grounds for arrest and intervention right there; and
                if the Very Bad Thing happens, unless the bad dude has the focus of Kaczynski then the home-rigged adaptation could well fail, slowing the killing.

          • joe90 21.1.1.1.4
            1 March 2018 at 5:54 pm

            Not a machine gun man killer can fire at close to 2 rounds/second.

            https://youtu.be/65AZWtAqf40?t=15s

      • Macro 21.1.2
        1 March 2018 at 6:03 pm

        Yeah right!
        Did you read the link?
        Are you telling me that they put the mentally ill in classrooms as teachers?
        Giving them guns is sure going to help then isn’t it.

      • Graeme 21.1.3
        1 March 2018 at 6:25 pm

        And what’s made them mentally ill in the Mom and apple pie society of the USA? Well probably the Mom and apple pie, and hyper competitive winner / looser society of the USA.

        Ed put up a link yesterday that nailed it, https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-28-02-2018/#comment-1455337

        “This is where gun violence comes from. It starts with the violent rearing of men—taught to be self-sufficient—followed by a stripping of their livelihood. Surround them with demagogues who will appeal to their base (worst) of instincts and it gets ugly. What we are witnessing is the psychic rupture of an entire population group of the United States losing their self-purpose. They have lost the narrative that has defined them.
        Within this narrative, if they are strong individuals they will succeed. What they are failing to notice is the structural violence perpetrated against them to ensure they don’t. Once this tension finally snaps in his brain, he does what he has been trained to do. Do the ultimate of individual violence. To lash out at the real problem: people, themselves, the otherwhere.”

        https://t.co/S1Rqx3Jav4?amp=1

        Also note that this style of gun violence (school shootings) is a US only phenomenon, you don’t see the mentally ill kids of Canada or Australia or especially NZ where we have plenty of semi-auto assault weapons. So what is it about the US that does this.

    • joe90 21.2
      1 March 2018 at 8:03 pm

      So what was that nonsense about arming teachers?

      Well, if you can’t trust a Teaparty Republican with a gun…..

      On Facebook, Davidson is a member of the “Teapublitarian Party” group, which says in its description, “If you want smaller government with less tax and regulation and all that then your tea party. If you believe in a representative republic and traditional values then you are republican. If you believe your personal rights and responsibilities begin where mine end and the minimal amount of government is still probably too much then your libertarian. If your a bit of all this then you are Teapublitarian. WELCOME HOME.”

      He also likes the NRA’s Institute for Legislative-Action page along with the Memorial Page for the Victims at Sandy Hook Elementary.

      On Twitter, he expressed support for “stand your ground” laws.

      https://heavy.com/news/2018/02/jesse-randall-randal-davidson-dalton-high-school-teacher-gun/

  22. Tony Veitch (not etc) 22
    1 March 2018 at 5:00 pm

    Just listened to Blinglish’s valedictory speech in the house.

    Two things stood out to me:

    1. He still hasn’t accepted MMP and the fact that National lost and

    2. He’s strongly in favour of ‘small’ government – the so-called allowing people ‘choices!’

    The man’s a model of hypocrisy.

    • Ed 22.1
      1 March 2018 at 5:34 pm

      Another neoliberal stooge bites the dust.
      Just happy he cannot do any more damage.

    • Anne 22.2
      1 March 2018 at 6:07 pm

      The man’s a model of hypocrisy.

      I don’t believe so TV etc.

      I also listened to Bill’s speech and I think I see where he gets his convictions. He is a born and bred country southerner where do-it-yourself stoicism is the basis of life. They are good people who believe that the kind of society they live in should be rolled out throughout the country but they don’t take into account the fact that large tracts of NZ – through no fault of their own – have neither the wherewithal or the financial certainty to make it work.

      In other words, the ‘one size fits all’ mentality is both impractical and unworkable.

      As for MMP. It’s 20 plus years since MMP was introduced and you’d think the Nats would have been able to get their heads around it by now but they haven’t. I put that down to their innate conservatism.

      • Tony Veitch (not etc) 22.2.1
        1 March 2018 at 6:33 pm

        He’s a hypocrite because he talked about navigating the way through the GFC while maintaining the welfare state, for which the govt had to borrow – no mention of the handout to the richest bludgers in the tax cuts and SCF.

        But perhaps I was expecting too much to hope he would be honest in his last speech to the house.

        • Anne 22.2.1.1
          1 March 2018 at 6:49 pm

          no mention of the handout to the richest bludgers in the tax cuts and SCF.

          True, very true. Mind you they were basically Key’s babies but English went along with it and put them into practice. Not a point in his favour.

  23. eco maori 23
    1 March 2018 at 8:01 pm

    Well I’m on the farm with my mokos my aroma will change in the morning lol.
    Had my eldest grandson today he was well behave well he gets his nanny and Papas undevdid care he loves it not having to line up with his other 4 sibling for mum and dad’s time.
    I got Sky booked for Monday. I remember when sky first started they had all the latest moves ect. I will carry on reading Ropata WahaWaha book it’s a awesome read then I will find more on my tepunas and read them I’m on a mission to learn all I can about OUR Tepuna and te tairawhiti history. Kia kaha Ka kite ano

  24. Jenny 24
    1 March 2018 at 9:36 pm

    Collective stupidity has engulfed the Liberal “anti-imperialist” Left.

    https://splinteredeye.wordpress.com/2018/02/28/the-permutations-of-assadism/

    • Ed 26.1
      1 March 2018 at 9:59 pm

      You’re back to believing CIA and Mossad propaganda again, Jenny.
      You did this at the time of Aleppo and the White Helmets, gas and all the rest was shown to be lies.
      And yet you fall for the Guardian’s propaganda again.

      https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g1VNQGsiP8M&itct=CAwQpDAYCiITCPiBq5ThytkCFRnSWAodopgOtTIHcmVsYXRlZEjkt-vkzvbL04QB

      • Ed 26.1.1
        1 March 2018 at 10:08 pm

        More journalists disputing the Western propaganda about Syria.

      • joe90 26.1.2
        1 March 2018 at 10:39 pm

        And while woke anti-imperialist citizen journalists save Syrians from a Western/CIA/Zionist plot, Syrian dissident Yassin al-Haj Saleh laments the rise of myopic fuckwits.

        //

        What did you expect from the left in its response to the Syrian revolution?

        It came to me as a shock, actually, that most of them have sided with Bashar al-Assad. I don’t expect much out of the international left, but I thought they would understand our situation and see us as a people who were struggling against a very despotic, very corrupt, and very sectarian regime. I thought they would see us and side with us. What I found, unfortunately, is that most people on the left know absolutely nothing about Syria. They know nothing of its history, political economy, or contemporary circumstances, and they don’t see us.

        https://theintercept.com/2016/10/26/syria-yassin-al-haj-saleh-interview/

        In view of the jihadist threat, the Assad regime enjoys the particular support of the Western European left. What do you think about the stance adopted by Western left-wingers towards the Syrian revolution?

        Al-Haj Saleh: I find it shocking that elements of the left in the west have sided with a brutal, corrupt and sectarian regime – a dictatorship which for half of a century has depended on the existence of a predatory class that exploits the impoverished and unprotected Syrian population, squeezing public resources dry while depositing billions in foreign banks. Many left-wingers in the west know that Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for thirty years. They know that he transformed Syria into a dynastic monarchy ruled by the Assad family. They also know that this is a grave breach of the very concept of republic. Why have they never spoken out about this?

        One problem is that all those who define themselves as anti-imperialists tend to identify our struggle as a regime change plan in the US sense, which naturally they reject. In the process they ignore Syria′s entire history, its society, political life and economy. At the same time, they feel encouraged to regard everything that happens in Syria in anti-imperialist terms, forgetting that regime change back in 2011 was our own initiative as Syrians! We were the ones who set out to overthrow the barbaric regime.

        https://en.qantara.de/content/interview-with-syrian-dissident-yassin-al-haj-saleh-the-wests-lamentable-myopia

        • Ed 26.1.2.1
          2 March 2018 at 5:39 am

          I listen to Pilger, Cockburn, Bartlett and other reputable independent journalists.

          • Stunned mullet 26.1.2.1.1
            2 March 2018 at 7:16 am

            You listen to whomever is in alignment with your own views and ignore everything else lest you require a wet nurse.

          • Jenny 26.1.2.1.2
            3 March 2018 at 5:13 am

            I think everyone should give Anita McNaught a look as well Ed.

            And not just because she is a New Zealander who we have come to know and trust.

            Though that is a big part of her identity.

            Anita McNaught, former Middle East correspondent for Al Jazeera, interviewed by Altug Akin Faculty of Communications IUE

            McNaught:

            If we are lucky enough to live for a another few decades, to give us the luxury of looking back over history. I think we will all agree that this was the most remarkable period in human history, where some remarkable things went wrong, and some remarkable things changed, and some remarkably good things happened. And a great deal of heat and light was expended. And at the end of it all, there was no oil left and everything changed again……

            There are rarely times in history where so much change happens is such an accelerated area of time, Where so many factors, cultural, religious, economic, converge in an area.

            But of course if you are an addict of history, then the Middle East defines Western civilisation as much as Middle Eastern and Near Eastern civilisations…….

            I do worry though, because all of us have had a thrilling stimulating and enlightening and profoundly moving time working in this region during this period. And I include Turkey in this……

            But there is always for me, and there has always been, and in this I am not sure whether I share this with Robert Fisk, because we have never discussed that, him and I.

            I worry that a lot of this is just a distraction. I worry at the end of the day if the biggest story isn’t climate change. In fact I know it is.

            However people may get gloomy about the future of the world when they look at movements like the Islamic State, and nihilistic suicide bombers, and economic decline and peak oil and all these other things. And I think, and Al Qaeda, and American military failures. And all the other ways we express disastrous political choices. I wonder still, if the big story all of us have missed, while being terribly excited about the Middle East, is the change in the global climate, and what that is going to mean for every human on this planet.

            And that we will look back from the luxury, if we have them, of those decades in the future and say, you know, that Al Qaeda business, that 9/11 business, took our minds off the real story, and the real story was climate change, which we can’t fight, which no army can be raised against, which no religious power can be invoked to stop. And which humanity now has to fight in a different sense.

            So, on one hand it has been fascinating, on the other I do worry if it has taken our minds of something much more important……

            Atil Atug:

            When you look back, which period, or which times, did you enjoy most?

            McNaught:

            OOHh. That’s so difficult. Each of the channels are so different, so different. And oddly enough, in the many ways that I feel that I have been professionally blessed in my life, I think I have been with the people I needed to be with at the precise time, that I needed to be with them..

            So, if I explain it this way, I think New Zealand was a brilliant country to train as a journalist in. Because it is such a practical place, it has such a lack of Hierarchy, with an emphasis and respect for craft skills. If you are going to be a trainee, it is one of the best places to be a trainee at because people don’t treat you with contempt, no one abuses your youth and inexperience, everyone wants to help you grow. It is a nurturing environment and it leaves you hungry and fit…..

            P.S. What a joy it is transcribing such a clear thinker and talker, compared say to trying to make sense of the garbled nonsense that comes from Donald Trump.

            Though I do wonder, with the news of Russell McVeigh, if things haven’t changed since those times.

            My personal dealings with Russel McVeigh from my time in the union movement informed me that they were the go to guys for employers when they wanted to do a bit of union busting. So it doesn’t surprise me that they have a predatory and abusive culture in house as well.

        • Jenny 26.1.2.2
          3 March 2018 at 3:19 am

          Plus 1

  27. Jenny 27
    3 March 2018 at 5:27 am

    More from Anita McNaught,

    (from when she was actively reporting from inside Syria, before it got too dangerous for here to go there personally at the risk her life and her film crew’s. The reasons why, she explains in the previous video at some length. Personally I would take Anita McNaught’s view point over embedded regime creatures like Vanessa Beeley et al. any day).

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2012/10/18/a-syrian-air-force-pilot-explains-why-he-bombed-civilians/?utm_term=.0b1a67ce2be3