The nats privatisation plans are getting more and more difficult. It was conceded yesterday that unless the legislation specifically prevents this happening a partially privatised SOE could sell individual power stations to overseas interests. Eventually they could all be sold. Being a company the directors need to act in the best commercial interests of all shareholders. If the price was right the power stations could all go.
To stop this the matter will need to be addressed in the proposed legislation. And if they do this then the price will take a hit.
Add Maori’s urgent application to the Waitangi Tribunal concerning the use of water and a professional investor is going to significantly discount any offer made. As far as I am concerned they should be allowed to. After all water and the rivers are taonga that Maori retain tino rangatiratanga over.
There must be a point where the sale process is not worth it. I wonder if we are there yet.
lprent – what is up with the Microsoft cloud/ Plunket banner ad on the home page?
Given that Shonkey and the Nats have already signalled their intention to roll out cloud hosting of govt services and information this ad is pretty wack -using Plunket and the kid to promote microsoft and this type of tech as cuddly or safe kind of glosses over how radical and experimental the move to host govt on the cloud really is.
It should never even go to tender – but can we assume from this that there will be a competitive open tender process? – I for one would dearly like a piece of the Nats IT splurge – Google and Microsoft must be drooling at the though of all the money one of them is about get out of NZ. And silly us, we are paying them while at the same time handing over our soverignty.
With the promise of lower costs, increased efficiencies, and new ways to meet organisational priorities, there is a lot of excitement about cloud computing. This is particularly true for government organisations that see ways to leverage the cloud to reduce costs, improve transparency, advance collaboration, better focus on critical needs, and increase citizen services.
Sound familiar? Ole Shonkey has been parroting the PR of the cloud pushers almost word for word. Their sales pitch obviously won him over, I wonder what his kickback is for regurgitating their spin.
I tend to pretty much ignore the ads except for the odd time. For instance the campaign against MMP banners ads last year, where I added the campaign for MMP logos to our logo.
Cheers Lynn – I am doing my best to ignore it but still find it galling. I was hoping that you might have some comment or might like to post perhaps on the ‘cloud’ and its pros and cons – this is your field after all and I would be most interested in your thoughts.
Cloud is a label covering a multitude of types of systems. This site uses two “cloud” sites for warm backup servers (one is meant to be hot – but needs more time to work on than I have now). One is configured as a VPS, but is easily scaleable. The other is a on demand system.
There isn’t anything much different to the remotely hosted dedicated servers, VPS, and web servers I have been using since 1997. All the usual security issues and problems with slow international links and latencies to code around. Hopefully if the government does it here, then they will do it over the local nets to one of the local clouds.
But you pretty much have security problems as soon as you allow any remote access to any system that doesn’t involve a physical access control with people looking over biometrics. Doesn’t matter that much if it is a terminal to a mainframe or a server on the public nets. You still have to put in a lot of connectivity security against man in the middle and stolen access codes. Systems based on the public systems is usually somewhat better these days – a lot more eyes looking for and fixing holes.
trouble is that means it’s the zealots who end up on the front lines, with no qualms at all about lobbing WP into housing projects or shooting children.
Another difficult moral challenge in an overwhelmingly shitty situation.
The Israeli soldiers who commit atrocities are carrying out government orders. If a soldier shoots a Palestinian child and/or demolishes a Palestinian home, it’s not any more acceptable if that soldier does it with a heavy heart and feels guilty.
The problem is the Israeli government, not the poor soldiers who are forced to carry out its crimes.
What “moral challenge” is there? You either participate in these atrocities, or you protest against them, as thousands of young Israelis do every year by refusing to join up.
it’s more how they interpret their orders, and what they choose to interpret as a “threat” that warrants lethal force, and so on.
No, that’s not right. While some Israeli soldiers are undoubtedly cruel, the fact is they are there because the Israeli government has sent them there. It wasn’t a few “bad eggs” who made the decision to destroy Gaza’s electricity supply, bomb its hospitals and schools and cut off its water. It wasn’t a few soldiers making a faulty interpretation of their orders that resulted in white phosphorus, cluster bombs and napalm being used on the civilians of Gaza and Lebanon.
Good to see you back, Morrissey – and in fine form with dear old Grumpers.
Did you see Norman Finkelstein’s recent demolition of the Palmer report ? – ‘Torpedoing the Law: How the Palmer Report Justified Israel’s Naval Blockade of Gaza’. “A careful analysis of the POI report shows that it is probably the most mendacious and debased document ever issued under the aegis of the United Nations.”
Still, should be useful for Geoff’s career earnings. I wonder if Chen and Palmer will diversify into strategic hasbara PR for the Israeli government ?
Yes, I have indeed read and listened to Finkelstein damning Palmer.
Don’t forget, though, it’s the Palmer-Uribe report. The real driver of the report was no doubt the notorious ex-President of Colombia (and notorious violator of human rights) Signor Uribe. Norman Finkelstein noted that the dice were loaded as soon as Uribe was named as the “investigator”.
I’m sure Palmer contributed little or even nothing of substance, other than sign his name to it.
I wonder if Chen and Palmer will diversify into strategic hasbara PR for the Israeli government?
They already have. For free. I believe Lenin had the right term for people like Palmer: useful idiots.
Fair enough, McFlock. I am not trying to say you are wrong. You’re not. It’s just a question of where the primary responsibility lies. As flawed as some of the Israeli soldiers might be, the primary responsibility for them being in the Occupied Territories lies not with them, but with the Israeli regime.
Why does the word communism automatically alert the moderators? Every time I use it my comments are sucked away. Is there an alternative? How about… “that state of social organisation preceeded by socialism”. Too wordy?
The word communism can only be used legitimately, no? Unlike Nazi, which always seems a little over the top in anything but a historical context. And commie can be humourous. We even have those “In Soviet Russia…” jokes on youtube. Can anyone remember any funny Nazi’s?
[It used to be a common “flag” for RWNJ trolls during the last government. But that use does seem to have faded now. Lynn – time to review this? — r0b]
[lprent: Yep. Along with a number of other words and phrases. I’ll have a review of them in the next couple of weeks when the warm weather and my current project crunch let up. The most effective way is to scan the archives of moderated comments to see what they are being used for now. ]
Are you crazy? Hitler had a silly moustache and farted a lot, goering had fabulous blue uniforms and silly batons but was so fat that none of the planes in his airforce were big enough to get him off the ground, goebbels had a congenital malformation and constantly talked about being in the master race…
Aside from the entire planned deaths of millions (and just winging the deaths of millions more) thing, the entire crew seemed to be characters taken from the unreleased comedy classic “Carry On Up the Thousand Year Reich”.
“…The demise of the Occupy camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral was long overdue.
That is not to say it should never have been there at all.
The protest that the police dismantled late on Monday night was loud, scruffy and angry.
And embedded in its sometimes incoherent messages was a core feeling of dissatisfaction which spoke to many struggling to make sense of the most severe financial crisis since the 1930s.
A world in which the richest few grow ever richer –
– while everyone else feels the squeeze cannot possibly be justified –
– and Occupy can take credit for providing a focus for a much wider concern…”
Yeah that story from The Independent is a bit sad, not just for the person who wrote it being a typical “don’t look too hard” journalist, but that the occupiers themselves haven’t thought through what St. Paul’s represents well enough and shouted it out in the media. The Church and versions of capitalism go hand in hand and have for thousands of years. It’s the very forms of oppression that Occupy protest against. Christianity seems to me to be the basis of the style of capitalism most of the western world experience: In the old testament it it regards “earthly treasures” as evidence of god’s blessing and mental illness as evidence of sin. It trades in an “eye for an eye” style of adversarial thinking with all the attendant hypocrisies. Then in the New Testament, apparently many years later, once the Church and religious heirachies are cemented, it seeks to both mentally and materially disarm the people and asks them to remain poor and to “give to caesar what is caesar’s” and not fight back. Even on Christ’s last night alive, the man who fought back against the soldiers was chided by Christ and the soldiers ear healed. Many communities have experienced the feeling of being overwhelmed by corporate interests. The Church would suggest they just lay down and turn philosophical.
So which book do we take as rule? Just discard one over the other as it suits? The Church has done nothing to address this contradiction in it’s one major text and teachings. There is no denying that Christianity is a good way into the exercise of thinking morally if you have no alternative and many have had their circumstances improved by christian intervention. But like capitalism, it’s down sides are many and brutal. That Occupy chose St. Paul’s was a good decision and cannot be devalued on the basis that the church did or continues to do some good stuff somewhere, once. One hundred odd days is nothing compared to eras of christian oppression.
Well yes I agree that any movement, especially American, that stands up and says “Down with religion!” isn’t likely to gain any traction. But that is not what I argue and the overuse of political expediency as soon as things get hard for fledgling organisations is usually the death of them. The Alternet.com story you link to falls prey to the same thinking they award the conservatives within religion:
“Those who worship the gods of selfishness may proclaim themselves to be saved by Jesus, but they do not follow his teachings. As politics and religion continue to influence each other in America, progressives need to realize how completely conservatives have distorted the religion they claim to believe in. And we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about our own values using the familiar language of Christ — a language the vast majority of our fellow Americans already understand.”
Picking and choosing Christ’s words and saying you’re a christian, even a progressive Christian, would be very post-modern, but your Bible would tell you you were a hypocrite – bit of problem. Progressive Churches are popular here in Auckland. My brother attends one and the influence of that on our relationship has all but ended our connection. As far as I understand it, they have reduced christianity to a kind of new-age pop music based sub-culture that mistakes emotion for the truth and contagion emotion as the prescence of a spirit. Nothing wrong with that, if it spins your wheels, but it isn’t very christian as far as a biblical definition goes and not at all intelligent – the kind of intelligent you need to be to be effectively politically progressive. In order to get the progressive church ideas to work, it requires a level of cognitive dissonance to step around the psychological contradictions and it still embraces a big part of the selfishness intertwined with free market capitalism. This problem is not isolated to progressive churches, of course.
I cannot see how Occupy can embrace christianity, officially, if they were to form some sort of “government” or socially influencial body and maintain their own direction. The two philosophies in contact would cause continued rifts. They are less damned if they don’t than if they do. In the very least you’d need a mediatory body between them and stuff like that is just too damn hard to make work in real life. Freedom of religion, but not power in conjunction with the state.
You are looking at religion (conservative and progressive) in its most tedious forms. Andrew Little, an atheist himself, used a Christian quote in his maiden speech: “What gaineth a man who gains the world but loses his soul.” Then there’s “whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me.” The literature of Dickens, who used the deeper Christian values to challenge the complacent Victorians. Religious concepts continue to permeate our culture and come up poignantly in such things as popular songs, as in “Won’t you help to sing/ this song of freedom/’cause all I ever have/redemption song. Not to mention Mickey Savage, who described Labour’s reforms as “Christianity in Action.”
One thing I am more and more confident about: we have more chance of gaining ground on the left by putting forward a deeper moral vision than the one the right employs, than by hoping that the sciences will ultimately “prove” we are right.
Christianity seems to me to be the basis of the style of capitalism most of the western world experience:
Well, that shows that you know little or nothing about it! The Book of Acts is afaik the first depiction of socialism in practice, and word to the wise, the Old Testament may have supported the idea that material wealth was a sign of good favour, but it has been superceded by, let’s see, what is it called, oh yes, the New Testament (the clue being in the name.)
Do you seriously think that Jesus should have said “Oh good one, yeah, have at it with your sword, violence is always the answer”. As if.
That there is going to be disagreements on interpretations of christianity is exactly the point. Three of here us disagreeing and now you casting unsupported insults. So how will that help government? Religion is a private practice, in his own words (should you believe them) god existed before the world, before the earth, before religion, before the church and will after those things are gone. Vicky, you are picking and choosing. You deny the entire old testament to suit your taste. In some circles that would be blasphemy. The christian god said he was the same now as he ever was and never changes, yet he eagerly gave orders to his people to slaughter anyone that got in his way, no niceties, no mercy. Now you say god is a liar, that he’s changed and didn’t mean it, because the new testament exists and Jesus was a socialist. Jesus himself could only turn a blind eye to homosexuality, where his father openly condemned it; how will you include gays in your religiously progressive new world? Just ignore that part too? This is where the dissonance starts, don’t demand that the entire population of the world join in. And Olwyn above you calls deference to the old as “tedious”. This is the kind of myopic understanding of christianity that starts wars. How is the state going to be better off with you or anyone else defining who is wrong or right based on your narrow version of morality. Who must be hated because they do or think this or that? And how will you include immigrants, with their own religions and perspectives to your progressive cause? As I said, it is not politically intelligent. It is a minefield for developing political movements and must be avoided.
. Now you say god is a liar, that he’s changed and didn’t mean it, because the new testament exists
No, I don’t say God is a liar. I say that peoples’ understanding of God changed, and Jesus came among other things, to explain how God is, and bring about that change.
and Jesus was a socialist.
Yes.
Jesus himself could only turn a blind eye to homosexuality, where his father openly condemned it; how will you include gays in your religiously progressive new world?
I don’t know of any gays who want to be included! All gays I know, hate religion with a purple passion. From my own point of view, gays are almost infinitely less important than they think they are!
don’t demand that the entire population of the world join in.
When have I ever done that? I don’t recall demanding that anyone ‘join in’.
And how will you include immigrants, with their own religions and perspectives to your progressive cause?
I am an ESOL teacher – I teach immigrants, a surprising number of whom are Christians. (Not surprising to me, but hey, I am certain it would amaze you! 🙂 ) As for the Muslims, they are not all keffiyeh wearing terrorists, (and I am sure that amazes you as well) and hold differing views on political/social subjects, as is true of any population.
Your hatred is simply tedious.
Damn – I’ve had three guys in my roof doing the Govt funded Pink Batts instalation and it all went quite about an hour ago. I crept down the passage and all I could hear was snoring.
Damn – I’ve had three guys in my roof doing the Govt funded Pink Batts instalation and it all went quite about an hour ago. I crept down the passage and all I could hear was snoring.
It is despicable that National and their apologists are trying to gain political ground and public support for the Privacy (Information Sharing) Bill over such an issue, especially when it’s ultimately the Ministers responsibility to ensure such failings do not occur.
Television New Zealand journalists working on the Fair Go programme have been told not to produce stories which would upset their advertisers, Parliament has heard.
Time, methinks, to go to a non-commercial public broadcaster as it’s obvious that any commercial operation is, by its very nature, compromised.
That the House conduct an urgent inquiry into the decisions regarding prosecutions relating to the Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009.
Petition number: 2011/5
Presented by: Phil Twyford
Date presented: 29 February 2012
Referred to: Commerce Committee
Which MPs from which political parties are going to put their hands up and say that they DON’T agree with ‘ONE LAW FOR ALL’?
Which MPs from which political parties are going to put their hands up and say that they DON’T agree ‘that the House should conduct an urgent inquiry into prosecutions relating to the Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009’?
Especially when to date four ‘regulatory bodies’ – the former (useless) Securities Commission, the new Finance Markets Authority (FMA), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the NZ Police – have refused to charge the now Minister of Regulatory Reform, the (new) ACT Party Leader and MP (but for how long?) for Epsom?
“She’s tough. She’s been there. She’s been a solo mum. She’s had it hard. She’s come out the other end. Labour hates her. And she hates them more”
This is seriously bad writing by Garner, he really gives no real balance at all. CL is correct, its a bloody rah rah for Bennett.
If she becomes leader, I will have to stand against her myself in Waitakere. West Auckland will not know whats hit it. I might just stand for the fun of it.
Ghastly writing, just Bennett back up propaganda. Equally ghastly is the thought of Garner’s possible “crush” on her blooming into something more enduring and becoming three of them.Ugh, ugh and poor little ugh!
Has anybody heard if she is going to be investigated by the Human Right Commision about flouting privacy laws or has My Leader managed to get that one shut down.Also, seeing as she had to GO ON THE BENEFIT because she was so tired how in the hell does she think that any other single working mother is goingto manage what she “wonder woman” could not do. I would also like the complete story about her hardship days. Who looked after her child. Did she get support from her parents? There is a lot she is not saying.Was she living on her own with noone to support her when she came home exhausted! Or did she live with mummy and daddy. Maybe Duncan knows. It would make a great TV story As he said, she came out the other end. Whose I wonder?
Award-winning filmmakers Tom and Sumner Burstyn from Cloud South Films are reaching out to concerned Kiwi citizens to help fund their next documentary with the working title Fracking Whakatutu.
Thats interesting, I loved their film this way of life.. Utterly beautiful. Apparently started as a documentary about horse whisperers and became this fascinating film about modern NZ culture.
This Way of Life was a very nice film. It will be interesting to see how they will apply their obvious artistic camera skills and if they can gain access to get footage from fracking sites. I hear the industry is pretty secretive, with good reason I might add.
This Way of Life was excellent and I expect they’ll do a good job on this one. There was a confrontation scene at the end of the doco which showed the filmmakers aren’t cowards like our so many of revered celebrity journalists.
LIAR WATCH No. 2
grumpy The Standard, March 1, 2012
1.) “I go by the simple process of believing that Islamic Radicals are bad bastards and anyone who stands up to them are [sic] good bastards. Sort of the opposite of your opinion.”
2.) “I try to be objective.”
– – – – – – – – – ——- – – – – – – – ——– – – – – – –
If you enjoyed this, you might like to see….
I note that “grumpy” has compounded his foolishness by launching into a drooling rage against Noam Chomsky, and cited a notorious right wing site to “refute” him.
I note also that for some reason I am unable to reply to his muddled message….
(Lin, could you explain why there is no “Reply” option on his messages? It has the effect of giving our far right wing friend an entirely spurious last word.)
[lprent: With a threaded messages system there has to be a limit on how nested the programmers allow it to get. Otherwise you eventually wind up with replies that are indented so far to the right that they are splashed against the right boundary as a column of single or hyphenated words.
WordPress has a maximum of 10 ? reply levels deep. We use their maximum. When you hit it, then there is no reply button.
As someone said below, walk up the parent comments until you find a reply button and use that. Or start a new thread. ]
You really are foolish, my friend. If you’re going to substitute random Google results for argument, you couldn’t have blundered on to a less credible source than Arthur Schlesinger. Not that it matters to you, but in case anyone serious is reading this, Schlesinger was the official house myth-maker of the Kennedy clan, and a supporter of everything that JFK did, including the terror campaign against Cuba and the start of the destruction of South Vietnam.
Chomsky was merely the most distinguished of the many intellectuals who showed him up for what he was. Not that this will mean anything to you, of course. I’m sure you don’t even know who Arthur Schlesinger was, and are only familiar with him through stumbling on his dyspeptic and absurd spleen-vent via your Google-searching.
Anti semitic, holocaust denier, nazi sympathiser etc. etc.
Your absurd and fanciful list of accusations against Chomsky is not your own, of course. You don’t know enough to even slander him.
It only makes you look dishonest—and even more foolish.
Seems to depend on you [sic] political viewpoint, either he’s the messiah or a devious lying prick.
You’re seeking to trivialize and turn everything into a joke. That’s because you’re out of your depth. Please read one of the books on that site. If you want to continue ignoring Chomsky, feel free, but you should read one of the others. As it is, you’re lamentably ill-informed. Are you Leighton Smith?
Undoubtably, though, the doyen of the Left.
Again, you have little or no comprehension of what you are writing. Chomsky is perhaps even more critical of the Leftist establishment than he is of the pseudo-scholars of the rabid right, who you unwittingly quote with relish.
Do you ever think for yourself?
That’s rich coming from someone who has inadvertently cited a discredited old Kennedy apparatchik and (even funnier) a lunatic site from the furthest reaches of the braindead right.
Are you mad?
Schlesinger opposed the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Iraq war and was a columnist for that well known right wing media organization – The Huffington Post.
He was also foolish enough to let himself be tricked into writing for Norman Podhoretz’s barmy Commentary magazine, from which you (unwittingly) took that ridiculous and mendacious quote.
Has anyone read Gordon McLauchlan’s book The Pasionless People lately? Some of the points in the 1976 book about our doughiness seem to either be still applicable or be applying again.
“Here in a beautiful, benign and uncrowded country…we suffer…from depression and…angst… Unhappiness has become such an epidemic that our smugness, once unassailable, is wearing thin.”
We look to see ourselves and find ‘a group of people who have nurtured in isolation from the rest of the world a Victorian, lower-middle class, Calvinist, village mentality…There is no passion to give us a dream of the good life, a vision of love and beauty, a sense of a variety of lifestyles, of alternative viewpoints and philosophies through which we may fulfil ourselves in different ways.”
…New Zealanders have no moral or social philosophy…Right now, influence within our society is factionalized, compacted into pressure groups which exert their power almost exclusively for selfish needs without any sense of a total community.”
Has anyone read Gordon McLauchlan’s book The Pasionless People lately? Some of the points in the 1976 book about our doughiness seem to either be still applicable or be applying again.
It’s an awesome book! I read it some time in the 1980s.
Peter Dunne said in a letter to the Ohariu anti asset sales meeting tonight that he had pledged support for the policy, and that it would be “dishonorable” to renege on his promise. I think it would be more dishonorable to support policies that were not in the best interests of NZ people.
I think the right needs to start putting its money where its mouth is and start circulating a petition for a Citizens Initiated Referendum to ban unions and collective bargaining. Surely this is doable, with many rich pricks with money burning holes in their pocket. If a bunch of god bothering child beaters can do it, then the biggest and richest business barons will have no problems doing it, Im sure Farrar, Slater and Cactus, can mobilise volunteers.
I am being deadly serious here. I have even thought up possible questions:
Should workers be barred from forming and joining trade unions?
Should collective bargaining between workers and their employers be outlawed?
I’m willing to help circulate the petition too, if need be.
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At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will on Wednesday announce it is willing, as a last resort, to purchase the collapsed Rex Airlines, in its latest bid to prop up aviation services to regional and remote areas. As ...
Jotham Napat has been elected as the new prime minister of Vanuatu. Napat was elected unopposed in Port Vila today, receiving 50 votes with two void votes. He is the country’s fifth prime minister in four years and will lead a coalition government made up of five political parties — ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By A J Brown, Professor of Public Policy & Law, Centre for Governance & Public Policy, Griffith University Australia has turned the corner on its decade-long slide on Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), once again ranking in the top ten least ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Bridges, Senior Lecturer in Public Relations and Director of Academic Program – Communication, Creative Industries, Screen Media, Western Sydney University Stock Rocket/Shutterstock For new parents struggling with challenges such as breastfeeding and sleep deprivation, social media can be a great ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott French, Senior Lecturer in Economics, UNSW Sydney US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have stated an exemption for Australia from Trump’s executive order placing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imported into the US is “under consideration”. ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon's attempts to turn the tables back on the Opposition at Question Time today went down like a lead balloon, Jo Moir writes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenton Griffin, Casual Lecturer and Tutor in History, Indigenous Studies, and Politics, Flinders University American Primeval/Netflix On January 24, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as the Mormon Church, penned a statement condemning the ...
It comes as Whangārei District Council is under fire from the Director General of Health Dr Diana Sarfati after it voted in December against adding fluoridation to the water. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Strangio, Emeritus Professor of Politics, Monash University Is history repeating itself in Labor’s fortress state of Victoria? At the 1990 federal election, Bob Hawke’s Labor government had a near-death experience when it lost nine seats in Victoria. A furious Hawke laid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Nissen, HERA Program Director – Health Workforce Optimisation Centre for the Business & Economics of Health, The University of Queensland Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock If you’ve tried to get an appointment to see a GP or specialist recently, you will likely have felt ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peta Ashworth, Professor and Director, Curtin Institute for Energy Transition, Curtin University Large power grids are among the most complicated machines humans have ever devised. Different generators produce power at various times and at various costs. A generator might fail and another ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Orr, Veterinarian, Southern Cross University Mitchell Orr/Unsplash Late last year, rumours swirled online that HomeSafeID, a private Australian pet microchip registry, had stopped operating. On Feburary 5 2025, a notice appeared on the HomeSafeID website, ostensibly from the site’s ...
The government is taking far too long to allocate the 1500 social homes it announced nine months ago and the hold up is stalling desperately-needed homes, says a community housing provider. ...
The agency is setting a 12-week limit on how much rent debt a tenant can accumulate as part of a change in approach that will also see almost half of the outstanding dept wiped away. ...
The media is rife with headlines about people killing animals for kicks. Please don’t.In memory of an Auckland swan, a Bay of Plenty octopus and a Taranaki striped marlin.Imagine this. It’s 7.15am. You’re paddling around on a serene lake with your sweetheart. It seems likely that she’ll give ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump has agreed to “consider” exempting Australia from the 25% tariff he has imposed on imports of steel and aluminium to the US. Trump gave the undertaking during a wide-ranging 40-minute ...
Pacific Media Watch Israeli police have confiscated hundreds of books with Palestinian titles or flags without understanding their contents in a draconian raid on a Palestinian educational bookshop in occupied East Jerusalem, say eyewitnesses. More details have emerged on the Israeli police raid on a popular bookstore in occupied East ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist China and the Cook Islands’ relationship “should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party”, says Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, as opposition leaders in Rarotonga express a loss of confidence in Prime Minister Mark Brown. In response to questions from the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Ogden, Associate Professor in Global Studies, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Donald Trump is moving rapidly to change the contours of contemporary international affairs, with the old US-dominated world order breaking down into a multipolar one with many centres of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ronnie Das, Associate Professor in Data Analytics, The University of Western Australia In the recent Border-Gavaskar series against India, Steve Smith agonisingly missed out reaching 10,000 Test runs in front of his home crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground, falling short by ...
In a brand new documentary series for The Spinoff, comedians and best friends Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester embark on a cross-country quest to find love. Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club is a brand new documentary series for The Spinoff following award-winning comedians and friends Brynley Stent and ...
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"The relationship between China and the Cook Islands does not target any third party," the Chinese Foreign Ministry says, as opposition leaders in Rarotonga plan protest. ...
From tradwives to ‘petite blonde’ preferences, this season feels like a throwback for all the wrong reasons, writes Alex Casey. First of all: I know. Complaining about bad stuff on Married at First Sight Australia is like complaining that water is wet. But I’ve been bobbing around in these waters ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a public servant who’s ‘trying to get better’ explains her approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female. Age: 24. Ethnicity: Pākehā and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zena Assaad, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University Ziv Lavi/Shutterstock Last week, Google quietly abandoned a long-standing commitment to not use artificial intelligence (AI) technology in weapons or surveillance. In an update to its AI principles, which were first ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenainn Simpson, PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland Florian Nimsdorf / Shutterstock About 400 kilometres northwest of Sydney, just south of Dubbo, lies a large and interesting body of rock formed around 215 million years ago by erupting volcanoes. Known as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mareike Riedel, Senior lecturer in law, Macquarie University The dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents has dominated headlines in Australia in recent months, with calls for urgent action to address what many are calling a crisis. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry ...
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The nats privatisation plans are getting more and more difficult. It was conceded yesterday that unless the legislation specifically prevents this happening a partially privatised SOE could sell individual power stations to overseas interests. Eventually they could all be sold. Being a company the directors need to act in the best commercial interests of all shareholders. If the price was right the power stations could all go.
To stop this the matter will need to be addressed in the proposed legislation. And if they do this then the price will take a hit.
Add Maori’s urgent application to the Waitangi Tribunal concerning the use of water and a professional investor is going to significantly discount any offer made. As far as I am concerned they should be allowed to. After all water and the rivers are taonga that Maori retain tino rangatiratanga over.
There must be a point where the sale process is not worth it. I wonder if we are there yet.
The sale process has never been worth it despite the spin Key and English put on it.
lprent – what is up with the Microsoft cloud/ Plunket banner ad on the home page?
Given that Shonkey and the Nats have already signalled their intention to roll out cloud hosting of govt services and information this ad is pretty wack -using Plunket and the kid to promote microsoft and this type of tech as cuddly or safe kind of glosses over how radical and experimental the move to host govt on the cloud really is.
It should never even go to tender – but can we assume from this that there will be a competitive open tender process? – I for one would dearly like a piece of the Nats IT splurge – Google and Microsoft must be drooling at the though of all the money one of them is about get out of NZ. And silly us, we are paying them while at the same time handing over our soverignty.
Microsoft = evil. Time we all went open source.
From clicking the MS banner ad:
Sound familiar? Ole Shonkey has been parroting the PR of the cloud pushers almost word for word. Their sales pitch obviously won him over, I wonder what his kickback is for regurgitating their spin.
Just an ad. They pay for the servers.
I tend to pretty much ignore the ads except for the odd time. For instance the campaign against MMP banners ads last year, where I added the campaign for MMP logos to our logo.
Cheers Lynn – I am doing my best to ignore it but still find it galling. I was hoping that you might have some comment or might like to post perhaps on the ‘cloud’ and its pros and cons – this is your field after all and I would be most interested in your thoughts.
Cloud is a label covering a multitude of types of systems. This site uses two “cloud” sites for warm backup servers (one is meant to be hot – but needs more time to work on than I have now). One is configured as a VPS, but is easily scaleable. The other is a on demand system.
There isn’t anything much different to the remotely hosted dedicated servers, VPS, and web servers I have been using since 1997. All the usual security issues and problems with slow international links and latencies to code around. Hopefully if the government does it here, then they will do it over the local nets to one of the local clouds.
But you pretty much have security problems as soon as you allow any remote access to any system that doesn’t involve a physical access control with people looking over biometrics. Doesn’t matter that much if it is a terminal to a mainframe or a server on the public nets. You still have to put in a lot of connectivity security against man in the middle and stolen access codes. Systems based on the public systems is usually somewhat better these days – a lot more eyes looking for and fixing holes.
Burning Conscience Israeli Soldiers Speak Out
Thousands of young Israelis refuse to serve in the army. Listen to these two young ex-soldiers and you’ll see why more and more of them are refusing…
trouble is that means it’s the zealots who end up on the front lines, with no qualms at all about lobbing WP into housing projects or shooting children.
Another difficult moral challenge in an overwhelmingly shitty situation.
The Israeli soldiers who commit atrocities are carrying out government orders. If a soldier shoots a Palestinian child and/or demolishes a Palestinian home, it’s not any more acceptable if that soldier does it with a heavy heart and feels guilty.
The problem is the Israeli government, not the poor soldiers who are forced to carry out its crimes.
What “moral challenge” is there? You either participate in these atrocities, or you protest against them, as thousands of young Israelis do every year by refusing to join up.
it’s more how they interpret their orders, and what they choose to interpret as a “threat” that warrants lethal force, and so on.
it’s more how they interpret their orders, and what they choose to interpret as a “threat” that warrants lethal force, and so on.
No, that’s not right. While some Israeli soldiers are undoubtedly cruel, the fact is they are there because the Israeli government has sent them there. It wasn’t a few “bad eggs” who made the decision to destroy Gaza’s electricity supply, bomb its hospitals and schools and cut off its water. It wasn’t a few soldiers making a faulty interpretation of their orders that resulted in white phosphorus, cluster bombs and napalm being used on the civilians of Gaza and Lebanon.
It was the Israeli government.
Good to see you back, Morrissey – and in fine form with dear old Grumpers.
Did you see Norman Finkelstein’s recent demolition of the Palmer report ? – ‘Torpedoing the Law: How the Palmer Report Justified Israel’s Naval Blockade of Gaza’. “A careful analysis of the POI report shows that it is probably the most mendacious and debased document ever issued under the aegis of the United Nations.”
Still, should be useful for Geoff’s career earnings. I wonder if Chen and Palmer will diversify into strategic hasbara PR for the Israeli government ?
Good to see you back, my friend!
Yes, I have indeed read and listened to Finkelstein damning Palmer.
Don’t forget, though, it’s the Palmer-Uribe report. The real driver of the report was no doubt the notorious ex-President of Colombia (and notorious violator of human rights) Signor Uribe. Norman Finkelstein noted that the dice were loaded as soon as Uribe was named as the “investigator”.
I’m sure Palmer contributed little or even nothing of substance, other than sign his name to it.
I wonder if Chen and Palmer will diversify into strategic hasbara PR for the Israeli government?
They already have. For free. I believe Lenin had the right term for people like Palmer: useful idiots.
Some of the time it was. Particularly when involving calls for tactical support and most specifically who to shoot and where.
Fair enough, McFlock. I am not trying to say you are wrong. You’re not. It’s just a question of where the primary responsibility lies. As flawed as some of the Israeli soldiers might be, the primary responsibility for them being in the Occupied Territories lies not with them, but with the Israeli regime.
Why does the word communism automatically alert the moderators? Every time I use it my comments are sucked away. Is there an alternative? How about… “that state of social organisation preceeded by socialism”. Too wordy?
The word communism can only be used legitimately, no? Unlike Nazi, which always seems a little over the top in anything but a historical context. And commie can be humourous. We even have those “In Soviet Russia…” jokes on youtube. Can anyone remember any funny Nazi’s?
[It used to be a common “flag” for RWNJ trolls during the last government. But that use does seem to have faded now. Lynn – time to review this? — r0b]
[lprent: Yep. Along with a number of other words and phrases. I’ll have a review of them in the next couple of weeks when the warm weather and my current project crunch let up. The most effective way is to scan the archives of moderated comments to see what they are being used for now. ]
“Can anyone remember any funny Nazi’s?”
Are you crazy? Hitler had a silly moustache and farted a lot, goering had fabulous blue uniforms and silly batons but was so fat that none of the planes in his airforce were big enough to get him off the ground, goebbels had a congenital malformation and constantly talked about being in the master race…
Aside from the entire planned deaths of millions (and just winging the deaths of millions more) thing, the entire crew seemed to be characters taken from the unreleased comedy classic “Carry On Up the Thousand Year Reich”.
Tossers.
http://whoar.co.nz/2012/occupys-valuable-message/
“…The demise of the Occupy camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral was long overdue.
That is not to say it should never have been there at all.
The protest that the police dismantled late on Monday night was loud, scruffy and angry.
And embedded in its sometimes incoherent messages was a core feeling of dissatisfaction which spoke to many struggling to make sense of the most severe financial crisis since the 1930s.
A world in which the richest few grow ever richer –
– while everyone else feels the squeeze cannot possibly be justified –
– and Occupy can take credit for providing a focus for a much wider concern…”
(cont..)
phil-at-whoar.
Yeah that story from The Independent is a bit sad, not just for the person who wrote it being a typical “don’t look too hard” journalist, but that the occupiers themselves haven’t thought through what St. Paul’s represents well enough and shouted it out in the media. The Church and versions of capitalism go hand in hand and have for thousands of years. It’s the very forms of oppression that Occupy protest against. Christianity seems to me to be the basis of the style of capitalism most of the western world experience: In the old testament it it regards “earthly treasures” as evidence of god’s blessing and mental illness as evidence of sin. It trades in an “eye for an eye” style of adversarial thinking with all the attendant hypocrisies. Then in the New Testament, apparently many years later, once the Church and religious heirachies are cemented, it seeks to both mentally and materially disarm the people and asks them to remain poor and to “give to caesar what is caesar’s” and not fight back. Even on Christ’s last night alive, the man who fought back against the soldiers was chided by Christ and the soldiers ear healed. Many communities have experienced the feeling of being overwhelmed by corporate interests. The Church would suggest they just lay down and turn philosophical.
So which book do we take as rule? Just discard one over the other as it suits? The Church has done nothing to address this contradiction in it’s one major text and teachings. There is no denying that Christianity is a good way into the exercise of thinking morally if you have no alternative and many have had their circumstances improved by christian intervention. But like capitalism, it’s down sides are many and brutal. That Occupy chose St. Paul’s was a good decision and cannot be devalued on the basis that the church did or continues to do some good stuff somewhere, once. One hundred odd days is nothing compared to eras of christian oppression.
while understanding yr historical reading..
..now is now…
..and really..i agree with the writer of this piece..
..who points out that progressives and religions (to use a broad-brush) need to get/work together..
..if we hope to achieve meaningful change..
http://whoar.co.nz/2012/why-progressives-cant-ignore-religion/
phil-at-whoar.
Well yes I agree that any movement, especially American, that stands up and says “Down with religion!” isn’t likely to gain any traction. But that is not what I argue and the overuse of political expediency as soon as things get hard for fledgling organisations is usually the death of them. The Alternet.com story you link to falls prey to the same thinking they award the conservatives within religion:
“Those who worship the gods of selfishness may proclaim themselves to be saved by Jesus, but they do not follow his teachings. As politics and religion continue to influence each other in America, progressives need to realize how completely conservatives have distorted the religion they claim to believe in. And we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about our own values using the familiar language of Christ — a language the vast majority of our fellow Americans already understand.”
Picking and choosing Christ’s words and saying you’re a christian, even a progressive Christian, would be very post-modern, but your Bible would tell you you were a hypocrite – bit of problem. Progressive Churches are popular here in Auckland. My brother attends one and the influence of that on our relationship has all but ended our connection. As far as I understand it, they have reduced christianity to a kind of new-age pop music based sub-culture that mistakes emotion for the truth and contagion emotion as the prescence of a spirit. Nothing wrong with that, if it spins your wheels, but it isn’t very christian as far as a biblical definition goes and not at all intelligent – the kind of intelligent you need to be to be effectively politically progressive. In order to get the progressive church ideas to work, it requires a level of cognitive dissonance to step around the psychological contradictions and it still embraces a big part of the selfishness intertwined with free market capitalism. This problem is not isolated to progressive churches, of course.
I cannot see how Occupy can embrace christianity, officially, if they were to form some sort of “government” or socially influencial body and maintain their own direction. The two philosophies in contact would cause continued rifts. They are less damned if they don’t than if they do. In the very least you’d need a mediatory body between them and stuff like that is just too damn hard to make work in real life. Freedom of religion, but not power in conjunction with the state.
You are looking at religion (conservative and progressive) in its most tedious forms. Andrew Little, an atheist himself, used a Christian quote in his maiden speech: “What gaineth a man who gains the world but loses his soul.” Then there’s “whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me.” The literature of Dickens, who used the deeper Christian values to challenge the complacent Victorians. Religious concepts continue to permeate our culture and come up poignantly in such things as popular songs, as in “Won’t you help to sing/ this song of freedom/’cause all I ever have/redemption song. Not to mention Mickey Savage, who described Labour’s reforms as “Christianity in Action.”
One thing I am more and more confident about: we have more chance of gaining ground on the left by putting forward a deeper moral vision than the one the right employs, than by hoping that the sciences will ultimately “prove” we are right.
Well, that shows that you know little or nothing about it! The Book of Acts is afaik the first depiction of socialism in practice, and word to the wise, the Old Testament may have supported the idea that material wealth was a sign of good favour, but it has been superceded by, let’s see, what is it called, oh yes, the New Testament (the clue being in the name.)
Do you seriously think that Jesus should have said “Oh good one, yeah, have at it with your sword, violence is always the answer”. As if.
That there is going to be disagreements on interpretations of christianity is exactly the point. Three of here us disagreeing and now you casting unsupported insults. So how will that help government? Religion is a private practice, in his own words (should you believe them) god existed before the world, before the earth, before religion, before the church and will after those things are gone. Vicky, you are picking and choosing. You deny the entire old testament to suit your taste. In some circles that would be blasphemy. The christian god said he was the same now as he ever was and never changes, yet he eagerly gave orders to his people to slaughter anyone that got in his way, no niceties, no mercy. Now you say god is a liar, that he’s changed and didn’t mean it, because the new testament exists and Jesus was a socialist. Jesus himself could only turn a blind eye to homosexuality, where his father openly condemned it; how will you include gays in your religiously progressive new world? Just ignore that part too? This is where the dissonance starts, don’t demand that the entire population of the world join in. And Olwyn above you calls deference to the old as “tedious”. This is the kind of myopic understanding of christianity that starts wars. How is the state going to be better off with you or anyone else defining who is wrong or right based on your narrow version of morality. Who must be hated because they do or think this or that? And how will you include immigrants, with their own religions and perspectives to your progressive cause? As I said, it is not politically intelligent. It is a minefield for developing political movements and must be avoided.
No, I don’t say God is a liar. I say that peoples’ understanding of God changed, and Jesus came among other things, to explain how God is, and bring about that change.
Yes.
I don’t know of any gays who want to be included! All gays I know, hate religion with a purple passion. From my own point of view, gays are almost infinitely less important than they think they are!
When have I ever done that? I don’t recall demanding that anyone ‘join in’.
I am an ESOL teacher – I teach immigrants, a surprising number of whom are Christians. (Not surprising to me, but hey, I am certain it would amaze you! 🙂 ) As for the Muslims, they are not all keffiyeh wearing terrorists, (and I am sure that amazes you as well) and hold differing views on political/social subjects, as is true of any population.
Your hatred is simply tedious.
“I don’t know of any gays who want to be included!”
/facepalm
Damn – I’ve had three guys in my roof doing the Govt funded Pink Batts instalation and it all went quite about an hour ago. I crept down the passage and all I could hear was snoring.
😀
Parata steps over the bounds of decency
It is despicable that National and their apologists are trying to gain political ground and public support for the Privacy (Information Sharing) Bill over such an issue, especially when it’s ultimately the Ministers responsibility to ensure such failings do not occur.
Don’t upset advertisers, Fair Go staff told
Time, methinks, to go to a non-commercial public broadcaster as it’s obvious that any commercial operation is, by its very nature, compromised.
http://202.68.89.83/en-NZ/PB/Presented/Petitions/7/b/d/50DBHOH_PET3097_1-Petition-of-Penelope-Mary-Bright-and-307-others.htm
29 February 2012
Petition of Penelope Mary Bright and 307 others
That the House conduct an urgent inquiry into the decisions regarding prosecutions relating to the Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009.
Petition number: 2011/5
Presented by: Phil Twyford
Date presented: 29 February 2012
Referred to: Commerce Committee
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
So!
Which MPs from which political parties are going to put their hands up and say that they DON’T agree with ‘ONE LAW FOR ALL’?
Which MPs from which political parties are going to put their hands up and say that they DON’T agree ‘that the House should conduct an urgent inquiry into prosecutions relating to the Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009’?
Especially when to date four ‘regulatory bodies’ – the former (useless) Securities Commission, the new Finance Markets Authority (FMA), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the NZ Police – have refused to charge the now Minister of Regulatory Reform, the (new) ACT Party Leader and MP (but for how long?) for Epsom?
For background information – do feel free to check out http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz
Which ACT Party members/supporters will put THEIR names forward for NOT believing in ‘ONE LAW FOR ALL’?
Remember 3 ACT Party Leaders ago?
Former ACT Party Leader Rodney Hide?
Rodney believes in ACT’s ‘ONE LAW FOR ALL’.
Rodney also believes that John Banks and Don Brash should be charged, and said so publicly on Radio Live 20 January 2012.
Cheers!
Penny Bright
Anti-Corruption Campaigner
Good on you Penny.
Tui advertising breaches law
What is the point in having advertising rules when they’re regularly breached with impunity?
Duncan Garner busts out the pom-poms and reveals he has secret crush
…and suggests that the MP who likes to have things explained to her on a whiteboard could be the next leader of the National Party!!!???
.
[Was that supposed to be a link? If so, fixed it. — r0b]
“She’s tough. She’s been there. She’s been a solo mum. She’s had it hard. She’s come out the other end. Labour hates her. And she hates them more”
This is seriously bad writing by Garner, he really gives no real balance at all. CL is correct, its a bloody rah rah for Bennett.
If she becomes leader, I will have to stand against her myself in Waitakere. West Auckland will not know whats hit it. I might just stand for the fun of it.
Ghastly writing, just Bennett back up propaganda. Equally ghastly is the thought of Garner’s possible “crush” on her blooming into something more enduring and becoming three of them.Ugh, ugh and poor little ugh!
And who knows. You may have as big an electoral effect as Pete George had in Dunedin last election.
😉
Has anybody heard if she is going to be investigated by the Human Right Commision about flouting privacy laws or has My Leader managed to get that one shut down.Also, seeing as she had to GO ON THE BENEFIT because she was so tired how in the hell does she think that any other single working mother is goingto manage what she “wonder woman” could not do. I would also like the complete story about her hardship days. Who looked after her child. Did she get support from her parents? There is a lot she is not saying.Was she living on her own with noone to support her when she came home exhausted! Or did she live with mummy and daddy. Maybe Duncan knows. It would make a great TV story As he said, she came out the other end. Whose I wonder?
Get the word on fracking out
Award-winning filmmakers Tom and Sumner Burstyn from Cloud South Films are reaching out to concerned Kiwi citizens to help fund their next documentary with the working title Fracking Whakatutu.
Thats interesting, I loved their film this way of life.. Utterly beautiful. Apparently started as a documentary about horse whisperers and became this fascinating film about modern NZ culture.
This Way of Life was a very nice film. It will be interesting to see how they will apply their obvious artistic camera skills and if they can gain access to get footage from fracking sites. I hear the industry is pretty secretive, with good reason I might add.
This Way of Life was excellent and I expect they’ll do a good job on this one. There was a confrontation scene at the end of the doco which showed the filmmakers aren’t cowards like our so many of revered celebrity journalists.
Winston Peters was ejected from the debating chamber for saying Gerry Brownlee was an illiterate woodwork teacher. Classic! And so true.
Actually, it’s not true. Brownlee might be a pain in the ass, but he’s hardly illiterate.
LIAR WATCH No. 2
grumpy
The Standard, March 1, 2012
1.) “I go by the simple process of believing that Islamic Radicals are bad bastards and anyone who stands up to them are [sic] good bastards. Sort of the opposite of your opinion.”
2.) “I try to be objective.”
– – – – – – – – – ——- – – – – – – – ——– – – – – – –
If you enjoyed this, you might like to see….
LIARWATCH No. 1 (Populuxe1):
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27022012/#comment-441643
I note that “grumpy” has compounded his foolishness by launching into a drooling rage against Noam Chomsky, and cited a notorious right wing site to “refute” him.
I note also that for some reason I am unable to reply to his muddled message….
http://thestandard.org.nz/wanna-stop-problem-gamblers-close-the-casinos/#comment-442374
(Lin, could you explain why there is no “Reply” option on his messages? It has the effect of giving our far right wing friend an entirely spurious last word.)
[lprent: With a threaded messages system there has to be a limit on how nested the programmers allow it to get. Otherwise you eventually wind up with replies that are indented so far to the right that they are splashed against the right boundary as a column of single or hyphenated words.
WordPress has a maximum of 10 ? reply levels deep. We use their maximum. When you hit it, then there is no reply button.
As someone said below, walk up the parent comments until you find a reply button and use that. Or start a new thread. ]
Hit the reply button 3 messages or so up and your comment will come after Grumpy’s last two.
Here you go, better off on Open Mike anyway…….
http://www.paulbogdanor.com/chomsky/200chomskylies.pdf
Cripes Morrissey, I would have thought you would have worked out how the site works by now………………….
Thanks very much Lin. And thank you also, Te Reo Putake.
Don’t just take Populuxe1 and my word for it, here’s someone else from a long time ago.
“He begins as a preacher to the world and ends as an intellectual crook.”
– Arthur Schlesinger
(Commentary, December 1969)
Anti semitic, holocaust denier, nazi sympathiser etc. etc.
You really are foolish, my friend. If you’re going to substitute random Google results for argument, you couldn’t have blundered on to a less credible source than Arthur Schlesinger. Not that it matters to you, but in case anyone serious is reading this, Schlesinger was the official house myth-maker of the Kennedy clan, and a supporter of everything that JFK did, including the terror campaign against Cuba and the start of the destruction of South Vietnam.
Chomsky was merely the most distinguished of the many intellectuals who showed him up for what he was. Not that this will mean anything to you, of course. I’m sure you don’t even know who Arthur Schlesinger was, and are only familiar with him through stumbling on his dyspeptic and absurd spleen-vent via your Google-searching.
Anti semitic, holocaust denier, nazi sympathiser etc. etc.
Your absurd and fanciful list of accusations against Chomsky is not your own, of course. You don’t know enough to even slander him.
It only makes you look dishonest—and even more foolish.
Seems to depend on you political viewpoint, either he’s the messiah or a devious lying prick. Undoubtably, though, the doyen of the Left.
Do you ever think for yourself?
Seems to depend on you [sic] political viewpoint, either he’s the messiah or a devious lying prick.
You’re seeking to trivialize and turn everything into a joke. That’s because you’re out of your depth. Please read one of the books on that site. If you want to continue ignoring Chomsky, feel free, but you should read one of the others. As it is, you’re lamentably ill-informed. Are you Leighton Smith?
Undoubtably, though, the doyen of the Left.
Again, you have little or no comprehension of what you are writing. Chomsky is perhaps even more critical of the Leftist establishment than he is of the pseudo-scholars of the rabid right, who you unwittingly quote with relish.
Do you ever think for yourself?
That’s rich coming from someone who has inadvertently cited a discredited old Kennedy apparatchik and (even funnier) a lunatic site from the furthest reaches of the braindead right.
“As it is, you’re lamentably ill-informed. Are you Leighton Smith?”
No, just one of Slater’s sycophants.
Has anyone got a blowtorch? I need to permanently remove the visual imagery for “Whaleoil lickspittle” from my brain.
I am really not sure that we should be encouraging self-harm. Please don’t make drongo feel any worse than he obviously is. 😈
just one of Slater’s sycophants.
Ah! I thought so.
Thanks for the heads-up, my friend.
Are you mad?
Schlesinger opposed the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Iraq war and was a columnist for that well known right wing media organization – The Huffington Post.
FFS
He was also foolish enough to let himself be tricked into writing for Norman Podhoretz’s barmy Commentary magazine, from which you (unwittingly) took that ridiculous and mendacious quote.
Has anyone read Gordon McLauchlan’s book The Pasionless People lately? Some of the points in the 1976 book about our doughiness seem to either be still applicable or be applying again.
“Here in a beautiful, benign and uncrowded country…we suffer…from depression and…angst… Unhappiness has become such an epidemic that our smugness, once unassailable, is wearing thin.”
We look to see ourselves and find ‘a group of people who have nurtured in isolation from the rest of the world a Victorian, lower-middle class, Calvinist, village mentality…There is no passion to give us a dream of the good life, a vision of love and beauty, a sense of a variety of lifestyles, of alternative viewpoints and philosophies through which we may fulfil ourselves in different ways.”
…New Zealanders have no moral or social philosophy…Right now, influence within our society is factionalized, compacted into pressure groups which exert their power almost exclusively for selfish needs without any sense of a total community.”
It’s an awesome book! I read it some time in the 1980s.
He’s writing an update (Passionless People No. 2?) as we speak.
Greece cuts minimum wage by 22%; cuts youth rates by 32%
I’m sure these bankster neoliberal EU led steps will lead Greece to financial prosperity. Not.
Why has Silent T refered to those on the benefit as Stupid and Lazy?
Peter Dunne said in a letter to the Ohariu anti asset sales meeting tonight that he had pledged support for the policy, and that it would be “dishonorable” to renege on his promise. I think it would be more dishonorable to support policies that were not in the best interests of NZ people.
I think the right needs to start putting its money where its mouth is and start circulating a petition for a Citizens Initiated Referendum to ban unions and collective bargaining. Surely this is doable, with many rich pricks with money burning holes in their pocket. If a bunch of god bothering child beaters can do it, then the biggest and richest business barons will have no problems doing it, Im sure Farrar, Slater and Cactus, can mobilise volunteers.
I am being deadly serious here. I have even thought up possible questions:
Should workers be barred from forming and joining trade unions?
Should collective bargaining between workers and their employers be outlawed?
I’m willing to help circulate the petition too, if need be.