http://www.anonews.co/anonymous-david-rockefeller/
Anonymous Message to David Rockefeller 31-12-2016.
Merry Christmas Mr. Rockefeller, this one has been long overdue. We’re proud to say we solved your riddle, and we wish to contact you before you die to share it and help you come to a peaceful understanding of our concerns coming from the people your handiwork is effecting.
Our members are specialists in technology, science, and communication; and the world order you are leading us into is a catastrophic, dire mistake. We represent the natural order, and there is a critical error in the format you’re building your entire foundation on which will stamp permanent negative effects in our biology, to be straightforward and brief.
We will patiently await your response; know that we come in peace and mean nothing but good will for humanity. Please reconsider everything before it is too late to reach you. http://www.anonews.co/anonymous-david-rockefeller/
Anonymous Message to David Rockefeller 31-12-2016.
2017 the year that hopefully heralds in a new deeper level of critical thinking for the progressive Left.
The year when we on the left fully realize that so called liberal news sources like the Guardian, The Washington Post are in fact some of most despicable enemies of progressive change.
2017 the year that people on the Left realize that if their political party still has any ties to the now debunked neo liberal, Laissez-faire free market economic ideological project that has been destroying the the left from the inside, then it is has come time to cut that cancer out, even if it is painful, it must be done to save the host.
2017 is the year we must come to understand that while this cancerous growth exists within the Left movement, that there will never be real change to the political and economic status quo.
The economic ideology of the free market cannot coexist with the ideology of a progressive left movement, that much has been made well and truly clear in 2016.
The economic ideology of the free market cannot coexist with the ideology of a progressive left movement, that much has been made well and truly clear in 2016.
Which simply shows how far from reality you are. A meld of the Douglas principles with some control of its excesses is the way of the future …the only way and moving to the left, further left,is just plain stupid. In anycase with Lange’s timidity/cup of tea we lost an essential part of the Douglas plan. leaving us with the salt without the sugar.
@jcuknz, No I think you are the one out of touch with reality pal.
“A meld of the Douglas principles with some control of its excesses is the way of the future”
Alan Greenspan one of the architects of your ideology admitted himself that humans didn’t respond and act as he thought they would, operating in a Laissez-faire free market environment….leading to the 2008 crash.
Did you just miss the part where the Americans just voted (or not voted against) in a fuckin’ crazy walkin’ talkin’ orange baboon rather than continue with your ideological project?
Did you miss that part where the citizens in the UK, in a fit of rage against your free market ideology said fuck you, and voted Brexit?
If you can’t see the writing on the wall,,, well, I guess we all see what we want to see, even if you just walked into the wall and got a blood nose.
Sorry clip above is a bit buggered, here is Greenspan admitting his ideological world view was wrong, all wrong…. watch or re watch this to give yourself a super boost into 2017… I love this one.
I reckon you’re reading a bit too much into how the fuckin crazy walkin talkin orange baboon is getting a seat in the Oval Office. Where he’ll be the biggest loser ever to occupy the chair, by 3 million votes. Because of a truly fucked up bizarre electoral system.
While there’s certainly a large element of “fuck you” to the status quo in the vote, it’s a massive stretch to suggest it’s a ringing endorsement to abandon capitalism, markets, and individual enterprise in favour of some (undetermined) socialism or communism.
And the people chose Clinton, dimwit. I know you don’t like her (you don’t have to bother telling me why, again), but close to 4 million more voted for her than for your guy.
Plus, the point above was about whether choosing an embodiment of rampant capitalism and classist privilege was actually an anti-capitalist gesture. If it was, it was a bloody stupid one.
Hey, it’ll probably SEEM like 16 years, but unless he rewrites the Constitution, Trump can only serve a max of 8 years (and I predict he won’t get that far).
I completely disagree, it was revealed for all to see, that in the US, Sanders showed that even in the face of active and at time shocking bias from all MSM, and as exposed in the leaks, serious undermining from the structures of his own party, that even with these handicaps, a real progressive socialist message got real traction, and I would also say the same is true in the UK re; Corbyn.
So yes while it is true that the neo liberal establishment, and it’s media wing would rather eat their own babies than have a real swing to a progressive left, citizens across the world have shown they are ready and want to listen to an alternative, and maybe even fight for a change.
The Left needs to answer that call for change quickly, or that space will be filled by the right….as in Trump.
I’m with you Adrian.
Until the left dumps Rogernomics it will not be unified.
Globalisation/ Free Market/Oneworld or whatever you call it ,is really just a race to the bottom for the vast majority, whilst lining the pockets of the unproductive / parasitic money lenders and power brokers ( and war mongers / military might).
We need fair trade not free trade.
Until the Standard gets rids of right wing shills, it will not be a place for the left to congregate.
I suggest a boycott of the worst shills starting today by all left wing commentators.
Hoping for the defeat of religious extremists in Syria – right wing?
Opposing the extreme right and undemocratic Ukrainian regime – right wing
Arguing for moves against the Saudi/ Israeli/US neo-con foreign policy – right wing?
Arguing for the reversal of all neoliberal policies in NZ and the building of a socialist, environmentalist government ( not a Labour version of neoliberalism) – right wing?
Making a case for the severity of the climate issue – right wing?
Left wing is NOT what the Labour Party has been since Douglas.
And that sums you up. Not left, doesn’t want spaces for the left to discuss stuff. No you are the well poisoner, the authoritarian, like the right wing hero’s you adore. The sooner you fuck off overseas to your right wing utopias, the better imo.
[edited] – B
[You know the deal with using real world names where people are using pseudonyms. And what’s with the ad hom nonsense yet again today? It’s boring marty. Please desist] – Bill
You got the nice discussion you wanted yesterday didn’t you Bill with your innocent wee post. Fuck you and this bullshit im not hanging with your crew. To everyone who cares about people – have an empowering year. To tat and his mates – i hope i never hear any of your bullshit ever again. Dont worry ill keep fighting scum like you till i drop dead.
marty i’m with you fully – i’ve watched quite a few spiral down into the trumpster world over the last year and for me TS is not a good place to visit any more
to be fair Paul most of your beef is if with more rationale and balanced lefties who are not Pilger or Rt glove puppets, stop picking on us poor rwnj
You can always start your own site where you and your fellow travellers can congregate, that is if 2 or 3 people can be called a congregation A possible domain names, Doom and Gloom, Assad Vlad and me , I don’t think I just hyper link. RT Glovepuppets ……..
You know – I’m with you there all the way Red.
I’m fed up to the back teeth with all this wonderful Assard, Amazing Putin, only RT tell it like it REALLY is, Fantastic Trump, poor Julian so misunderstood, and let’s all hate Obama, nonsense.
You’re missing out Red, the Doomstead Diner already exists, hosted by the egocentric RE and features the food stockpiling Norman Pagett, Steve Ludlum with an artistic view of the global economy and many other guests on the Collapse Cafe.
I don’t think getting rid of dissenting views is terribly helpful, despite how obnoxious and insufferable some of them can be. If anything, it’s a pertinent reminder of just what we’re opposing, and if you don’t know your enemy, you’re likely to be outmaneuvered more often than not. Sure, there are shills and yes-men, and pious members of the Church of Neo-Liberalism for whom the free market can do no wrong, and they’ll refuse to see common-sense and reason for the rest of forever, rather than admit that perhaps its all been a dreadful mistake responsible for a great deal of unnecessary suffering. But they’re entitled to their views, and they’re the ones who will have to contend with the prickling of their collective consciences… those who exhibit any sort of conscience. (And no, I don’t believe left-wing politics has any sort of monopoly on either compassion or common-sense.)
Besides, I learned a long time ago that arguing with zealots, religious, political or otherwise, is a tedious and frustrating exercise in futility. You can’t badger and belittle someone into changing their mind. As irritating as it may be, they kind of have to arrive at certain conclusions themselves. And some of them never will. You have to accept it and move on, which is not to say that I don’t find some of their utterances both baffling and offensive.
They’re not all bad. James, Alwyn and even BM can sometimes exhibit profound thinking and post insightful comments. I think Fisiani is probably the only one who persists in trolling for outrage, probably for shits and giggles.
Paul won’t be able to answer you for a week. He obviously didn’t read my post including its warnings and paid the price.
I look at it as being a form of inoculation. One of the problems that various people around political systems have is that they don’t get enough exposure to dissenting viewpoints. To be able to argue with someone with a rigid mind you have to be able to formulate the argument against it. To do that you have to be able to hear the argument.
I never expect to convince anyone from any side. However I am prepared to go as far as to sow serious doubt, indulge in serious levels of personal criticism and disdain of others to ram home the point, and to learn on those (fortunately) rare occasions when I am definitely caught on the wrong foot. Just as interesting is watching others fall into the traps that I would have if I’d had bothered to argue.
That happens not only here, but also out in the real world as well. It is just a lot easier to learn here. It is all part of having a lifetime of learning.
But I’m not really interested in having a nice echo chamber here. It tends to be dead boring. What I am prepared to do is to make the behavioural ground somewhat treacherous so that repetitive behaviours tend towards being risky. I find that is a lot better basis to level up the playing field.
So funny .. if you cannot stand the heat of pragmatic ideas you seek to ban them … having no argument to oppose a meld of reality with restrictions on where it leads the wrong way.
The point is that Douglas saved this country from the problems which affect most of the world but was stopped from introducing the safeguards which result in the problems affecting this country..
There is absolutely no future for Labour if it continues to go left. One can have one’s ideals but pragmatists know if you want to govern you need the center ground. Hence my belief in a meld.
You have to remember that Douglas wanted to chop *EVERYTHING*. That is why Lange had to intervene.
I have to admit though, the changes brought in between 84-87 were minor compared to the changes brought in between 1987 and 1996. The poor and unemployed managed to hang in there through a combination of generous redundancy payouts and a welfare system that still paid a decent amount. Things didnt really go to shit until 1991 when Ruth Richardson implemented austerity 2 decades before the UK decided to go back to a Walpole-era state. Market rents for state housing, benefit cuts, the chopping of home ownership subsidies, as well the changes in the health system did the worse damage, plus the privatisation and deregulation of utilities was backloaded to 1994-1998.
Privatisation didnt really kick off on a serious basis until about 1988. I think the SOE system was a positive move on balance,though the commercial aspect was emphasised too much.
“2017 the year that hopefully heralds in a new deeper level of critical thinking for the progressive Left.
The year when we on the left fully realize that so called liberal news sources like the Guardian, The Washington Post are in fact some of most despicable enemies of progressive change.”
Adrian Thornton
Adrian you still have Amy Goodman and Democracy Now. Unless of course you also think that DN and Goodman among some of the most despicable enemies of progressive change.
Thanks Jenny, I have been a Democracy Now! listener for a few years now, and no of course I don’t think DN is a enemy of change, why would you say that? DN is probably one of the best news sources out there, albeit quite American centric at times.
A couple of other news and information sources I find useful
Law and Disorder Radio… http://lawanddisorder.org/
FAIR, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, incorporating the Counterspin podcast http://fair.org/
Behind the News with Doug Henwood, some great interviews. https://kpfa.org/program/behind-the-news/
Against the Grain, some serious indepth left wing and progressive analysis.. very good https://kpfa.org/program/against-the-grain/
“I have been a Democracy Now! listener for a few years now, and no of course I don’t think DN is a enemy of change, why would you say that?
Adrian Thornton
My apologies Adrien. When I read you lumping The Guardian amongst those you consider to be a despicable enemy of progressive change. I assumed it was because The Guardian and Democracy Now share the same Editorial line on the Syrian regime, the Arab Spring and the Syrian revolution.
Personally I find the Guardian to be a very reliable and reputable source especially when it comes to reporting climate change issues.
Maybe, to clear up my confusion, you could detail why you think The Guardian is a despicable enemy of progressive change.
Cheers Jenny
Wishing a happy new year to you and your loved ones.
The guardian has a few good writers but in recent years it’s editorial line seems to have been captured by neoliberal and neo-con thinking.
It’s reporting of the Scottish referendum. The events in the Ukraine, Brexit, the US election and Syria show it has become another establishment puppet.
paul we appreciate your position, we get it, we know who you are a fan boy of in a media sense, can we please FFS not have it rammed down our throats day in day out again 2017 , you keep repeating and posting the same shite in a repetitive cycle and to be honest mate it has got beyond boring, more bordering on psychotic OCD
[lprent: Snap 🙂 You have a week of peace. He failed to read my post and the warning at the end of it. ]
You know it’s not often I agree with your Red, but on this I agree. I’m sick of the scrolling past the same stuff for days on end to read peoples comments.
….I could go on and on and give you links infinitum, but you get the point.
Now this is a very serious problem for us all, because with so many smart progressives still (bizarrely) thinking and quoting these news outlets as legitimate political news sources, the Left remains and will remain divided and impotent, all the while, the right is gaining ground all around us.
It seems to me that the establishment (so called) liberal media, would rather have the right wing in ascendancy, than a real progressive left socialist project, this is judging them by their own words and their own actions over the previous 12 months.
It is just a sad truth, I used to love the Guardian myself, but facts are facts.
So the news on TV1 last night was that Max Key was going to play the New Year in on Sky Tower just before the fireworks display.
I can’t see it being reported very much today by most MSM websites – they just talk about the Sky Tower fireworks display.
On TV1 they said preparation for the Sky Tower display began 5 months ago. An indication that 5 months John Key was still planning to be PM by 1st January?
Who cares what TV1 says … time to get over your antipathy of the Key clan and get on with what is relevant to 2017…. I was fast asleep when all that rubbish was going on.
Exactly
Terry Pratchett
“It is important that we know where we come from, because if you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are, and if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know where you’re going. And if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re probably going wrong.”
Tell me something…as a talented person yourself (you must be because they hired you to troll here as a professional de- railer) do you get paid double time and a day in lieu for working on a statutory holiday?
Again with the “you must be paid” troll posted as a “fact”.
Try another record for 2017. It’s not so much that it’s boring (which it is). It’s more that it makes you look stupid and all part of the tin foil hat club.
– Steven Joyce unveils a large privatisation/outsourcing program in this coming Budget.
– At least 4 more MPs announce their standing down at the 2017 election.
– Gareth Morgan recruits Bernard Hickey and Shemanual Equaib (sp?), and other prominent technocrats to the TOP Party, but it just misses the 5% threshold.
– John Tamihere and Shane Jones announce their initention to stand in the 2017 election, but not for Labour.
– Sky announces its plan to sell Prime TV an an effort to jumpstart its failed merger with Vodafone
– NZME and Mediaworks offer to sell a number of radio station to a third party in return for ComCom approval of their merger
– At least 1 assassination attempt is made on Donald Trump
– The All Blacks defeat the Lions in the upcoming series 2-1, but the Lions win all their matches against the Super 15 sides.
– In his valedictory speech, John Key expresses regret for pledging not to tighten eligibility for National Superannuation, he also gets a column in a prominent newspaper, “Key Points” which he outlines a number of hard right policy prescriptions.
– “Arise, Sir John Key”.
– The election will be close, with a narrow Labour/Greens win that is not finalised till after the specials are counted, the Greens will be forced to accept a Coalition agreement that they get bugger all out of, but they sign because they do not want another 3 years in opposition. Winston NZ/First will also get into Parliament, but will not be in the coalition, Peters will announce that he is stepping down in 2020.
It won’t be like that.
John Key will receive the Order of New Zealand in next years New Year Honours.
That award does not have the honorific ‘Sir’ attached.
He will receive a Knight of the Garter from the Queen at the same time. That one does rate a ‘Sir’.
Frankly I can’t see anything being awarded to him after Nact lose the 2017 election.
So it’s before or nothing. As I understand it the government of the day does the “Sir” recommending to the Queen.
But I am in awe of such a detailed time table – has this already been organised with Bill English? Could this also be known as “the fix is already in? “???
” I can’t see anything being awarded to him after Nact lose the 2017 election”.
Do you really think that that miserable little rat-bag Little would be such a prick in the unlikely event he became PM?
After all the Key Government gave the award to Clark, and a knighthood to Cullen. They were magnanimous I suppose. Even the Clark Government made Bolger a member of the Order of New Zealand. Would a Little Government really be so little minded?
” As I understand it the government of the day does the “Sir” recommending to the Queen”
Not for the Garter. From http://www.heraldicsculptor.com/Garters.html
“appointment to the order is solely at the discretion of the British monarch”
New Zealand has only had two, to date. Holyoake and Hillary.
Actually “the fix being in” is the knife being sharpened by Grant Robertson to slip into Little’s back after National lead the next Government following the election.
The timetable is merely reflecting the fact that such awards are normally made after the MP leaves Parliament. See Goff’s award.
While I think it probable that John Key will get whatever he gets at Queens Birthday, in the event he did not, it would be extraordinary for a different govt to deliberately not give him an honour.
That would be against all precedent going back many decades. Helen Clark got an ONZ from National, Sir Michael Cullen got a KNZM.
Andrew Little, if he was the PM, would simply be not that small minded. And you saw that in his quite generous remarks when John Key stepped down.
While that type of civility might annoy many Standardnista’s, it is a desirable and perhaps a necessary part of constitutional govt to ensure neither side acts out of spite and vengeance when they have their time in office.
The US has got altogether too near that space, and most people think that they are poorer for it.
Goodness me. I agree with you Wayne. I guess there is room for integrity and old fashioned courtesy on both sides of the political equation. It would be very nice to see some of the old fashioned courtesies of yesteryear return to political life everywhere. The world would not be in the turmoil it is today if that was the case.
How interesting Wayne – the right spend considerable time attacking the people who criticize them ( with no need to be civil apparently! Paula Bennett releasing personal details of people who commented on a policy – and the whole of “dirty politics” ) but this is now “a bad thing” according to you.
Maybe Nact could get busy and practice what you suggest?
I look forward to the wholesale apologies from the right along with appropriate restitution for all the times they have attacked people who have done nothing personally to deserve it.
So if John wants his “sir” rather than the classless ONZ (Labour may be happy to recommend that) I can’t see us having too early an election – which was what the post was about.
As to generous – JK has been far too generous with my tax money paying for public services by dodgy corporates and running up a record debt so high earners can have tax cuts.
No 8.”Andrew Little will be accused of smiling. An internal Labour Party investigation will determine that he was in fact just grimacing in an unusual manner.”
2017 got off to a great start when Celtic trounced a team calling itself “Rangers” and moved 19 points clear at the top of the SPFL. That really felt good. Some things in life are more important than politics. Good friends, family, and supporting the best team. That’s me. Enjoy 2017. It looks like its going to be a great year.
Maybe the government (and any possible Labour/Greeen government of the future) are more interested in giving smokers and those who live with them a fair go in terms of greater life expectancy..?
While that may benefit those that manage to quit, it leaves those that don’t far worse off.
Greater life expectancy is also related to ones diet. Therefore, fiscally punishing smokers robs them of their disposable income to maintain a healthy diet. Resulting in compounding the problem as they continue to smoke and have less for things like heating and food.
You are clutching at straws there Extremist. Smoking is probably the biggest hindrance to any health program. A better solution, if you can’t give up, would be to cut back wouldn’t it?
“Smoking is probably the biggest hindrance to any health program”
So are a number of things sold in your local supermarket.
This is far from the first tobacco tax increase, thus a number of smokers have already cut down as far as they handle. While some others have turned to more desperate and underhanded measures.
We are largely dealing with the hardcore smokers now.
As for clutching at straws, you need to widen your perspective.
A number of smokers are currently struggling to get by.
If they continue to smoke (and many will) this tax increase will force them to cut back on the essentials even more.
Keep in mind we are dealing with a highly addictive substance. And a good number of smokers come from a lower social economic background (making them potential Labour supporters seeking that fairer go).
For tens of thousands that may be true. Even Pokemon go is looked at as a kind of anti depressant drug. Must people don’t understand that for every 20 cents you save on cheap prescription drugs you lose a dollar in wages.
On average a smoker who stops gets another six years of pension. Stopping smoking is always a good thing. Annual tax increases are part of the solution.
Would it be feasible for those lovely caring tobacco industry people to manufacture a far less dangerous fag with less tar, and the other nasty chemicals, but with ‘flavour’ and nicotine?
Good point Garibaldi though better all round to give it up completely as i managed in 1974 … ten years before I had my heart quad bypass.
My smoking addiction, which I probably still have but doesn’t trouble me these day, consisted of two things the sucking and the inhaling.
With a bad attack of a cold I gave up smoking for two or three days and as I recovered I simply sucked but didn’t light up. Trouble was helpful folk kept offering to light my cig . I spotted a miniature ‘alpine pipe’ and bought it to suck … obviously no tobacco to light up so no more ‘offers’.
After two or three months I had bit through the pipe stem and filed another grip for my teeth. another few months and I was happy to let the pipe go.
I hope my story will help a smoking addict kick the habit because even at twenty a day and particularly at today’s prices I have been considerably richer financially and health wise .
Come ‘bypass’ in 1984 I felt for fellow patients as they tried to fool the nurses by ducking out of the ward … but you could smell it on them when they returned. Really sad.
The best way to crack down on smoking is to nationalise the tobacco companies and close them down over the next 10 years, selling the plant for scrap and the buildings/land to recover the costs. Then fully legalise e-cigarettes.
What really would be best would be if governments stopped seeing it as their job to “crack down” on people’s recreational drug use. As to your suggestion: excellent from the gangs’ point of view, not so hot for those of us who aren’t gang members.
considering very little tobacco is manufactured here legallly, fk all land or plant to sell, so dumb plan, BAT 75 pc market share and import every thing
I never said anything about banning tobacco, but anything has to be better than imposing further financial strain on the poor, and demonising those who smoke for various reasons — ie stress relief, food substitute, etc.
But we do need to fully legalise e-cigarettes. They are the future IMO.
The twelfth day around Christmas and a finale of quotes on Friendship. And that is important to look for, and to find the genuine article.
To look for the good in people, and try to resist calling people you don’t agree with a piece of pus. I think handle it to try to limit responses to feisty people, one poke and then leave the aggro to settle.
Frankly I believe that the blog is being so constantly aggravated by provocative poisonous RW that don’t give a damn about a better world for all, that ithe blog’s good effect and value is being severely blunted. Limiting comment numbers per day would be one way of limiting the pollution, and everyone would be forced to limit their sayings or miss the chance for something meaningful. And this would deter them from starting flame wars because it would be wasting their opportunities to put forward their hopefully, intelligent, witty opinions.
It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.
Irish proverb
Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief.
Swedish proverb
Keep gude company, and you’ll be counted one of them.
Scottish proverb
Friendship! mysterious cement of the soul!
Sweetener of life! and solder of society!
Robert Blair
A friend is, as it were, a second self.
Cicero
We cherish our friends not for their ability to amuse us,
but for ours to amuse them.
Evelyn Waugh
A true friend stabs you in the front.
Oscar Wilde
Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.
Victor Borge
The only way to have a friend is to be one.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
I predict that 2017 will be the year that deep-rooted and endemic corruption arising from the Neo-liberal private procurement model for public services (at local and central government) will be finally exposed.
As a result – I predict that the Neo-liberal myth, that ‘public is bad – private is good’, will be finally shattered, as the facts and evidence prove that the private procurement model, (contracting out of public services), is more costly, a less effective use of public (tax and rates) monies, and it breeds corruption.
That there are, in my view, billion$ of public monies being spent on ‘corporate welfare’, which could (and should) be spent on ‘people’s welfare’ – particularly our most vulnerable.
I predict that ‘the books’ will be opened, and the Public Records Act 2005, WILL be implemented and enforced, starting with Auckland Transport, and the following details of awarded contracts WILL be made available for public scrutiny:
* The unique contract number.
* The name of the consultant /contractor.
* A brief description of the scope of the contract.
* Contract start /finish dates.
* The exact dollar value of each and every contract – including those sub-contracted.
* How the contract was awarded – by direct appointment or public tender.
In order to help achieve this –
I shall be standing as an
‘anti-privatisation / anti-corruption’ Independent candidate in the upcoming Mt Albert by-election.
If you would like to help – please send me a personal message on Facebook.
Do you still really support the despotic junta in Syria that is responsible for over 400,000 deaths mostly from aerial bombardment?
If you do, I have to ask you; Are you and your new neo-fascist mates planning to disrupt the Mt Albert by-election by picketing the Green Party candidate?
Just like you have been harrassing the Syrian refugees?
In New Zealand, our democratic rights as citizens to freedom of expression and peaceful protest are protected by law under the NZ Bill of Rights Act 1990.
From your non-answer Penny, can I take it that you don’t intend to break any laws, but that you do intend, to the limit the law allows disrupt the Mt Albert by-election by harrassing the Green Party candidate?
A small faction of people ended up clashing with the Syrian Solidarity NZ group.
Some of them were wearing baseball caps with the slogan “Make America Great Again”, as worn by US President-elect Donald Trump.
But Paul, yesterday you were claiming Patrick Cockburn and Robert Fisk were the authoritative sources on the White Helmets, not the political activists at Alternet and Counterpunch. Did you finally notice that neither Cockburn nor Fisk actually make the claims you imply they do?
Alternet and Counterpunch aren’t authoritative sources on anything – in fact, the Counterpunch piece even offers regime propaganda sources like Vanessa Beeley, Solidarity with Syria and Russia Today as “raising investigation-based questions” about the White Helmets, rather than the more accurate “promoting the regime’s talking points.”
Any force that deliberately targets ambulances, search and rescue services and hospitals to quell and intimidate their opponents, whatever the pretext, are by definition psychopathic, and under the Geneva conventions, war criminals.
The White Helmets – here are a few facts that you need to know.
Share this to your family and friends who subsist on Western corporate media:
* The White Helmets, also called Syria Civil Defence, are not who they claim to be.
The group is not Syrian; it was created with USA/UK funding under the supervision of a British military contractor in 2013 in Turkey.
* The name “Syria Civil Defence” was stolen from the legitimate Syrian organization of the same name.
The authentic Syria Civil Defence was founded in 1953 and is a founding member of the International Civil Defense Organization (1958).
* The name “White Helmets” was inappropriately taken from the legitimate Argentinian relief organization Cascos Blancos / White Helmets. In 2014, Cascos Blancos / White Helmets was honored at the United Nations for 20 years of international humanitarian assistance.
* The NATO White Helmets are primarily a media campaign to support the ‘regime change’ goals of the USA and allies.
After being founded by security contractor James LeMesurier, the group was “branded” as the White Helmets in 2014 by a marketing company called “The Syria Campaign” managed out of New York by non-Syrians such as Anna Nolan. “The Syria Campaign” was itself “incubated” by another marketing company named “Purpose”.
……”
Kind regards
Penny Bright
PS: Yes – I was appalled to hear Green MP Julie-Ann Genter publicly support the ‘White Helmets’ at a recent anti-Assad / anti-Russia demonstration in Auckland.
Morrissey, Do you dispute the fact that the destruction evidenced in the video was committed by the Assad regime?
Since the total destruction of this city described as “The Capital of the revolution” was undoubtably committed by the regime, and that Paul and yourself support that regime, I don’t think the question is “ridiculous” or “pointless” to give your answer, I am sure our readers would all like to know.
Do you Morrisey and Paul support the methods used by the regime to quell the uprising?
The fact that you refuse to answer these questions. Exposes the depth of either your hypocrisy and/or depravity.
And the white helmets have been in existence for a total of 3 years, for about as long as a war has been going on. Hmm?? The real Syrian Civil Defence was formed in 1953 and through western media we hear nothing about, it’s all the white helmets..
Very few (if any) residents in East Aleppo ever saw them perform any actual rescue work.
You spout these assertions as though they were generally-agreed commonplaces. The fact is, you have no basis for that claim beyond fellow conspiracy theorists and regime propaganda. And even if it were true, it would leave open the not-insignificant question of who the fuck else you think was doing emergency response during the siege. This really is contemptible stuff.
For the love of God C.V. Psych Milt has a point. They were actually boots on the ground trying to help people, it’s just plain wrong to condemn them for trying to help.
6 years ago all this Alepo bullshit kicked off with a series of 13 suicide bombings, Assades response was America is funding terrorism. The western response was you lie. The Wikileaks says Saudi sponsors ISIS.
And it’s been a gradual decay of western debate ever since.
They were actually boots on the ground trying to help people, it’s just plain wrong to condemn them for trying to help.
No; the White Helmets were propaganda actors aligned with the terrorist rebels.
They weren’t actual civil defence, they had no presence independent of terrorist fighters, eg they never performed rescues in government held areas of western Aleppo that were under attack from the rebels, they never assisted the Syrian Arab Army in helping rescue civilians.
…they never performed rescues in government held areas of western Aleppo that were under attack from the rebels, they never assisted the Syrian Arab Army in helping rescue civilians.
Uh, duh-uh – the regime has its own civil defence operating in regime-held areas, and any of these guys operating there or trying to “assist the Syrian Arab Army” would be arrested immediately as terrorists and tortured for details of where to find all their friends. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but there’s a civil war happening in Syria.
Honestly Milt. This isn’t some hurricane to mope up after. It’s a war zone. Even the US bombed these guys. And when some jihadi wana be disobeys US orders. The Pentagon organises an attack starting with a bombing campaign so stupid moderate rebels form up on the front lines and America says, nah boi, no bombs today. And those rebels get fucked beyond all recognition, then the US points the finger and says see, Assad bad, US good. Your being played by the White House bro.
If you are trying to find a moral high ground out of all this, there isn’t any.
Which is why Russia and Iran finally stepped in, in a big way, to sort out the US/NATO/Turkish run “Assad must go” regime change proxy war programme in Syria.
it would leave open the not-insignificant question of who the fuck else you think was doing emergency response during the siege.
Maybe it was the real Syria Civil Defence? The one that became a member of the International Civil Defence Organisation in 1972 and appears to have some international street cred. The white helmets came into existence 41 years later, so it can’t be them.
Maybe the regime was providing civil defence services within the rebel-held areas it was busy bombarding? And doing it invisibly so that no-one knew it was happening? I can’t stop the loons at Counterpunch from putting deranged shit on the web, but it would be nice if the people reading it applied their brains while doing so.
No, it’s attack-the-logic-fail time. Ridiculing the source of the logic fail was an aside.
I do know quite well why the official civil defence was ignored in media coverage about the siege of east Aleppo – it’s because the regime doesn’t operate emergency services in rebel-held areas, for fairly obvious reasons. That’s also the reason why unofficial first response groups were set up in the first place. No amount of peddling conspiracy theories about a “narrative” can alter that.
Now that East Aleppo has been liberated [sic], the White Helmets have basically disappeared with the rebels.
No fucking shit, Sherlock? Now that the bombardment’s stopped and the winners are keen to apply torture or summary execution to anyone involved in making them look bad these last few years, the White Helmets aren’t holding any parades in the streets? It’s just plain unfathomable!
The Russians and the Assad government allowed rebels and their sympathisers to peacefully leave Aleppo with their light arms and head away to ISIS held territory.
Therefore any summary executions and ad hoc reprisals by the Syrian Arab Army in Aleppo are likely to be minimal.
Remember, unlike the foreign Islamist fighters, many members of the Syrian Arab Army actually grew up and lived in Aleppo – it is their home town and their home neighbourhoods that they have liberated.
BTW there are plenty of statements from Eastern Aleppo residents that the rebels when in charge performed many summary executions, torture, shooting of civilians who tried to leave the area, etc.
Irrelevant. My points were:
1. Now that there’s no bombardment, it follows that there’s no guys in white helmets digging people out of the rubble after a bombardment.
2. These guys have actively made the regime look bad in the international media. They’re not going to share your sanguine appraisal of the likelihood of reprisals for that.
1. Now that there’s no bombardment, it follows that there’s no guys in white helmets digging people out of the rubble after a bombardment.
You’re clearly not that smart if you think that legitimate Civil Defence activities cease when the bombs stop falling.
Because that’s when legitimate civil defence efforts START.
Distributing emergency supplies, identifying individuals and families with medical needs, ensuring that communities are kept informed, checking and clearing each and every apartment in every apartment block for people who are wounded or need any other help.
So where are all these White Helmets doing all these necessary Civil Defence activities?
For the benefit of any new readers, the Public Records Act does not control making available to the public any information about either central or local government dealings. That is instead a function of the Official Information Act (OIA) and the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA).
(1) Every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor.
______________________
Have you studied the 225 page reasons for the decision of Justice Sally Fitzgerald in the unprecedented bribery and corruption conviction of a corrupt contractor and two corrupt public officials, who both worked for Rodney District Council and then Auckland Transport?
It shows what happens when you don’t have full and accurate public records, and there is a ‘culture of collaboration’ between public officials and contractors?
$1.2 million in bribes – that’s just between one corrupt public official and one corrupt contractor.
This Judgment, in my view, completely vindicates what I’ve been saying for years about corruption in New Zealand.
I look forward to more people paying attention.
Some are.
Have you read the two latest investigative articles about corruption in the NBR by Karyn Scherer?
As noted above, “made available for public scrutiny” is not a function of the Public Records Act. Penny has been told this many, many times now. The public deserve better than wilful ignorance.
Would you like to share with us the basis for your supposed ‘expertise’ on the Public Records Act 2005?
And share with us, if you would, information which pertains to any consultancy work you may have obtained from Auckland Council or any Auckland Council Controlled Organisation (CCO), if that is the case?
Give me a break Penny, for a self styled anti-corruption campaigner you openly support one of the most corrupt and murderous political family dynasties on the planet. First equal with the Kim’s of North Korea.
I have now read much of the Judge’s reasoning. It becomes clear that successful prosecutions were possible only because the records held by public agencies including AT were kept in accordance with the Public Records Act. Nothing in that law stops somebody lying on a Conflict of Interest form, but preserving the evidence can be helpful later.
you have to watch out for Marama Fox. She is a hardline social conservative who opposes homosexuality, abortion, decriminalization of cannabis use, sex education in school, and supports the religous indocrination of South Auckland youth via charter schools.
millsy
Do you have a handy link about Marama Fox detailing all that stuff? She is a strong speaker and though I had heard her say some RW style things, I did hope that she would be a progressive voice for Maori.
There is a better than even chance of this happening, IMO, particularly if National plays the shell game I think it is. A low party vote means Little may not even get back into Parliament.
The IP addresses that DHS provided may have been used for an attack by a state actor like Russia. But they don’t appear to provide any association with Russia. They are probably used by a wide range of other malicious actors, especially the 15% of IP addresses that are Tor exit nodes.
The malware sample is old, widely used and appears to be Ukrainian. It has no apparent relationship with Russian intelligence and it would be an indicator of compromise for any website.
You can find a public repository containing the data used in this report on github.
As always I welcome your comments. Please note that I will delete any political comments. Our goal in this report is to merely analyze the data DHS provided and share our findings.
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In 1994, I was the editor for an issue of Planet magazine focused on cannabis, its culture and the prospects for the end of its prohibition. Part of that issue was an interview with 'Ringo', an experienced cannabis dealer.I recently posted my essay from that issue, and I figured it ...
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On Wednesday, the government was loudly telling us that it needed to legislate to allow it to impose "control orders" - effectively a parole regime, but imposed without charge, prosecution, conviction or real evidence - on suspected terrorists because they couldn't be prosecuted for their supposed crimes. Today, it turns ...
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Yoga gurus and cult leaders – I’ve seen a few. Two weeks ago, I unknowingly joined an alleged new-age cult at the Kāpiti coast, together with a giant kraken and some neatly dressed pensioners who would make any book club proud.They were among the two hundred people of all ages ...
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In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been busy preparing for our summer paper on Science Communication. Looking for something amusing about ‘risk’ in science, I came across this neat xkcd.com cartoon about why so many people come knocking on my door (or phoning me, or emailing me) desperately wanting ...
by John Edmundson The International Socialist Organisation (ISO) have recently reposted a February article, by Romany Tasker-Poland, explaining ISO’s position in the “trans rights” debate. It is available on their website and on their Facebook Page. The article sets out to explain why “socialists support trans rights”. It reads more ...
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There is plenty of evidence of the way the business mentality has permeated every level of society since the recrudescence of market liberalism 35 years ago. You only need to think of how citizens in need of help from their government, their state, their country, are now routinely described as ...
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Nick Wilson, Leah Grout, Mereana Wilson, Anja Mizdrak, Phil Shoemack, Michael BakerProtecting waterways has the benefits of: (1) protecting water from hazardous microbes; (2) minimising cancer risk and other problems from nitrates in water; (3) avoiding algal blooms that are hazardous to health; (4) protecting mahinga kai uses (cultural ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women In a press release today Massey University announced it has decided to rebrand and reorientate after struggling to be a University for grown-ups. For some time the University has wanted to be a safe play space for wee-woke-misogynists who have been really badly triggered ...
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I came across this song quite by accident. If it isn't one of Greta Thunberg's favourites - it should be.Video courtesy of YouTube.This post is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
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New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has hit back at National Party leader Simon Bridges who criticized the Coalition Government’s approach to crime, and said that the latter isn't credible in his attack on the Government over gang recruitment. "We've got as massive drug problem in this country. It is ...
New Zealand Mānuka honey exporters have welcomed an initiative by the Coalition Government to help secure the term “mānuka honey” to be used exclusively by Kiwi exporters, ensuring that our multimillion-dollar industry is protected. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had recently announced that a Provincial Growth Funding of $5.7 ...
Political commentator Mike Hosking has labelled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as “the voice of reason in a government soft on drugs”, for the Party’s stance on drug testing at music festivals. “If common sense is worth a vote, Winston Peters is quids in,” Mr Hosking said. The Labour ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced Provincial Growth Funding to ensure work opportunities in Turangi and Whanganui, through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi. A fund of $500,000 will go to Rafting NZ in Turangi for a 16-week river guide training course to train ...
Treasury has shown that the Coalition Government has a $7.5 billion surplus, which is $4 billion higher than what was expected in the 2019 Budget unveiled last May. It is also $2 billion higher than the actual surplus unveiled this time last year, and at a size that has not ...
Official Information Act figures released to NZME show there were 350 assaults on officers in the year to the end of June, 79 more than the year before. The increase in attacks have sparked calls for more legal protection for first responders to be enacted. The assaults included officers being ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
We're making progress on tackling the long-term challenges: from homelessness, to strengthening border security, to bringing banking back New Zealand's small towns. ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones has backed the ambitious plan to move Auckland’s port to Northport, at Whangarei harbour, which he says will be the “King Kong of infrastructure”. The plan is part of the recommendations of a six-person independent working group, which has recommended the Ports of Auckland be ...
A six-member independent working group selected the option of moving Auckland’s port to Northport, in Whangarei, ahead of other options. In what could be New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure project yet, a major expansion of the Marsden Point port could happen within 15 years. The project, officially called the “Upper ...
The final Electricity Price Review recommended prohibiting prompt payment discounts but allowing “reasonable” late fees. The findings of this review was welcomed by the Coalition Government, but they hope companies will follow through with its recommendations without regulations needed to be passed. Meridian Energy had already stopped prompt payment discounts, ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi,will invest nearly $600,000 to ensure work opportunities for locals in Turangia and Whanganui, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the PGF ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Consumers will benefit from changes to the electricity market that will see a level playing field for smaller independent retailers, greater transparency over the big power companies, increased competition in the market and more support for consumers to shop around for better ...
The Government is investing in ambitious research that will digitise Te Reo, grow the low-carbon protein efficient aquaculture industry, help interpret environmental trends, and large data sets says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. The four projects range from teaching Siri to speak Te Reo to crunching large environmental ...
A new education-to-employment brokerage service to strengthen connections between local employers and schools. Funding for more trades focused ‘speed-dating’ events to connect schools with employers. Promotional campaign to raise profile of vocational education. The Government is taking action to increase the number of young people taking up vocational education and ...
A Bill to improve prison security and ensure the fair, safe, and humane treatment of people in prison while upholding public safety has passed its third reading. Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says the Corrections Amendment Bill makes a number of changes to ensure the Corrections Act 2004 is fit for ...
Minister for Māori Development, Nanaia Mahuta, has selected Arihia Bennett MNZM, Chief Executive Officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, as the Te Puni Kōkiri appointed representative on the New Zealand-China Council. The New Zealand-China Council (the Council) was established in 2012 as a New Zealand led and funded organisation ...
Responsibility for processing the small number of Southern Response claims still to be settled will be transferred to EQC by the end of the year. “As claim numbers reduce, it no longer makes sense for the Crown to have two organisations processing the remaining Canterbury claims,” Grant Robertson says. “Since ...
Health Minister David Clark is encouraging Whanganui residents to take up the opportunity for free bowel screening, which can detect cancer early when it’s easier to treat. Over the next two years 12,000 Whanganui locals, aged 60 to 74 will be invited to participate in the National Bowel Screening ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio, heads to Oslo today to represent New Zealand at the sixth Our Ocean Conference, which is being hosted by the Norwegian Government from the 23-24 October. “The Our Ocean Conference mobilises real action on issues like marine plastic pollution and the impacts of ...
Two secondary-school initiatives are being expanded as part of the Government’s plan to see more young New Zealanders take up a trade to help close the skills gap. This includes the largest single increase in Trades Academy places in recent years. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris ...
Session 4: Pacific Connectivity – Youth, Media and New Opportunities Kia ora tatou katoa and Warm Pacific greetings to one and all. Representatives of Tainui, the local people of the land, or manawhenua – the indigenous peoples of this area – have welcomed you this morning in accordance with ...
The Government today announced its support for a project that could substantially reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions from cattle. The announcement was made as part of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor’s visit to Nelson’s Cawthron Aquaculture Park. The Cawthron Institute will receive $100,000 from the Government’s ...
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni has welcomed the first reading of the New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension Legislation Amendment Bill. “Every New Zealander has a stake in New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension,” says Carmel Sepuloni. “They are our most common form of social assistance – nearly 800,000 New ...
Babies in Auckland aged six months and over can receive a free vaccination and children will all have access to vaccines, Associate Minister of Health Julie Anne Genter announced today at Papatoetoe High School. The move comes as part of Government efforts to step up the fight against measles. ...
***Check against delivery*** Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here, and to have the honour of opening this important conference on behalf of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. Let us take the opportunity to acknowledge all the people who have helped make today possible, including our special ...
Police Minister Stuart Nash says the safety of frontline officers and members of the public will be the focus of a new trial of specialist Police response teams in three of our largest urban centres. Police have this morning released details of an initiative to be trialled in Counties Manukau, ...
The Minister of Fisheries is calling for entries for a new public award to celebrate innovation in our seafood sector. “I have established the Seafood Sustainability Awards to recognise and celebrate those throughout industry, tangata whenua and communities who demonstrate outstanding dedication and innovation towards the sustainability of New Zealand’s ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter welcomes leaders in the private sector taking action on closing their gender pay gaps to ensure a fairer workplace for all New Zealanders. Ms Genter today launched a new report, Addressing the gender pay gap and driving women’s representation in senior leadership, from the Champions for ...
Government Ministers today welcomed the release of a marine environment report highlighting the four key issues affecting our oceans, estuaries and coastlines. The release underlines the importance of government proposals to combat climate pollution, ensure clean freshwater, protect biodiversity, make land use more sustainable, and reduce waste and plastic. Environment ...
The Government has approved funding for a new acute mental health facility for Waikato which will provide better care and support to people with mental health and addiction issues. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Dr David Clark announced the $100 million project to replace the aging Henry Rongomau ...
The Government is making progress on its goal to integrate te reo Māori into education by 2025, with over 500 teachers and support staff already graduating from Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Kelvin Davis made the announcement at an awards ceremony in Waikanae today, for ...
Statistics Minister James Shaw has welcomed the first release of 2018 Census data. The first release of data today, 23 September, includes key data on population, regional growth, the number of homes and the size of different ethnic groups in New Zealand. Data from the 2018 Census will support the ...
Minister for Statistics James Shaw today announced a public consultation on a proposed algorithm charter for government agencies. The charter has been developed by the Government Chief Data Steward in response to growing calls for more transparency in government use of data. Computer algorithms – procedures or formulas for solving ...
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, Climate Change Minister James Shaw and visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte co-hosted a business roundtable in Auckland this morning focused on working together to address climate change. “The Netherlands is an important partner for New Zealand. We share a strong agricultural history. Sustainable agribusiness and ...
The Government is taking action to build an inclusive economy where more of us receive our fair share at work and businesses can compete on great products and services, not undercutting wages and conditions, Immigration and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. Two consultations launched today seek feedback ...
The future for New Zealand’s threatened indigenous freshwater fish looks brighter with the passing of the Conservation (Indigenous Freshwater Fish) Amendment Bill in Parliament today said Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage. “Until now, our freshwater fish legislation has been 20 years out of date. We have lacked effective tools to ...
At 1.30pm tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of Kiwis will join about 65 million people around the globe in ShakeOut, the world’s biggest earthquake drill. The annual drill is to remind people of the right action to take during an earthquake which is to Drop, Cover, Hold, and to practise their ...
Kiwis are benefiting from higher wage growth and low inflation under the Coalition Government. Stats NZ data out today shows the rise in the cost of living remains low, as annual Consumers Price Index (CPI) inflation fell to 1.5% in September from 1.7% in June. “The low inflation comes as ...
New Zealand’s economic strength and resilience has been recognised in a major update on the state of the global economy. The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook released overnight shows a reduced global growth forecast over the next two years as issues like the US-China trade war and Brexit take hold. ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little has today introduced a new Bill to prevent terrorism and support the de-radicalisation of New Zealanders returning from overseas. The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill gives the New Zealand Police the ability to apply to the High Court to impose control orders on New Zealanders who ...
A Bill that proposes targeted changes to simplify the processes for Māori land owners when engaging with the Māori Land Court has had its First Reading today. “The approach taken by the Government is to ensure that the protection of Māori land remains a priority as we seek to improve ...
Let me first thank all the new unionists and members in the room. There is nothing more important to improving people’s working lives than people making the decision to care, to get on board and help, to take up the reins and get involved. Congratulations to you. You bring the ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has signed a certificate exempting the activity of engine testing at Whenuapai Airbase from the Resource Management Act 1991. The Act gives the Minister of Defence the power to exempt activities for the purposes of national security. The certificate will mean the recent Environment Court ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced New Zealand will join the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action while attending APEC meetings in Chile. The objective of the 39 member Coalition is to share information and promote action to tackle climate change. It was formed in April this year, in ...
Feedback sought– Lyttelton commercial zone parking The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to remove on-site car parking requirements for new developments in the Lyttelton commercial zone. The proposal, by Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section 71 of the Greater ...
Hon Minister Poto Williams Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration MEDIA STATEMENT Tuesday 15 October 2019 Feedback sought – Hagley Oval The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal about Hagley Oval. The proposal was developed by Regenerate Christchurch ...
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...
"Let’s start by acknowledging that it has been a huge year. " Police Association Annual Conference James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou katoa. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill; Members of the Association and ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...
The Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...
He Kākano Ahau is a podcast by writer and activist Kahu Kutia (Ngāi Tūhoe) that explores stories of Māori in the city, and weaves together strands of connection. In episode one: the legacy of urban marae Tapu te Ranga.I grew up where the tarseal on the road crumbles away into ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australians are divided over whether the nation’s universities have too many foreign students, according to the Australian National University’s ANUpoll, released Wednesday. In the polling, 52.8% said the mix between foreign and domestic students was ...
National's leader Simon Bridges says a bill imposing restrictions on people returning after fighting for extremist groups would only keep New Zealanders "half safe". ...
Alex Casey talks to Leigh Hart about the return of Late Night Big Breakfast, the finest morning TV parody show New Zealand has ever made. Late Night Big Breakfast is set to return to TVNZ in 2020 after a five year hiatus, creator and comedian Leigh Hart has confirmed. Filmed in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Gordon, PhD candidate. Sydney University Physics Education Research (SUPER) group, University of Sydney If you want to get good marks in your exams, there’s no substitute for study. So do past exams, go over your notes, read what you need to ...
Otago University academic Chris Brickell wonders whether his new book on LGBT objects ought to be the sort of thing bookshops would want to have on their shelves. ...
South Aucklanders from Mangere to East Tamaki will be riding their Go Bus services to work for free tomorrow morning, as FIRST Union bus drivers opt out of collecting fares for their employer in an industrial action designed to show the wider public ...
What do we make of the Air New Zealand decision to quit the Auckland-Los Angeles-London route? Nothing much as it simply reflects the changing dynamics of the airline industry. Gone are the days when Air NZ took the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 into the fleet and began flying Los Angeles, then ...
Was the SkyCity Convention Centre construction site at higher risk of fire than any other construction site or building? Alex Braae asks the experts.A fire at the SkyCity Convention Centre construction site has continued to burn this morning, after a night of lighting up the Auckland CBD sky.The fire, which ...
Sky City and Fletcher Building see another "material delay" to opening of International Convention Centre as fire still rages. Plan B needed for APEC in November 2021, says Goff ...
First it was KiwiBuild, now it’s Auckland’s light rail that’s looking increasingly shambolic. Jenée Tibshraeny from Interest asks what’s going on, and how thin is that ice that transport minister Phil Twyford is skating on.The Opposition’s latest attack phrase aimed at the government is set to be one of its ...
At last, a break in the clouds for NZ’s dairy farmers : Fonterra suppliers could be looking at a sharp lift in income, as the co-op revises its forecast range for the milk price to $6.55-$7.55 kg/MS.And the signals are strong enough to underpin projections the milk price will rise ...
Members of the Indian community are angry at an immigration policy change making it harder for to bring spouses to NZ - but Shane Jones says anyone not happy should "catch the next flight home." ...
On October 7, New Zealand’s Labour Party-led coalition government announced draconian class-based restrictions on immigration. From February 2020, the government will reopen the Parent Category visa nearly four years after the previous National Party ...
Organise Aotearoa joined a rally held by the Chilean expatriate community on Tuesday outside the Chilean Embassy in Wellington, following widespread repression and brutality against protesters by President Sebastián Piñera’s armed forces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Shine, Robinson Fellow, University of Sydney Have you ever sat down to complete your morning crossword or Sudoku and wondered about what’s happening in your brain? Somewhere in the activity of the billions of neurons in your brain lies the code ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehmet Ozalp, Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, Director of The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation and Executive Member of Public and Contextual Theology, Charles Sturt University The five-day ceasefire negotiated by US Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish President Recep Tayyib ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne The unprecedented blackout of front pages by Australia’s newspaper publishers this week is a highly significant event in Australian political and media history. It represents the completion of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Hansen, Chief of Staff, The Conversation In recent years coconut water has left the palm-treed shores of tropical islands where tourists on lounge chairs stick straws straight into the fruit, and exploded onto supermarket shelves – helped along by beverage giants ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Petterson, Professor of Geology, Auckland University of Technology CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability, Curtin University A Greenpeace video of me plugging a trackless tram that went viral with 4 million hits has caused a few eyebrows to be raised over whether I think light rail is dead. So let me ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Asher, Associate Professor, UNSW Here’s the boldest idea the government’s inquiry into retirement incomes should consider but might not: no longer exempting all of the value of each retiree’s home from the pension assets test. The test would merely exempt part ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Sernack-Chee Quee, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Design, Architecture & Building, University of Technology Sydney 1973 was a remarkable year for Sydney, with the opening of two major cultural icons. The first was the Sydney Opera House. The second, possibly more important ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: In today’s edition: Serious ramifications likely from SkyCity fire, dozens of partnership visas being denied, and yet another police pursuit death.The fire at the SkyCity Convention Centre construction site has continued to burn overnight. Fire crews were forced to abandon the roof, ...
Orange-fronted parakeets will still get protection but some mohua populations miss out as DoC reduces the area of forest being covered by 1080 poison. ...
The main way small countries like New Zealand can lead on climate change is through our ideas. Policies developed here may help other countries with similar issues, writes David Frame. ...
By Rebecca Ananian-Welsh Australians picked up their morning papers yesterday to find heavily blacked-out text instead of front-page headlines. This bold statement was instigated by the “Your Right to Know” campaign, an unlikely coalition of Australian media organisations fighting for press freedom and source protection. A key reform advocated by a ...
Surrounding sites evacuated and one reported hospitalised in serious condition as blaze rips through two floors of the under-construction building in the Auckland CBDLast updated: 6.30pmParts of central Auckland have been brought to a standstill this afternoon after a major fire broke out shortly after 1pm at the Sky City ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phil McManus, Professor of Urban and Environmental Geography: Head of School of Geosciences, University of Sydney In the wake of a shocking ABC report on the dismal end of many racehorses’ lives in slaughterhouses, many Australians are questioning whether the horse racing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohiuddin Ahmed, Lecturer of Computing & Security, Edith Cowan University Machines and the internet are woven into the fabric of our society. A growing number of users, devices and applications work together to produce what we now call “big data”. And this ...
After an unusually nasty campaign for their country, Canada has gone to the polls. They’ve decided that Justin Trudeau will continue as prime minister, but just like in New Zealand, he’ll have to work with coalition politics. What’s happened?After a brutal and at times humiliating campaign, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has ...
“The Prime Minister must publicly support an immediate ban on Gay Conversion Therapy . If I was Jacinda I would feel morally obligated to give more confidence on where I stand, when I have asked for, and received, support from that community.” ...
New abortion law marks significant and needed progress for reproductive rights in New Zealand Amnesty International has today made its submission to the Abortion Legislation Committee in Wellington. The rights at stake in the legislation include the rights ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Transport Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): NZ Transport Agency to Phil Twyford: We should have done better ...
Crisis of Safety and Confidence in our Engineering, Building and Construction Industries Please find attached a copy of an Open Letter from Professor Maan Alkaisi, Spokesperson CTV Families Group. This was sent a short time ago to the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, ...
Safe speed limits are survivable speed limits and this is what AT has endorsed in its step change decision today. This decision is a landmark that sets the scene for a new focus on road safety in New Zealand. ...
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) says the inadequate treatment of urology patients in Southern District Health Board is distressing and should serve as a broad reminder to DHB management to listen when specialists raise concerns. ...
Informed via telegram that Netflix has released a full trailer for the new season of The Crown, Tara Ward puts on her best boxhat and white gloves to find out what round three will bring. The good Lorde told us we’ll never be royals, so the first full trailer for the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie has some sobering reading to do over the coming weeks: an 88-page Senate report into the government-sponsored bill to repeal the medevac law that allow refugees and asylum seekers in Papua ...
Eric Crampton has fun imagining a version of MBIE that worried it could be subject to cartel criminalisation provisions for the anticompetitive regimes it has established. ...
Criminologist Antje Deckert has just completed a two-year study of how women offenders are portrayed in New Zealand newspapers. The results show that journalists are telling very different stories abut Māori and Pākehā. That our criminal justice system is in desperate need of reform and that we need to reduce the ...
China continues its march into the Pacific with a China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum in Samoa this week. Ahead of the forum, Beijing has signed seven new agreements with Samoa covering education, trade, e-commerce, investment, infrastructure and agriculture. China’s Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua heads his delegation in Apia ...
It might be tempting to yell, but there are more effective ways to talk to doubters about the value of vaccines, write Julie Leask and Maryke Steffens.Your neighbour is telling you about his new baby. He feels nervous about vaccinating, and says he’s considering delaying Lucy’s vaccines.Your mother’s group is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debra Wain, Academic in Professional and Creaive Writing, Deakin University Why do we tell stories, and how are they crafted? In this series, we unpick the work of the writer on both page and screen. Anna Spargo-Ryan’s debut novel, The Paper House ...
The Movies, a documentary series that celebrates movies and their impact on culture, is available on TVNZ OnDemand today. Sam Brooks pulls some of the best quotes from its galaxy of stars.Ever wanted to get a snapshot of cinematic history without leaving the comfort of your couch, or even your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ronald F Pol, Senior researcher NZ, La Trobe University Money laundering rarely gets as literal as the case in Thailand last week, where police raided homes of a ring suspected of laundering a billion baht (about A$48 million) of drug proceeds and ...
The NZTA chair has acknowledged the agency dropped the ball in its early handling of Auckland's light rail project, as the NZ Infra proposal grips ministers. ...
On Friday it was announced that Armed Offenders Squad patrols will be trialled in Counties Manukau, Waikato and Canterbury over the next six months. The data suggests this will increase police violence and unfairly target Māori, writes Emilie Rākete.Police Commissioner Mike Bush announced on Friday that cars of Armed Offender ...
This summary is provided to assist in the understanding of the Court’s judgment. It does not comprise part of the reasons for that judgment. The full judgment with reasons is the only authoritative document. The full text of the judgment and reasons ...
There’s something about the feeling of wind whipping my face that brings me out of my head and into the moment. Once a month we pedal as a group: recreating the feeling of childlike glee riding our bikes together, writes Helen King.The first bike I learned to ride belonged to ...
More than 10,000 school support staff around the country have begun two weeks of paid union meetings to discuss progress on pay equity, and next steps following the Ministry of Education's failure to present a collective agreement offer. ...
Government ministers are adamant New Zealand’s economic fundamentals are solid, unemployment is at a record low, growth is faster than in Australia, and the surplus in the government accounts and low debt present further opportunities to strengthen the economy. Yet, across the road from the Beehive, the view from the ...
Wellington's mayor-elect Andy Foster says talk about a recount is causing a "distraction" for the council at the start of their term, but the incumbent Justin Lester says it's essential for a democratic process. ...
Police Commissioner Mike Bush has today announced an independent review of the systems and processes NZ Police has in place to address complaints of bullying. ...
The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry has formalised an integrated pathway for survivors to seek justice for the abuse they suffered in State care or in the care of faith-based institutions. ...
The small-claims mediation process is meant to give real people a voice, but the financial and emotional sacrifice just isn’t worth it, writes Jai BreitnauerWhen we moved to the semi-rural dreamland of Te Henga (Bethell’s Beach) in 2017, we couldn’t imagine that anything would be able to tarnish the beautiful ...
The New Zealand Bar Association welcomes a Court of Appeal decision which gives detailed guidance on sentencing people convicted of offences related to the importation, manufacture and supply of methamphetamine. ...
Methamphetamine (meth) dealers who can prove their own addiction caused their drug offending could have their sentences cut by 30 per cent, according to a landmark judgement released by the Court of Appeal. The role of an offender in a drug network ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Ananian-Welsh, Senior Lecturer, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland Australians picked up their morning papers yesterday to find heavily blacked-out text instead of front-page headlines. This bold statement was instigated by the “Your Right to Know” campaign, an ...
Open Mike 01/01/2017 
Over the past month we've heard some horrific stories about bullying in the police. The police's response? Try to bully people into silence:The police have told a whistleblower to retract his statements to RNZ about being bullied or face legal action. The demand came just hours after Police Commissioner Mike ...2 hours ago
One of the key arguments used by trans ideologists is that some male-bodied people (ie men) are women because they ‘feel’ they are women. To make this hocus-pocus sound a bit more credible, some will argue that such men have a ‘female brain’. But this is thoroughly anti-scientific too. . ...2 hours ago
A few days ago, a friend sent me a link to a health-related FB page that had published a post from a homeopathist, offering homeopathic “vaccination”¹ against measles (using something called a “Morbillinum nosode” at a “potency” of 200C, which I’ll explain shortly). I followed the link, left a comment ...19 hours ago
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by the Council of Disobedient Women We call on the Council of Trade Unions to show some fortitude and take a stand with your sisters. Unionists know that there is a material world, otherwise workers could simply identify out of poverty. They could declare themselves Well Paid. Why stop ...2 days ago
Keir Starmer has hinted that Labour might vote in favour of the Johnson government's shoddy deal, with the proviso that a second referendum is attached:Speaking to BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show, he said: “We will see what that looks like but it makes sense to say that by whatever ...2 days ago
In 1994, I was the editor for an issue of Planet magazine focused on cannabis, its culture and the prospects for the end of its prohibition. Part of that issue was an interview with 'Ringo', an experienced cannabis dealer.I recently posted my essay from that issue, and I figured it ...4 days ago
Media Statement for Immediate Release 16th October 2019 “Fake News” from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers Despite comments from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers—Herald Newspaper Tuesday Oct 15th–there is very little evidence ...6 days ago
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz There is a lot of discussion on the benefits of ...1 week ago
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...1 week ago
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...1 week ago
A list of indicators of bad science – many of these are found in articles promoted by anti-fluoride activists. Anti-fluoride activists have been pouring money into a scaremongering campaign warning pregnant women not to drink fluoridated water. They claim fluoride will lower the IQ of their future child. Fluoride ...1 week ago
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...2 weeks ago
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...2 weeks ago
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...2 weeks ago
Journalist Andrew Dickens, reporting from the 2019 New Zealand First Conference, states that the Party once again proved “they are more than a sideshow”. In his op-ed article for NewstalkZB, Mr Dickens said he has always been an admirer of the Party, saying they are “a true centrist party”. “[NZ ...1 day ago
We're rebuilding our hospitals, protecting our oceans, and taking mental health seriously. ...5 days ago
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http://www.anonews.co/anonymous-david-rockefeller/
Anonymous Message to David Rockefeller 31-12-2016.
Merry Christmas Mr. Rockefeller, this one has been long overdue. We’re proud to say we solved your riddle, and we wish to contact you before you die to share it and help you come to a peaceful understanding of our concerns coming from the people your handiwork is effecting.
Our members are specialists in technology, science, and communication; and the world order you are leading us into is a catastrophic, dire mistake. We represent the natural order, and there is a critical error in the format you’re building your entire foundation on which will stamp permanent negative effects in our biology, to be straightforward and brief.
We will patiently await your response; know that we come in peace and mean nothing but good will for humanity. Please reconsider everything before it is too late to reach you.
http://www.anonews.co/anonymous-david-rockefeller/
Anonymous Message to David Rockefeller 31-12-2016.
2017 the year that hopefully heralds in a new deeper level of critical thinking for the progressive Left.
The year when we on the left fully realize that so called liberal news sources like the Guardian, The Washington Post are in fact some of most despicable enemies of progressive change.
2017 the year that people on the Left realize that if their political party still has any ties to the now debunked neo liberal, Laissez-faire free market economic ideological project that has been destroying the the left from the inside, then it is has come time to cut that cancer out, even if it is painful, it must be done to save the host.
2017 is the year we must come to understand that while this cancerous growth exists within the Left movement, that there will never be real change to the political and economic status quo.
The economic ideology of the free market cannot coexist with the ideology of a progressive left movement, that much has been made well and truly clear in 2016.
Turn Labour Left 2017
The economic ideology of the free market cannot coexist with the ideology of a progressive left movement, that much has been made well and truly clear in 2016.
Yep
Which simply shows how far from reality you are. A meld of the Douglas principles with some control of its excesses is the way of the future …the only way and moving to the left, further left,is just plain stupid. In anycase with Lange’s timidity/cup of tea we lost an essential part of the Douglas plan. leaving us with the salt without the sugar.
@jcuknz, No I think you are the one out of touch with reality pal.
“A meld of the Douglas principles with some control of its excesses is the way of the future”
Alan Greenspan one of the architects of your ideology admitted himself that humans didn’t respond and act as he thought they would, operating in a Laissez-faire free market environment….leading to the 2008 crash.
Did you just miss the part where the Americans just voted (or not voted against) in a fuckin’ crazy walkin’ talkin’ orange baboon rather than continue with your ideological project?
Did you miss that part where the citizens in the UK, in a fit of rage against your free market ideology said fuck you, and voted Brexit?
If you can’t see the writing on the wall,,, well, I guess we all see what we want to see, even if you just walked into the wall and got a blood nose.
Sorry clip above is a bit buggered, here is Greenspan admitting his ideological world view was wrong, all wrong…. watch or re watch this to give yourself a super boost into 2017… I love this one.
I reckon you’re reading a bit too much into how the fuckin crazy walkin talkin orange baboon is getting a seat in the Oval Office. Where he’ll be the biggest loser ever to occupy the chair, by 3 million votes. Because of a truly fucked up bizarre electoral system.
While there’s certainly a large element of “fuck you” to the status quo in the vote, it’s a massive stretch to suggest it’s a ringing endorsement to abandon capitalism, markets, and individual enterprise in favour of some (undetermined) socialism or communism.
The states within a federated republic of individual states overwhelmingly chose Trump. That’s all you need to know.
And the people chose Clinton, dimwit. I know you don’t like her (you don’t have to bother telling me why, again), but close to 4 million more voted for her than for your guy.
Plus, the point above was about whether choosing an embodiment of rampant capitalism and classist privilege was actually an anti-capitalist gesture. If it was, it was a bloody stupid one.
Let Calfornia secceed then. That’ll return the popular vote to Trump by a million.
Second point unanswered, I see. (Don’t bother to try – it’s unanswerable.)
BTW, I’m off – some of us have lives. 🙂
20 days to 16 years of Trump rule 🙂
Hey, it’ll probably SEEM like 16 years, but unless he rewrites the Constitution, Trump can only serve a max of 8 years (and I predict he won’t get that far).
Perhaps if you stop using theory to build out models and start using data you wouldn’t come across as such an ass hole
Anyone with a calculator can work it out.
This chat board is glitchy on my end. I’d actually tried replying to Marty Mars iirc. Hence my sparse participation here.
I was thinking that there is no evidence that economies achieve equilibrium. In fact in places like Pokeno capital decays.
Any happy New Years viper
To you too mate, from the Waikouiti New Years Day races. Best regards.
PS indeed, on the contrary, the empirical evidence is hugely against economic equilibrium in all except the most artificial circumstances
I completely disagree, it was revealed for all to see, that in the US, Sanders showed that even in the face of active and at time shocking bias from all MSM, and as exposed in the leaks, serious undermining from the structures of his own party, that even with these handicaps, a real progressive socialist message got real traction, and I would also say the same is true in the UK re; Corbyn.
So yes while it is true that the neo liberal establishment, and it’s media wing would rather eat their own babies than have a real swing to a progressive left, citizens across the world have shown they are ready and want to listen to an alternative, and maybe even fight for a change.
The Left needs to answer that call for change quickly, or that space will be filled by the right….as in Trump.
But what controls are you proposing?
Without Lange’s cup of tea everything would have been privatised.
I’m with you Adrian.
Until the left dumps Rogernomics it will not be unified.
Globalisation/ Free Market/Oneworld or whatever you call it ,is really just a race to the bottom for the vast majority, whilst lining the pockets of the unproductive / parasitic money lenders and power brokers ( and war mongers / military might).
We need fair trade not free trade.
Until the Standard gets rids of right wing shills, it will not be a place for the left to congregate.
I suggest a boycott of the worst shills starting today by all left wing commentators.
What a great plan.
Then you can start boycotting other lefties who are not as left as you want them to be.
Then you can boycott any leftie who perhaps has a differing view then your good self on any matter.
In the end you end up with a sad echo chamber all saying the same thing – and that becomes your perception of how people think.
Then you get all confused at election time when national get into power yet again because everyone you talk too say exactly the same as you.
Ban yourself, you and your fake left infiltrators have made this site unbearable.
Hoping for the defeat of religious extremists in Syria – right wing?
Opposing the extreme right and undemocratic Ukrainian regime – right wing
Arguing for moves against the Saudi/ Israeli/US neo-con foreign policy – right wing?
Arguing for the reversal of all neoliberal policies in NZ and the building of a socialist, environmentalist government ( not a Labour version of neoliberalism) – right wing?
Making a case for the severity of the climate issue – right wing?
Left wing is NOT what the Labour Party has been since Douglas.
“Fake left infiltrators”?!
Labour is the party that’s houses the ” fake left infiltrators” in the guise of neoliberalism.
I wouldn’t miss you either.
Oh, for a nice safe space lefty echo chamber
Pus off [deleted] you’re alt-right remember
And that sums you up. Not left, doesn’t want spaces for the left to discuss stuff. No you are the well poisoner, the authoritarian, like the right wing hero’s you adore. The sooner you fuck off overseas to your right wing utopias, the better imo.
[edited] – B
[You know the deal with using real world names where people are using pseudonyms. And what’s with the ad hom nonsense yet again today? It’s boring marty. Please desist] – Bill
You got the nice discussion you wanted yesterday didn’t you Bill with your innocent wee post. Fuck you and this bullshit im not hanging with your crew. To everyone who cares about people – have an empowering year. To tat and his mates – i hope i never hear any of your bullshit ever again. Dont worry ill keep fighting scum like you till i drop dead.
Being a bidduva snoflake matey.
Focus on sorting out your personal life first, marty mars.
marty i’m with you fully – i’ve watched quite a few spiral down into the trumpster world over the last year and for me TS is not a good place to visit any more
Marty mars – again with the real names (that’s clearly against the rules) – and it’s not nice to call people scum just because they disagree with you.
+1 Marty. Thanks for carrying the torch. I have nothing to say to these people.
to be fair Paul most of your beef is if with more rationale and balanced lefties who are not Pilger or Rt glove puppets, stop picking on us poor rwnj
You can always start your own site where you and your fellow travellers can congregate, that is if 2 or 3 people can be called a congregation A possible domain names, Doom and Gloom, Assad Vlad and me , I don’t think I just hyper link. RT Glovepuppets ……..
You know – I’m with you there all the way Red.
I’m fed up to the back teeth with all this wonderful Assard, Amazing Putin, only RT tell it like it REALLY is, Fantastic Trump, poor Julian so misunderstood, and let’s all hate Obama, nonsense.
Amazing Putin…. Can’t really discuss Putin’s motives unless you have a map with his warm water ports imo.
And kudos to him… well played 🙄
You’re missing out Red, the Doomstead Diner already exists, hosted by the egocentric RE and features the food stockpiling Norman Pagett, Steve Ludlum with an artistic view of the global economy and many other guests on the Collapse Cafe.
I don’t think getting rid of dissenting views is terribly helpful, despite how obnoxious and insufferable some of them can be. If anything, it’s a pertinent reminder of just what we’re opposing, and if you don’t know your enemy, you’re likely to be outmaneuvered more often than not. Sure, there are shills and yes-men, and pious members of the Church of Neo-Liberalism for whom the free market can do no wrong, and they’ll refuse to see common-sense and reason for the rest of forever, rather than admit that perhaps its all been a dreadful mistake responsible for a great deal of unnecessary suffering. But they’re entitled to their views, and they’re the ones who will have to contend with the prickling of their collective consciences… those who exhibit any sort of conscience. (And no, I don’t believe left-wing politics has any sort of monopoly on either compassion or common-sense.)
Besides, I learned a long time ago that arguing with zealots, religious, political or otherwise, is a tedious and frustrating exercise in futility. You can’t badger and belittle someone into changing their mind. As irritating as it may be, they kind of have to arrive at certain conclusions themselves. And some of them never will. You have to accept it and move on, which is not to say that I don’t find some of their utterances both baffling and offensive.
They’re not all bad. James, Alwyn and even BM can sometimes exhibit profound thinking and post insightful comments. I think Fisiani is probably the only one who persists in trolling for outrage, probably for shits and giggles.
Paul won’t be able to answer you for a week. He obviously didn’t read my post including its warnings and paid the price.
I look at it as being a form of inoculation. One of the problems that various people around political systems have is that they don’t get enough exposure to dissenting viewpoints. To be able to argue with someone with a rigid mind you have to be able to formulate the argument against it. To do that you have to be able to hear the argument.
I never expect to convince anyone from any side. However I am prepared to go as far as to sow serious doubt, indulge in serious levels of personal criticism and disdain of others to ram home the point, and to learn on those (fortunately) rare occasions when I am definitely caught on the wrong foot. Just as interesting is watching others fall into the traps that I would have if I’d had bothered to argue.
That happens not only here, but also out in the real world as well. It is just a lot easier to learn here. It is all part of having a lifetime of learning.
But I’m not really interested in having a nice echo chamber here. It tends to be dead boring. What I am prepared to do is to make the behavioural ground somewhat treacherous so that repetitive behaviours tend towards being risky. I find that is a lot better basis to level up the playing field.
So funny .. if you cannot stand the heat of pragmatic ideas you seek to ban them … having no argument to oppose a meld of reality with restrictions on where it leads the wrong way.
The point is that Douglas saved this country from the problems which affect most of the world but was stopped from introducing the safeguards which result in the problems affecting this country..
There is absolutely no future for Labour if it continues to go left. One can have one’s ideals but pragmatists know if you want to govern you need the center ground. Hence my belief in a meld.
Wrong.
And what safeguards were those, might I ask?
You have to remember that Douglas wanted to chop *EVERYTHING*. That is why Lange had to intervene.
I have to admit though, the changes brought in between 84-87 were minor compared to the changes brought in between 1987 and 1996. The poor and unemployed managed to hang in there through a combination of generous redundancy payouts and a welfare system that still paid a decent amount. Things didnt really go to shit until 1991 when Ruth Richardson implemented austerity 2 decades before the UK decided to go back to a Walpole-era state. Market rents for state housing, benefit cuts, the chopping of home ownership subsidies, as well the changes in the health system did the worse damage, plus the privatisation and deregulation of utilities was backloaded to 1994-1998.
Privatisation didnt really kick off on a serious basis until about 1988. I think the SOE system was a positive move on balance,though the commercial aspect was emphasised too much.
Adrian you still have Amy Goodman and Democracy Now. Unless of course you also think that DN and Goodman among some of the most despicable enemies of progressive change.
https://www.democracynow.org/2016/12/14/slaughter_or_liberation_a_debate_on
Thanks Jenny, I have been a Democracy Now! listener for a few years now, and no of course I don’t think DN is a enemy of change, why would you say that? DN is probably one of the best news sources out there, albeit quite American centric at times.
A couple of other news and information sources I find useful
Law and Disorder Radio…
http://lawanddisorder.org/
FAIR, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, incorporating the Counterspin podcast
http://fair.org/
Behind the News with Doug Henwood, some great interviews.
https://kpfa.org/program/behind-the-news/
Against the Grain, some serious indepth left wing and progressive analysis.. very good
https://kpfa.org/program/against-the-grain/
My apologies Adrien. When I read you lumping The Guardian amongst those you consider to be a despicable enemy of progressive change. I assumed it was because The Guardian and Democracy Now share the same Editorial line on the Syrian regime, the Arab Spring and the Syrian revolution.
Personally I find the Guardian to be a very reliable and reputable source especially when it comes to reporting climate change issues.
Maybe, to clear up my confusion, you could detail why you think The Guardian is a despicable enemy of progressive change.
Cheers Jenny
Wishing a happy new year to you and your loved ones.
Hi Jenny. For myself I read the Guardian, but with a very cynical eye. You might like to read this for starters..
https://theintercept.com/2016/12/29/the-guardians-summary-of-julian-assanges-interview-went-viral-and-was-completely-false/
https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/jul/19/yes-jeremy-corbyn-has-suffered-a-bad-press-but-wheres-the-harm
The guardian has a few good writers but in recent years it’s editorial line seems to have been captured by neoliberal and neo-con thinking.
It’s reporting of the Scottish referendum. The events in the Ukraine, Brexit, the US election and Syria show it has become another establishment puppet.
https://off-guardian.org/2016/12/30/greenwald-guardian-engaged-in-journalistic-fraud-in-assange-interview-rewrite/
paul we appreciate your position, we get it, we know who you are a fan boy of in a media sense, can we please FFS not have it rammed down our throats day in day out again 2017 , you keep repeating and posting the same shite in a repetitive cycle and to be honest mate it has got beyond boring, more bordering on psychotic OCD
[lprent: Snap 🙂 You have a week of peace. He failed to read my post and the warning at the end of it. ]
You know it’s not often I agree with your Red, but on this I agree. I’m sick of the scrolling past the same stuff for days on end to read peoples comments.
Hi, no offense taken.
The very serious problem with The Guardian and it’s so called liberal MSM cohorts, is that they have relentlessly and determinedly undermined, belittled and produced actual fake news, not about the radical right, but about the progressive Left…
https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/jul/19/yes-jeremy-corbyn-has-suffered-a-bad-press-but-wheres-the-harm
https://theintercept.com/2016/09/18/washpost-makes-history-first-paper-to-call-for-prosecution-of-its-own-source-after-accepting-pulitzer/
….I could go on and on and give you links infinitum, but you get the point.
Now this is a very serious problem for us all, because with so many smart progressives still (bizarrely) thinking and quoting these news outlets as legitimate political news sources, the Left remains and will remain divided and impotent, all the while, the right is gaining ground all around us.
It seems to me that the establishment (so called) liberal media, would rather have the right wing in ascendancy, than a real progressive left socialist project, this is judging them by their own words and their own actions over the previous 12 months.
It is just a sad truth, I used to love the Guardian myself, but facts are facts.
So the news on TV1 last night was that Max Key was going to play the New Year in on Sky Tower just before the fireworks display.
I can’t see it being reported very much today by most MSM websites – they just talk about the Sky Tower fireworks display.
On TV1 they said preparation for the Sky Tower display began 5 months ago. An indication that 5 months John Key was still planning to be PM by 1st January?
Who cares what TV1 says … time to get over your antipathy of the Key clan and get on with what is relevant to 2017…. I was fast asleep when all that rubbish was going on.
History is important to the present and future. It is important to understand it. Many things only come to light well after they happened.
Exactly
Terry Pratchett
“It is important that we know where we come from, because if you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are, and if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know where you’re going. And if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re probably going wrong.”
Perhaps they hired him because a) he is reasonably popular and b) quite talented at what he does.
(Not that im a fan of his music in the slightest).
There you are James! Happy New Year!
Tell me something…as a talented person yourself (you must be because they hired you to troll here as a professional de- railer) do you get paid double time and a day in lieu for working on a statutory holiday?
Always wanted to know.
Happy new year to you rosemary.
Again with the “you must be paid” troll posted as a “fact”.
Try another record for 2017. It’s not so much that it’s boring (which it is). It’s more that it makes you look stupid and all part of the tin foil hat club.
You can do better.
My predictions for 2017…..
– Steven Joyce unveils a large privatisation/outsourcing program in this coming Budget.
– At least 4 more MPs announce their standing down at the 2017 election.
– Gareth Morgan recruits Bernard Hickey and Shemanual Equaib (sp?), and other prominent technocrats to the TOP Party, but it just misses the 5% threshold.
– John Tamihere and Shane Jones announce their initention to stand in the 2017 election, but not for Labour.
– Sky announces its plan to sell Prime TV an an effort to jumpstart its failed merger with Vodafone
– NZME and Mediaworks offer to sell a number of radio station to a third party in return for ComCom approval of their merger
– At least 1 assassination attempt is made on Donald Trump
– The All Blacks defeat the Lions in the upcoming series 2-1, but the Lions win all their matches against the Super 15 sides.
– In his valedictory speech, John Key expresses regret for pledging not to tighten eligibility for National Superannuation, he also gets a column in a prominent newspaper, “Key Points” which he outlines a number of hard right policy prescriptions.
– “Arise, Sir John Key”.
– The election will be close, with a narrow Labour/Greens win that is not finalised till after the specials are counted, the Greens will be forced to accept a Coalition agreement that they get bugger all out of, but they sign because they do not want another 3 years in opposition. Winston NZ/First will also get into Parliament, but will not be in the coalition, Peters will announce that he is stepping down in 2020.
I’ll be more specific:
The election won’t be held until after the Queens Birthday Honour’s List has been issued so the “arise Sir John” moment actually happens.
One of the retiring MP’s is Shane Reti who stands down from the Whangarei seat.
Shane Jones is the NZFirst candidate who wins the seat.
It won’t be like that.
John Key will receive the Order of New Zealand in next years New Year Honours.
That award does not have the honorific ‘Sir’ attached.
He will receive a Knight of the Garter from the Queen at the same time. That one does rate a ‘Sir’.
Frankly I can’t see anything being awarded to him after Nact lose the 2017 election.
So it’s before or nothing. As I understand it the government of the day does the “Sir” recommending to the Queen.
But I am in awe of such a detailed time table – has this already been organised with Bill English? Could this also be known as “the fix is already in? “???
” I can’t see anything being awarded to him after Nact lose the 2017 election”.
Do you really think that that miserable little rat-bag Little would be such a prick in the unlikely event he became PM?
After all the Key Government gave the award to Clark, and a knighthood to Cullen. They were magnanimous I suppose. Even the Clark Government made Bolger a member of the Order of New Zealand. Would a Little Government really be so little minded?
” As I understand it the government of the day does the “Sir” recommending to the Queen”
Not for the Garter. From
http://www.heraldicsculptor.com/Garters.html
“appointment to the order is solely at the discretion of the British monarch”
New Zealand has only had two, to date. Holyoake and Hillary.
Actually “the fix being in” is the knife being sharpened by Grant Robertson to slip into Little’s back after National lead the next Government following the election.
The timetable is merely reflecting the fact that such awards are normally made after the MP leaves Parliament. See Goff’s award.
I had better correct this. The Clark Government did not award the honour to Bolger (He already had it). They did give it to Don McKinnon though.
RedBaronCV
While I think it probable that John Key will get whatever he gets at Queens Birthday, in the event he did not, it would be extraordinary for a different govt to deliberately not give him an honour.
That would be against all precedent going back many decades. Helen Clark got an ONZ from National, Sir Michael Cullen got a KNZM.
Andrew Little, if he was the PM, would simply be not that small minded. And you saw that in his quite generous remarks when John Key stepped down.
While that type of civility might annoy many Standardnista’s, it is a desirable and perhaps a necessary part of constitutional govt to ensure neither side acts out of spite and vengeance when they have their time in office.
The US has got altogether too near that space, and most people think that they are poorer for it.
Funny how they are all the best of mates when they are out of office. Wouldn’t be because they have the same paymasters by any chance?
They often work together more than most realize.
There are a number of cross party parliamentarian groups which are an active part of parliamentary life.
Take this one for example:
http://abortionwiki.org/New_Zealand_Parliamentarians_on_Population_and_Development
There are even parliamentary friendship groups.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/document/00hooocmppmpsfriendshipgroups1
Which is why honours should be determined by an independent body.
Goodness me. I agree with you Wayne. I guess there is room for integrity and old fashioned courtesy on both sides of the political equation. It would be very nice to see some of the old fashioned courtesies of yesteryear return to political life everywhere. The world would not be in the turmoil it is today if that was the case.
How interesting Wayne – the right spend considerable time attacking the people who criticize them ( with no need to be civil apparently! Paula Bennett releasing personal details of people who commented on a policy – and the whole of “dirty politics” ) but this is now “a bad thing” according to you.
Maybe Nact could get busy and practice what you suggest?
I look forward to the wholesale apologies from the right along with appropriate restitution for all the times they have attacked people who have done nothing personally to deserve it.
So if John wants his “sir” rather than the classless ONZ (Labour may be happy to recommend that) I can’t see us having too early an election – which was what the post was about.
As to generous – JK has been far too generous with my tax money paying for public services by dodgy corporates and running up a record debt so high earners can have tax cuts.
Here’s Scott Yorke’s predictions for 2017:
https://imperatorfish.com/2016/12/31/top-ten-predictions-for-2017/
No 8.”Andrew Little will be accused of smiling. An internal Labour Party investigation will determine that he was in fact just grimacing in an unusual manner.”
Peters stepping down? I think he’ll die on the perch (and then his party – which stands for what, exactly?) will wither away pretty damn quickly.
They stand for National losing Northland if nothin else. Which is not to be scoffed at.
Even Winston will want to move on. He has been involved in every election going back to 1975 when he stood for what is now Te Tai Tokerau.
2017 got off to a great start when Celtic trounced a team calling itself “Rangers” and moved 19 points clear at the top of the SPFL. That really felt good. Some things in life are more important than politics. Good friends, family, and supporting the best team. That’s me. Enjoy 2017. It looks like its going to be a great year.
Labour often talk about giving people a fair go. Are they prepared to give smokers a fair go?
Tobacco tax increase comes in today
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/321568/tobacco-tax-increase-comes-in-today
Maybe the government (and any possible Labour/Greeen government of the future) are more interested in giving smokers and those who live with them a fair go in terms of greater life expectancy..?
While that may benefit those that manage to quit, it leaves those that don’t far worse off.
Greater life expectancy is also related to ones diet. Therefore, fiscally punishing smokers robs them of their disposable income to maintain a healthy diet. Resulting in compounding the problem as they continue to smoke and have less for things like heating and food.
You are clutching at straws there Extremist. Smoking is probably the biggest hindrance to any health program. A better solution, if you can’t give up, would be to cut back wouldn’t it?
“Smoking is probably the biggest hindrance to any health program”
So are a number of things sold in your local supermarket.
This is far from the first tobacco tax increase, thus a number of smokers have already cut down as far as they handle. While some others have turned to more desperate and underhanded measures.
We are largely dealing with the hardcore smokers now.
As for clutching at straws, you need to widen your perspective.
A number of smokers are currently struggling to get by.
If they continue to smoke (and many will) this tax increase will force them to cut back on the essentials even more.
Keep in mind we are dealing with a highly addictive substance. And a good number of smokers come from a lower social economic background (making them potential Labour supporters seeking that fairer go).
I’d say there is a stronger link between prescription drugs lowering life expectancy http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/76712274/Codeine-morphine-and-painkiller-drug-use-in-NZ-quadruples-in-a-decade-study
That would help explain why so many respondents say they are happy when they respond to pollsters, they’re high on prescription drugs.
For tens of thousands that may be true. Even Pokemon go is looked at as a kind of anti depressant drug. Must people don’t understand that for every 20 cents you save on cheap prescription drugs you lose a dollar in wages.
Is tobacco tax increases shortening the life expectancy of dairy owners?
If Labour genuinely wanted to give everyone a fair go, they would approach this problem in a fairer, less damaging way.
On average a smoker who stops gets another six years of pension. Stopping smoking is always a good thing. Annual tax increases are part of the solution.
The price incentive to quit is there now. Therefore, annual tax increases no longer need to be part of the solution.
The approach must now change to help deal with the hardcore and prevent the new uptake.
Would it be feasible for those lovely caring tobacco industry people to manufacture a far less dangerous fag with less tar, and the other nasty chemicals, but with ‘flavour’ and nicotine?
Good point Garibaldi though better all round to give it up completely as i managed in 1974 … ten years before I had my heart quad bypass.
My smoking addiction, which I probably still have but doesn’t trouble me these day, consisted of two things the sucking and the inhaling.
With a bad attack of a cold I gave up smoking for two or three days and as I recovered I simply sucked but didn’t light up. Trouble was helpful folk kept offering to light my cig . I spotted a miniature ‘alpine pipe’ and bought it to suck … obviously no tobacco to light up so no more ‘offers’.
After two or three months I had bit through the pipe stem and filed another grip for my teeth. another few months and I was happy to let the pipe go.
I hope my story will help a smoking addict kick the habit because even at twenty a day and particularly at today’s prices I have been considerably richer financially and health wise .
Come ‘bypass’ in 1984 I felt for fellow patients as they tried to fool the nurses by ducking out of the ward … but you could smell it on them when they returned. Really sad.
E-cigarettes.
Labour often talk about giving people a fair go. Are they prepared to give smokers a fair go?
Nope. If anything, they’re even more intent on creating a black market for tobacco than the current government is.
It would explain why they also support an increase in police numbers.
The new left aka the moralising upper middle clasd
The best way to crack down on smoking is to nationalise the tobacco companies and close them down over the next 10 years, selling the plant for scrap and the buildings/land to recover the costs. Then fully legalise e-cigarettes.
That overlooks the black market, gave no indication on pricing while also overlooking tobacco companies are largely the suppliers of e-cigarettes.
The best way to crack down on smoking…
What really would be best would be if governments stopped seeing it as their job to “crack down” on people’s recreational drug use. As to your suggestion: excellent from the gangs’ point of view, not so hot for those of us who aren’t gang members.
considering very little tobacco is manufactured here legallly, fk all land or plant to sell, so dumb plan, BAT 75 pc market share and import every thing
I never said anything about banning tobacco, but anything has to be better than imposing further financial strain on the poor, and demonising those who smoke for various reasons — ie stress relief, food substitute, etc.
But we do need to fully legalise e-cigarettes. They are the future IMO.
thought for a new year….
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/51/6c/81/516c81e28334c9b3bec82e38fc945322.jpg
love it!
The twelfth day around Christmas and a finale of quotes on Friendship. And that is important to look for, and to find the genuine article.
To look for the good in people, and try to resist calling people you don’t agree with a piece of pus. I think handle it to try to limit responses to feisty people, one poke and then leave the aggro to settle.
Frankly I believe that the blog is being so constantly aggravated by provocative poisonous RW that don’t give a damn about a better world for all, that ithe blog’s good effect and value is being severely blunted. Limiting comment numbers per day would be one way of limiting the pollution, and everyone would be forced to limit their sayings or miss the chance for something meaningful. And this would deter them from starting flame wars because it would be wasting their opportunities to put forward their hopefully, intelligent, witty opinions.
+++
Happy New Year folks!
I predict that 2017 will be the year that deep-rooted and endemic corruption arising from the Neo-liberal private procurement model for public services (at local and central government) will be finally exposed.
As a result – I predict that the Neo-liberal myth, that ‘public is bad – private is good’, will be finally shattered, as the facts and evidence prove that the private procurement model, (contracting out of public services), is more costly, a less effective use of public (tax and rates) monies, and it breeds corruption.
That there are, in my view, billion$ of public monies being spent on ‘corporate welfare’, which could (and should) be spent on ‘people’s welfare’ – particularly our most vulnerable.
I predict that ‘the books’ will be opened, and the Public Records Act 2005, WILL be implemented and enforced, starting with Auckland Transport, and the following details of awarded contracts WILL be made available for public scrutiny:
* The unique contract number.
* The name of the consultant /contractor.
* A brief description of the scope of the contract.
* Contract start /finish dates.
* The exact dollar value of each and every contract – including those sub-contracted.
* How the contract was awarded – by direct appointment or public tender.
In order to help achieve this –
I shall be standing as an
‘anti-privatisation / anti-corruption’ Independent candidate in the upcoming Mt Albert by-election.
If you would like to help – please send me a personal message on Facebook.
Also – please help by SHARING this post!
2017 is going to be a DOOZY!
Starting today ……
🙂
Penny Bright
Good to see Penny that in the new year you have decided to stop peddling support for corruption and genocide in Syria.
http://litci.org/en/rami-makhlouf-a-corruption-poster-boy/
The sovereign government of Syria is gradually reasserting control and safety over the country.
Without help from the apologists for illegal foreign sponsored regime change, like yourself.
On this issue CV – I agree with you.
Kind regards
Penny Bright.
Really Penny?
Do you still really support the despotic junta in Syria that is responsible for over 400,000 deaths mostly from aerial bombardment?
If you do, I have to ask you; Are you and your new neo-fascist mates planning to disrupt the Mt Albert by-election by picketing the Green Party candidate?
Just like you have been harrassing the Syrian refugees?
/voices-from-aleppo/#comment-1281292
Define ‘harassing’ Jenny?
In New Zealand, our democratic rights as citizens to freedom of expression and peaceful protest are protected by law under the NZ Bill of Rights Act 1990.
(Sections 14 and 16).
Perhaps you’d like to (re)read this legislation?
Kind regards
Penny Bright
From your non-answer Penny, can I take it that you don’t intend to break any laws, but that you do intend, to the limit the law allows disrupt the Mt Albert by-election by harrassing the Green Party candidate?
Penny, are these the sort of protests that you and your Far Right mates intend to mount against the Green Party candidate?
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/protesters-clash-in-auckland-over-killings-in-syria/
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11746979
Do you, or did you Jenny, support the ‘White Helmets’ in Aleppo, Syria – yes or no?
Asking nicely.
Kind regards
Penny Bright
(Who did not / does not support the ‘White Helmets’ in Aleppo, Syria.)
Absolutely, yes. I support the White Helmets. In my opinion, only a pschopathe wouldn’t.
What’s your point?
Make your mind up if you think people who question the authenticity of the White Helmets are psychopaths.
http://www.alternet.org/grayzone-project/how-white-helmets-became-international-heroes-while-pushing-us-military
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/11/04/just-how-gray-are-the-white-helmets-of-syria/
But Paul, yesterday you were claiming Patrick Cockburn and Robert Fisk were the authoritative sources on the White Helmets, not the political activists at Alternet and Counterpunch. Did you finally notice that neither Cockburn nor Fisk actually make the claims you imply they do?
Alternet and Counterpunch aren’t authoritative sources on anything – in fact, the Counterpunch piece even offers regime propaganda sources like Vanessa Beeley, Solidarity with Syria and Russia Today as “raising investigation-based questions” about the White Helmets, rather than the more accurate “promoting the regime’s talking points.”
Any force that deliberately targets ambulances, search and rescue services and hospitals to quell and intimidate their opponents, whatever the pretext, are by definition psychopathic, and under the Geneva conventions, war criminals.
Missed this did you Jenny?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/fact-sheet-on-syrias-white-helmets/5549760
The White Helmets – here are a few facts that you need to know.
Share this to your family and friends who subsist on Western corporate media:
* The White Helmets, also called Syria Civil Defence, are not who they claim to be.
The group is not Syrian; it was created with USA/UK funding under the supervision of a British military contractor in 2013 in Turkey.
* The name “Syria Civil Defence” was stolen from the legitimate Syrian organization of the same name.
The authentic Syria Civil Defence was founded in 1953 and is a founding member of the International Civil Defense Organization (1958).
* The name “White Helmets” was inappropriately taken from the legitimate Argentinian relief organization Cascos Blancos / White Helmets. In 2014, Cascos Blancos / White Helmets was honored at the United Nations for 20 years of international humanitarian assistance.
* The NATO White Helmets are primarily a media campaign to support the ‘regime change’ goals of the USA and allies.
After being founded by security contractor James LeMesurier, the group was “branded” as the White Helmets in 2014 by a marketing company called “The Syria Campaign” managed out of New York by non-Syrians such as Anna Nolan. “The Syria Campaign” was itself “incubated” by another marketing company named “Purpose”.
……”
Kind regards
Penny Bright
PS: Yes – I was appalled to hear Green MP Julie-Ann Genter publicly support the ‘White Helmets’ at a recent anti-Assad / anti-Russia demonstration in Auckland.
I doubt Julie-Ann Genter loses any sleep over her speeches appalling the odd delusional crank.
Of course. Yes, I support the first responders known as the White Helmets absolutely. In my opinion, only a psychopath wouldn’t.
Let me Penny, ask you a question in return.
Do you support this?
What a ridiculous question.
Paul, you’re trying to engage with a fanatic. It’s pointless.
Morrissey, Do you dispute the fact that the destruction evidenced in the video was committed by the Assad regime?
Since the total destruction of this city described as “The Capital of the revolution” was undoubtably committed by the regime, and that Paul and yourself support that regime, I don’t think the question is “ridiculous” or “pointless” to give your answer, I am sure our readers would all like to know.
Do you Morrisey and Paul support the methods used by the regime to quell the uprising?
The fact that you refuse to answer these questions. Exposes the depth of either your hypocrisy and/or depravity.
The White Helmets are a foreign funded propaganda NGO which works closely with the former terrorists in East Aleppo.
Very few (if any) residents in East Aleppo ever saw them perform any actual rescue work.
Now that East Aleppo has been liberated, the White Helmets have basically disappeared with the rebels.
CV, since the White Helmets are targeted by the regime.
(Something which you support and even applaud)
What point are you trying to make?
Of course. Because they are not an impartial civil defence organisation.
They are a propaganda arm of the rebels.
What sort of reputable civil defence organisation would pull this shit:
And the white helmets have been in existence for a total of 3 years, for about as long as a war has been going on. Hmm?? The real Syrian Civil Defence was formed in 1953 and through western media we hear nothing about, it’s all the white helmets..
Rehearsal is an important part of getting the propaganda just right.
Rehearsal is also a very important part of getting a rescue just right.
Just ask any Fire Fighter of Ambo.
And remember that these are all civilian volunteers.
CV you may mock and sneer as much as you like.
But it is on same flimsy grounds, that you bring up here, that the regime have marked the White Helmets for death.
A position that you support and even applaud.
Not being a Dr I obviously can’t diagnose your view as psychopathic.
But in the common parlance of the lay person, it certainly looks like it to me.
Very few (if any) residents in East Aleppo ever saw them perform any actual rescue work.
You spout these assertions as though they were generally-agreed commonplaces. The fact is, you have no basis for that claim beyond fellow conspiracy theorists and regime propaganda. And even if it were true, it would leave open the not-insignificant question of who the fuck else you think was doing emergency response during the siege. This really is contemptible stuff.
Regardless, it has been sorted. Peace has been returned to Aleppo. Ankara, the CIA and the Pentagon have lost their proxy war for that city.
For the love of God C.V. Psych Milt has a point. They were actually boots on the ground trying to help people, it’s just plain wrong to condemn them for trying to help.
CV is fucking mental
6 years ago all this Alepo bullshit kicked off with a series of 13 suicide bombings, Assades response was America is funding terrorism. The western response was you lie. The Wikileaks says Saudi sponsors ISIS.
And it’s been a gradual decay of western debate ever since.
Cheap ad hom is cheap.
No; the White Helmets were propaganda actors aligned with the terrorist rebels.
They weren’t actual civil defence, they had no presence independent of terrorist fighters, eg they never performed rescues in government held areas of western Aleppo that were under attack from the rebels, they never assisted the Syrian Arab Army in helping rescue civilians.
Further. The western ground game is a myth. They’ve been kindly asked to leave every time they but in.
Iraq asked Turcky to fuck off, US backed rebels have been asked to fuck off because they attract Russian bombs and so on.
I repeat, the entire western ground game is a myth. Happy to provid links upon request
…they never performed rescues in government held areas of western Aleppo that were under attack from the rebels, they never assisted the Syrian Arab Army in helping rescue civilians.
Uh, duh-uh – the regime has its own civil defence operating in regime-held areas, and any of these guys operating there or trying to “assist the Syrian Arab Army” would be arrested immediately as terrorists and tortured for details of where to find all their friends. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but there’s a civil war happening in Syria.
Honestly Milt. This isn’t some hurricane to mope up after. It’s a war zone. Even the US bombed these guys. And when some jihadi wana be disobeys US orders. The Pentagon organises an attack starting with a bombing campaign so stupid moderate rebels form up on the front lines and America says, nah boi, no bombs today. And those rebels get fucked beyond all recognition, then the US points the finger and says see, Assad bad, US good. Your being played by the White House bro.
If you are trying to find a moral high ground out of all this, there isn’t any.
Which is why Russia and Iran finally stepped in, in a big way, to sort out the US/NATO/Turkish run “Assad must go” regime change proxy war programme in Syria.
Maybe it was the real Syria Civil Defence? The one that became a member of the International Civil Defence Organisation in 1972 and appears to have some international street cred. The white helmets came into existence 41 years later, so it can’t be them.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/11/04/just-how-gray-are-the-white-helmets-of-syria/
Maybe the regime was providing civil defence services within the rebel-held areas it was busy bombarding? And doing it invisibly so that no-one knew it was happening? I can’t stop the loons at Counterpunch from putting deranged shit on the web, but it would be nice if the people reading it applied their brains while doing so.
Ok, so its attack the source time and ignore the ICDO certified civil defence info.
You know quite well why the established civil defence is completely ignored by the media. It doesn’t fit the narrative.
No, it’s attack-the-logic-fail time. Ridiculing the source of the logic fail was an aside.
I do know quite well why the official civil defence was ignored in media coverage about the siege of east Aleppo – it’s because the regime doesn’t operate emergency services in rebel-held areas, for fairly obvious reasons. That’s also the reason why unofficial first response groups were set up in the first place. No amount of peddling conspiracy theories about a “narrative” can alter that.
And this:
Now that East Aleppo has been liberated [sic], the White Helmets have basically disappeared with the rebels.
No fucking shit, Sherlock? Now that the bombardment’s stopped and the winners are keen to apply torture or summary execution to anyone involved in making them look bad these last few years, the White Helmets aren’t holding any parades in the streets? It’s just plain unfathomable!
The Russians and the Assad government allowed rebels and their sympathisers to peacefully leave Aleppo with their light arms and head away to ISIS held territory.
Therefore any summary executions and ad hoc reprisals by the Syrian Arab Army in Aleppo are likely to be minimal.
Remember, unlike the foreign Islamist fighters, many members of the Syrian Arab Army actually grew up and lived in Aleppo – it is their home town and their home neighbourhoods that they have liberated.
BTW there are plenty of statements from Eastern Aleppo residents that the rebels when in charge performed many summary executions, torture, shooting of civilians who tried to leave the area, etc.
Irrelevant. My points were:
1. Now that there’s no bombardment, it follows that there’s no guys in white helmets digging people out of the rubble after a bombardment.
2. These guys have actively made the regime look bad in the international media. They’re not going to share your sanguine appraisal of the likelihood of reprisals for that.
You’re clearly not that smart if you think that legitimate Civil Defence activities cease when the bombs stop falling.
Because that’s when legitimate civil defence efforts START.
Distributing emergency supplies, identifying individuals and families with medical needs, ensuring that communities are kept informed, checking and clearing each and every apartment in every apartment block for people who are wounded or need any other help.
So where are all these White Helmets doing all these necessary Civil Defence activities?
***POOOF*** gone
Do you even know what a civil war is? Because your comments give the impression you don’t.
For the benefit of any new readers, the Public Records Act does not control making available to the public any information about either central or local government dealings. That is instead a function of the Official Information Act (OIA) and the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA).
Wishing all a happy and truth-filled year.
Here’s the underpinning legislation folks.
Read it for yourselves:
The Public Records Act 2005 – section 17:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2005/0040/latest/DLM345729.html
17. Requirement to create and maintain records
(1) Every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor.
______________________
Have you studied the 225 page reasons for the decision of Justice Sally Fitzgerald in the unprecedented bribery and corruption conviction of a corrupt contractor and two corrupt public officials, who both worked for Rodney District Council and then Auckland Transport?
It shows what happens when you don’t have full and accurate public records, and there is a ‘culture of collaboration’ between public officials and contractors?
$1.2 million in bribes – that’s just between one corrupt public official and one corrupt contractor.
This Judgment, in my view, completely vindicates what I’ve been saying for years about corruption in New Zealand.
I look forward to more people paying attention.
Some are.
Have you read the two latest investigative articles about corruption in the NBR by Karyn Scherer?
I recommend you do.
Kind regards
Penny Bright
As noted above, “made available for public scrutiny” is not a function of the Public Records Act. Penny has been told this many, many times now. The public deserve better than wilful ignorance.
Really Sacha?
Would you like to share with us the basis for your supposed ‘expertise’ on the Public Records Act 2005?
And share with us, if you would, information which pertains to any consultancy work you may have obtained from Auckland Council or any Auckland Council Controlled Organisation (CCO), if that is the case?
Kind regards
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption campaigner.’
Give me a break Penny, for a self styled anti-corruption campaigner you openly support one of the most corrupt and murderous political family dynasties on the planet. First equal with the Kim’s of North Korea.
http://litci.org/en/rami-makhlouf-a-corruption-poster-boy/
Answer the question Penny
P.S. First asked here below
Being able to read a law is not rare expertise. I have no intention of debating matters of fact with a recidivist dunce, let alone a malicious one.
Indeed.
Someone who imperiously demands that you answer her questions. And then when you do, arrogantly refuses to reciprocate, when you ask her a question.
So Penny, are you, or are you not, planning protests against the Green Party candidate in the Mt Albert by-election?
I have now read much of the Judge’s reasoning. It becomes clear that successful prosecutions were possible only because the records held by public agencies including AT were kept in accordance with the Public Records Act. Nothing in that law stops somebody lying on a Conflict of Interest form, but preserving the evidence can be helpful later.
The year that might be: Fairfax political predictions for 2017
Number 19. There will be one more political bombshell in 2017 that will change the course of the election and install Andrew Little as prime minister.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87902265/the-year-that-might-be-our-political-predictions-for-2017
Interesting. However I don’t see Little as having a good chance against the National candidate.
I don’t think Marama Fox will be a one term only MP.
There will be plenty more of the unexpected.
And more violence against civilians internationally – like this mass shooting by 2 “Santas” in Istanbul.
We live in uncertain and brutal times.
I see the Stuff predictions have nothing to say about poverty and inequality – not interested. To them politics is just a game – and a one of power.
you have to watch out for Marama Fox. She is a hardline social conservative who opposes homosexuality, abortion, decriminalization of cannabis use, sex education in school, and supports the religous indocrination of South Auckland youth via charter schools.
Pity. She’s been very good on poverty and homelessness, etc.
I’m still surprised the Stff prediction is that she won’t be r-elected next year. I thought she’d been a strong performer.
Yeah she’s a strong pollie alright and she has a natural personality for it, she deserves to get back in no matter what people think of her I reckon.
She is useless on the environment having caved in to the right on the RMA
millsy
Do you have a handy link about Marama Fox detailing all that stuff? She is a strong speaker and though I had heard her say some RW style things, I did hope that she would be a progressive voice for Maori.
http://www.noted.co.nz/currently/profiles/maori-party-co-leader-marama-fox-interview/
millsy
Great thanks.
Marama is a five to one outsider and Meka has performed as good as Marama. I just don’t see Fox overcoming her 8000 vote deficit http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2014/electorate-66.html
Unintended irony by the Herald on Sunday
Page 1 ( channelling Paul Henry and Mike Hosking)
‘Welcome to 2017 in the greatest little country on Earth’
Page 2 ( only story) ‘Homeless man told to live in car.’
My predictions for 2017. A national / act / nz first government.
Andrew little replaced by Grant Robertson with jacinda and deputy.
There is a better than even chance of this happening, IMO, particularly if National plays the shell game I think it is. A low party vote means Little may not even get back into Parliament.
Indeed.
Little needs a seat – they are too close to having zero list MP’s on some polling.
I think not going for Kings seat was a major mistake from him.
Then again he prob knows without winning the election he is toast anyway.
I wouldn’t write Labour off just yet. It all depends on whether or not Little chooses to seize the initiative at the start of the year.
US Govt Data Shows Russia Used Outdated Ukrainian PHP Malware
Oh oh oh another prediction. Little will try to chicken out on the hagamans court case.
he cannot afford to lose that either (or his house).