MPs of the intelligence and security committee, headed by Hipkins and including National Party leader Christopher Luxon, met on Tuesday evening to question a forecast of New Zealand’s future produced by nine of the Government's national security agencies.
The national security long-term insights briefing, published in May, warned the risk of New Zealand being harmed by spying, cyberattack, transnational crime, and terrorism is going to worsen in the coming decade.
Didn't know Aotearoa has nine Government national security agencies? Nor did I. It’s a suitable occasion for kiwi pride – the yanks will be worried out of their complacency. We could be a contender for top national security nation.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) secretary Chris Seed, who fronted the committee alongside Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) secretary Rebecca Kitteridge to discuss the report, said survey and other engagement showed the New Zealand public did not clearly understand national security issues or the Government’s work.
Well they'll just have to be forced to study them & it harder, right? Insitute a comprehension test in a state exam, with marks out of 10 for all citizens. Publish the results. Education ought to be serious. Make it work properly.
Brownlee got a laugh from the other committee members when questioning the “bleak” scenarios. “These are documents going out to the public, apparently, but not as a government document, but from a government agency, I think, what are we trying to tell people?”
Perhaps he's right to be confused that the govt is telling people stuff unofficially rather than officially. People could easily not take the govt seriously. However, I suspect they already don't – so no need to worry, everything's normal.
Well Andrew Little is releasing some NZ MoD & NZDF related stuff on Friday and its related to what was released today.
Unfortunately I'm out bush ie I'm out/ down at Daly Waters NT atm and heading home on Friday so I won't get to read what Andy is releasing until the Weekend before I head back out bush again on Wednesday.
"How can you tell when a politician is doing the work of the oil and gas companies? When they start promoting carbon capture and storage (CCS). CCS has been the magic fix for climate breakdown promised by successive UK governments for 20 years – and never delivered. Most of the very few projects brought to fruition around the world have been abject failures.
The sole purpose of CCS is to justify the granting of more oil and gas licences, on the grounds that one day someone might be able to capture and bury the CO2 they produce. It’s no coincidence that Sunak announced both policies – more licences and CCS – in the same statement. It would be wrong to say the technology doesn’t work. It works precisely as intended, even if it never materialises: it is a highly successful method of buying more time for the fossil fuel industry."
CCS is greenwashing…and not even light green. Just an enabler for BAU.
Some environmental activists and politicians have criticized CCS as a false solution to the climate crisis. They cite the role of the fossil fuel industry in origins of the technology and in lobbying for CCS focused legislation and argue that it would allow the industry to "greenwash" itself by funding and engaging in things such as tree planting campaigns without significantly cutting their carbon emissions
There's more interesting graphs lower down their page:
The Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor tracks what people think are the three most important issues facing the country today.
So they are using a triadic frame to prioritise issues. The graph for Top 5 issues for New Zealanders – Taken from Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor – rates #1 at 63%, inflation & cost of living, #2 crime @ 40%, #3 equal housing & healthcare 31%, #5 climate change 23%, #6 economy 22%, #7 fuel 11%. So they got a heptad of issues (7 graph lines) in the public mind.
Then we get this: [What topics the parties are spending money on this year.] Facebook ad spending by party on issues in the Ipsos top five as a percentage of the party's overall upper spend – the graph is selectable by the viewer pushing buttons on-screen. There's a button for each of five parties and one for them all combined – NZF is being discriminated against by the RNZ computer geek team for some reason…
Biggest combined spend is on the economy, 46%. #2 is transport, 21%. #3 is health, 8%. #4 is crime @ 6%, #5 is housing @ 1%, #6 is climate change, 0%.
So the good news is that the political parties have total consensus that Facebooks users are unworthy of spending money on to persuade them to vote for climate change policy.
If you believed the Facebook community, you would think the three most important issues were (in no particular order): potholes, road speed limits and the price of lattes.
I feel like it should be " the cost of living and housing" I feel like the media and politicians seperate housing from cost of living so it looks like housing costs aren't a great concern.
They are the same thing.
Rents mortgages and rates are living costs.
Power is a living cost
Groceries are a living cost.
I have great despair when I think about how unaffordable NZ is ATM and how unaffordable it will become if we don't start trying to do things differently.
I think a lot of people whose greatest concerns are housing and bill costs are so scared they've tuned right out of politics to distract themselves and protect their mental health from constant worrying
Good to hear Jan Tinetti doing fine with Mike Hosking on ZB this morning on tertiary education. Admitted the areas for improvement particularly in Maori high school credentialising levels, and promised to work hard on them.
@ Phillip ure… "I'm lazy…i find that rnz + the guardian pretty much keeps you/me up to speed"….that explaines a lot, thanks for the insight…but then I guess you did say that you were lazy.
The Guardian has proved that it is nothing more than a trojan horse in the Left…it has shown itself quite openly and plainly for all to see, a seething, rabid Guardian of the status quo on so many occasions that I am amazed to see how many 'lefties' can still can say with a straight face that they hold it in any regard…and the BBC…seriously Ad?
No wonder so many ‘lefties’ are so enthusiastic about every single war and intervention the West get involved with these days…if this is were they are sourcing their ‘news’ from…holy shit, no wonder the Left is dead in the water in the West.
Heard Luxon being supported in the "Coalition of Chaos" dig at Labour Greens Ti Parti Maori and…. wait for it… Gangs. Yes Christopher Luxon included Gangs in the coalition grouping. (in the last minute of their talk on RNZ.)am today.
Perhaps someone could link for me?
This is outright fishing by Guyon, and egging on the Head Egg to respond with this laughing nastiness, indicates their thinking. If tackled he will probably say the classic response "I was just joking"
"And the bit that I can control, and the bit that I’m focussed on, and the bit that I’m leading for, is to make the case for New Zealand people that the choice is going to be clear: a coalition of chaos with Labour, Te Pāti Māori, the Greens and maybe the gangs, ah or a strong National-led government."
Luxon was responding to a question about whether the Nats could/would work with NZ First. No mention of the ACT gang though; Luxon is incredibly focussed, whether it be 'the' gangs, or on how to "fund tax".
The song has been around since the pre-post-apartheid days and it's use in current times discouraged. Presenting this without context is disingenuous and just part of the NZ is turning into an apartheid country nonsense being pushed currently. Most posts about this song I have seen are pushing that suggestion e.g. coming soon to a country near you.
The video isn't shocking in any way. It is well known he does this as as you can see he has been previously censured by the courts.
Cop Killer by Body Count and ICE T in the US would be another example of similar anger against power.
Your lack of even simple research and your willingness to fall into the conspiracy / wokeness rabbit hole is astounding – seeing something particularly South African as linked to CRT in the US even more so.
Facts are this song existed way before any of what you refer to as did Cop Killer which was written in 1990 (influenced heavily by Talking Heads – Pyscho Killer written in 1977).
"You have been warned" presumably refers to being sucked in by stupid bullshit.
Dubul' ibhunu, translated as shoot the Boer or kill the Boer, is a controversial South African song. It is sung in Xhosa and Zulu.
Boers are the descendants of the Dutch-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Depending on the interpretation, the song might alternatively refer to institutional structures such as the National Party (NP); or to specific groups of people such as members of the South African Police (colloquially known as "Boers") and armed forces during apartheid.
Supporters of the song, particularly Black South Africans, see it as a liberation song that articulates an important part of South Africa's history
The court ruled that Julius Malema, who was brought before the court for previously singing the song at rallies, was forbidden from singing it in the future
mod note: Karl, you know where you are commenting. If you want to have a conversation about racism, then have one. Explain your thinking, make your argument. But please don't troll.
Hi Weka, didn’t really think my response was trolling but anyways you wanted my thoughts
1. Original post only had reference to the post about the song, nothing was mentioned about what position I was taking. The response to the post and defensive nature of DoS and PU I found very informative and shines a light on their “souls”… they assume to quickly (must have struck a raw nerve… we here there is smoke there fire!)
2. Due to point 1 above, my thoughts are that people are being trained as attack dogs for the MSM, CNNs of this world (woke). They will happily defend a song that talks about killing “white” people because of cultural context and would suffer an existential crisis if they didn’t go along with approving the song being sung because of cultural woke agenda being foisted upon their cerebellum.
3. It’s never “ok” to sing songs about killing people…. I mean WTF DoS/PU/Weka
Aside Glenn Greenwalds recent post highlighting the dangers of how even wiki pedia is being subjugated to parroting woke talking points is a warning to us all. Maybe some of our “The Standard” commentators are failing into this intellectual trap… (woke = existential mind trap = propaganda parrots)
You got schooled in the historical (time of rebellion against an apartheid government) and current context (court sanction) of a topic you raised.
And thus now resort to the shocking revelation of your world view, as if where you go on X was not exposition enough (and also indicative of what X is becoming) to explain why you made the post.
Explaining is not exculpatory. It's called digging a hole.
John Howard did the same when asking native peoples to be grateful and silent.
Here National allow whana ora and sign New Zealand up to UNDRIP, then say Labour establishing Maori Health is racist, any co-governance under either the Tiriti, or in compliance with UNDRIP, would also be racist.
So much of this is just right wing messaging to cater to a certain white race identity groups nationalism .
All in an era where a GOP controlled SCOTUS is enabling a return to white gerrymandering in the South.
And as in the Cold War a demonising those of humanity better than that, as woke (as they once said "fellow travellers" of a foreign left to suppress domestic social democracy/equity/egalitarianism).
The real one thought singularity is a social conservative white race nation identity tribalism – fear of loss of dominance in government, media, and education they imagine/see threats everywhere to the "heritage, religion and cultural civilisation" built in places they settled.
Some of it is manufactured by those of privilege to manage the working class by such identity politics – all those high school graduates with red MAGA caps, proudly voting their race (as the MW in their state falls to half that in other states).
PS What do you think of the flags of the Southern Confederacy? Something to ban, or remember as part of their history?
You gave a long explanation to justify a song that contains racism and incitement to carry out murder.
No, you could read it again, next time while thinking and work out why.
I wonder what the new proposed hate speech laws would do you with you.Who exactly is digging the whole here?
And hate speech would only apply to those disseminating the video – as you did, not discussion about it. Your range is a little limited, look at this and say it is bad, or otherwise …
It will likely just confirm to his base that there's a conspiracy against him, not by him. There are enough of them to still give him the Republican nomination, but maybe not to become President. Unless the voter suppression by Republican state officials can still win it for him. Expect that effort to go into overdrive. And if that's not enough and he still loses, it's ghoulish horror time as his supporters react.
A tsunami of insanity will hit as Trump indictments happen. From his supporters. One paradox is that the more indictments are laid, the more suits come up, the less shock, horror and opprobrium there is.
Events are seen as normal, there’s nothing unusual going on. The astounding, the once extraordinary events are part of the wallpaper. That likely means the ordinary punters won’t be moved to express disgust and condemn and reject the individual.
Can I point out again that 'tho trump leads the republican race..it is the independent voters who decide american elections…and it was awhile ago but the polling I saw showed Independents not buying the trump message any more…
So those fretting about a possible trump re-run as president…should maybe relax about that…and just watch the movie..
He has more chance of doing jail-time..than to again move into the white house…
Summoning this legal discourse into existence : Does the 18 USC Section 241 (conspiracy against rights) charge mean Donald Trump could be facing the death penalty??
A reminder to the labour party people – even when the other team is truly bloody awful – if you have offer nothing people need, want, or desire you are going to lose.
The best policy in 2022 was a two year rent freeze. Rent is now $50 a week extra.
Other options include raising $2.5B and taking GST off all food (it's the most regressive part of GST and why countries with an estate tax/CGT system did not place it on food in the first place).
I’ve been lucky enough to be nice andwarm in Europe for the last 6 weeks but back to the cold now and we don’t know how lucky we are, the UK is fucked, it s despondent, discouraged and hugely expensive. CHain stores like W H Smiths, ( books etc) have had huge stuff cuts to “ save money” according to the staff I talked to. A big WHS, bigger than a Whitcoulls in Auckland or Chch, in Bath which is wealthy, had only 2 staff, the others having been laid off. A family I know, who had a tough Covid with a vulnerable son are going to have to sell their house because all assistance dried up early on and is now non existent and yet the father has a good IT job but cumulative inflation ver the last 3 years or so is almost 40% according to them, and wages and benefits are years behind.A 73 year old mate has barely 10 quid left over after rent is paid for a single room in a flat. he survives on waiting tables on a call up basis, pretty precarious. Note.. don’t get divorced, it’s generally unsurvivable for either sex.
Like I said we don’t know how lucky we are, so stop bloody complaining and take a look around the world, sure things could be better here but we are still right at the top for ease of living. So long a we can keep the right out of power.
Been to Auckland two days ago. NZ is fucked. More for lease signs then open businesses. No transport woes as no one was driving to anywhere. It was eerie.
People can't afford to rent even with accommodation benefits thus end up in Motels – granted in the UK they actually throw homeless natives out of motels to fill them up with the deserving migrants who cross the channel from France. At great cost to the country and tax payers. But who cares. Right the working stiff will pay for the excesses of government one way or another.
Shops on Ponsonby road had their doors locked and only opened when people actually looked like buyers. Aggressive pan handlers demanding money. Open toileting on the street. Rubbish everywhere. In fact the words that comes to mind is 'disshevelled' 'neglected' 'filthy' 'unsanitary'.
Despite many raises of the min wage working people needs lots of benefits to make ends meet, in fact one of the biggest Pay day lenders in NZ – unregulated too btw – is Winz.
And Winz will use the same debt collectors then any other business should people not be able to refund the money they got for the dentist or the wash machine or any of the other stuff that gets financed by a refundable emergency grant err loan.
And did you know that our homeless people are taxed 25% of their benefit to pay for substandard hovels, run by gang bangers who bring their own gang security and hey who cares……if the right does it its bad if the left does it its ok. Whoopdeedoo.
Fact is – having followed the politics in Europe for a while now, the only difference between the UK and NZ is that the ones are run by people who pretend to be conservative and here we pretend that the current lot is liberal.
In both cases the working stiff is shit outta luck, on its way to losing their home to mortgages that they can no longer finance, obese and malnourished at the same time because healthy food is something that the worker can no longer afford, ditto for heating, communications etc. IF you have money you are fine, if not fuck off and be silent.
Both countries have a cost of living that no one who works for a standard wage can afford. Both countries have an issue with the kids not learning. Both countries have an issue with theft, crime through the roof, homelessness and hunger. Both countries have a healthservice that is no longer providing much of a service, but is held together with the heroic and valiant efforts of its workforce. I guess the suits in parliament will get healthcare, even if some working stiff has to be pushed of their surgery date to make space for some highly paid suit that forgot to go for regular checks cause…its unpleasant.
So really if the right is so bad in England, how come that all that shit here came via a Labour government?
Maybe because there is actually no longer any difference between the right and the left?
If you really believe that last sentence then only a National/ACT government will show how wrong you are. The assumption that we can simply "bank" the hard-won gains forever is a delusion too many voters fall for.
Elections are always a contest between those who can see what will happen, and those who refuse to. The Right are hiding in plain sight, and so we have no excuse not to know.
I don't say that Adrian is incorrect about the UK. I say that we have the same problems here in NZ and that our government is left. Currently left with a full majority.
Please tell me where the difference is in the UK with the NHS failing – for the same reasons as here and NZ where this happens.
Hospitals across the South Island are under immense pressure as they grapple with winter illnesses and staff shortages, with one hospital forced to shut its emergency department because of a lack of doctors.
Many have wards that are at almost 100% capacity – which health bosses claim is normal for this time of year – as they struggle to balance emergency and urgent care with waiting lists and carrying out surgery.
In some instances staff shortages are so bad that desperate employers are texting already exhausted and overwhelmed workers to ask them to come in on their days off.
Nursing bosses warned the situation was “horrific” and a risk to health, the pressure posing a “major risk” to doctors and nurses who have been pushed to the brink.
and i would like to point out that Labour together with National, ACT, TPM and the Greens sold the hard won rights of women – human females down the drain.
Again, tell me where the difference is. Not of the past, but NOW.
The reason for the similar outcomes is because the labour and tory parties in both countries have been in thrall to neoliberal-incrementalism…for far too long..
Seriously, there has been a worldwide pandemic, and around 20 a week are still dying,
We now have a war causing food shortages, and fallout from floods and cyclones which indicate climate change tipping points are here, with Earth boiling, impacting our food costs.
But tell yourself those social costs are caused by this Government by using one experience to back up your bleak view.
By the way Mayor Brown is as right wing as you can get, and is currently looking at Council retirement units, as he mentioned a Real estate Agent instead of a Consultant. He wants free advice rather than paying for advice.
The hyperbole of stream of conscious writing you do is like one long scream.
If you think the Right would be better… how could we convince you otherwise.?
Many late comers will fall for the blue gang and find to their detriment "trickle down" is a cruel joke. I hope you don't Sabine. We remember 2008 to 2017.
Believe it or not, last time they were in, there was a 13 week stand down before you would get an interview at Winz where you would be asked do you have anything to sell? Could you work 15 hours a week? (there was no work)…. let alone "get a Winz loan" at no interest.
It could get worse. Most unemployed were steered in Key's time to Govt courses run by private contractors who gave out useless diplomas for student debt.
I just hope people remember how after the GFC we were promised the Moon "A Rock Star Economy" (rock not star) and did not even get the man, we got a sleezy money bod instead, who ran the place down while playing housing monopoly.
Look up the history of each of Nationals MPs It is sad.
Most can't even think about what we have been through in the last few years.
For one some other political party had the rains for 9 years ago
And what was the result of their rain.
They starved the public sectors that didn't serve there political agenda.???.
And koha a million dollars each to 400 farmers mates down the South Island. HUGE IRRITATING SCEEM
Hence all the hassle that a lot government agencies are going through because there basic matainance was not maintained.
Next if these people did have the rains in the last 8 years well there would have been thousands hakari going down.
This short term memory is what gets us in the shit all the time. Ie carbon and other gas warming our environment ie belleaving the lies that the alt right push.
Ps I would ban polls for six months before a election.
I can see all the work these righty people served up in my neck of the woods in their 8 years a new hinaki new roads heaps of whano on the streets no house plenty of extremely expensive house for their wealth mates. Ps wake up the rightys only serve the wealthiest people the rest of us are here just to be milked on a regular basis.
Eco Maori Backs labour green this combination is what will have most of people's best interests at heart and not just the Wealthiest.
Ps I know you sandflys have been baiting me to do this so don't go blowing your horn.
Guess what just had those angels the nz police over O same excuse we didn't have his ph number.
You see whanau it's so easy for these SPIES to cast there shit om to unsespecting people send cops over just like spiking a DRINK or convincing someone to jump waka because. They live in that hinaki together
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When National won the New Zealand election in 2023, one of the first to congratulate Luxon was tech-billionaire and entrepreneur extraordinaire Elon Musk.And last year, after Luxon posted a video about a trip to Malaysia, Musk came forward again to heap praise on Christopher:So it was perhaps par for the ...
Hi,Today’s Webworm features a new short film from documentary maker Giorgio Angelini. It’s about Luigi Mangione — but it’s also, really, about everything in America right now.Bear with me.Shortly after I sent out my last missive from the fires on Wednesday, one broke out a little too close to home ...
So soon just after you've goneMy senses sharpenBut it always takes so damn longBefore I feel how much my eyes have darkenedFear hangs in a plane of gun smokeDrifting in our roomSo easy to disturb, with a thought, with a whisperWith a careless memorySongwriters: Andy Taylor / John Taylor / ...
Can we trust the Trump cabinet to act in the public interest?Nine of Trump’s closest advisers are billionaires. Their total net worth is in excess of $US375b (providing there is not a share-market crash). In contrast, the total net worth of Trump’s first Cabinet was about $6b. (Joe Biden’s Cabinet ...
Welcome back to our weekly roundup. We hope you had a good break (if you had one). Here’s a few of the stories that caught our attention over the last few weeks. This holiday period on Greater Auckland Since our last roundup we’ve: Taken a look back at ...
Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partnerSometimes I feel like my only friendIs the city I live in, The City of AngelsLonely as I am together we crySong: Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, Flea, John Frusciante.A home is engulfed in flames during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area. ...
Open access notablesLarge emissions of CO2 and CH4 due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra, Torn et al., Nature Communications:Climate warming may accelerate decomposition of Arctic soil carbon, but few controlled experiments have manipulated the entire active layer. To determine surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide and ...
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...
Over the holidays, there was a rising tide of calls for people to submit on National's repulsive, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, along with a wave of advice and examples of what to say. And it looks like people rose to the occasion, with over 300,000 ...
The lie is my expenseThe scope of my desireThe Party blessed me with its futureAnd I protect it with fireI am the Nina The Pinta The Santa MariaThe noose and the rapistAnd the fields overseerThe agents of orangeThe priests of HiroshimaThe cost of my desire…Sleep now in the fireSongwriters: Brad ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkGlobal surface temperatures have risen around 1.3C since the preindustrial (1850-1900) period as a result of human activity.1 However, this aggregate number masks a lot of underlying factors that contribute to global surface temperature changes over time.These include CO2, which is the primary ...
There are times when movement around us seems to slow down. And the faster things get, the slower it all appears.And so it is with the whirlwind of early year political activity.They are harbingers for what is to come:Video: Wayne Wright Jnr, funder of Sean Plunket, talk growing power and ...
Hi,Right now the power is out, so I’m just relying on the laptop battery and tethering to my phone’s 5G which is dropping in and out. We’ll see how we go.First up — I’m fine. I can’t see any flames out the window. I live in the greater Hollywood area ...
2024 was a tough year for working Kiwis. But together we’ve been able to fight back for a just and fair New Zealand and in 2025 we need to keep standing up for what’s right and having our voices heard. That starts with our Mood of the Workforce Survey. It’s your ...
Time is never time at allYou can never ever leaveWithout leaving a piece of youthAnd our lives are forever changedWe will never be the sameThe more you change, the less you feelSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan.Babinden - Baba’s DayToday, January 8th, 2025, is Babinden, “The Day of the baba” or “The ...
..I/We wish to make the following comments:I oppose the Treaty Principles Bill."5. Act binds the CrownThis Act binds the Crown."How does this Act "bind the Crown" when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which the Act refers to, has been violated by the Crown on numerous occassions, resulting in massive loss of ...
Everything is good and brownI'm here againWith a sunshine smile upon my faceMy friends are close at handAnd all my inhibitions have disappeared without a traceI'm glad, oh, that I found oohSomebody who I can rely onSongwriter: Jay KayGood morning, all you lovely people. Today, I’ve got nothing except a ...
Welcome to 2025. After wrapping up 2024, here’s a look at some of the things we can expect to see this year along with a few predictions. Council and Elections Elections One of the biggest things this year will be local body elections in October. Will Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Canadians can take a while to get angry – but when they finally do, watch out. Canada has been falling out of love with Justin Trudeau for years, and his exit has to be the least surprising news event of the New Year. On recent polling, Trudeau’s Liberal party has ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Much like 2023, many climate and energy records were broken in 2024. It was Earth’s hottest year on record by a wide margin, breaking the previous record that was set just last year by an even larger margin. Human-caused climate-warming pollution and ...
Submissions on National's racist, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are due tomorrow! So today, after a good long holiday from all that bullshit, I finally got my shit together to submit on it. As I noted here, people should write their own submissions in their own ...
Ooh, baby (ooh, baby)It's making me crazy (it's making me crazy)Every time I look around (look around)Every time I look around (every time I look around)Every time I look aroundIt's in my faceSongwriters: Alan Leo Jansson / Paul Lawrence L. Fuemana.Today, I’ll be talking about rich, middle-aged men who’ve made ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 29, 2024 thru Sat, January 4, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Hi,The thing that stood out at me while shopping for Christmas presents in New Zealand was how hard it was to avoid Zuru products. Toy manufacturer Zuru is a bit like Netflix, in that it has so much data on what people want they can flood the market with so ...
And when a child is born into this worldIt has no conceptOf the tone of skin it's living inAnd there's a million voicesAnd there's a million voicesTo tell you what you should be thinkingSong by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.The moment you see that face, you can hear her voice; ...
While we may not always have quality political leadership, a couple of recently published autobiographies indicate sometimes we strike it lucky. When ranking our prime ministers, retired professor of history Erik Olssen commented that ‘neither Holland nor Nash was especially effective as prime minister – even his private secretary thought ...
Baby, be the class clownI'll be the beauty queen in tearsIt's a new art form, showin' people how little we care (yeah)We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fearLet's go down to the tennis court and talk it up like, yeah (yeah)Songwriters: Joel Little / Ella Yelich O ...
Open access notables Why Misinformation Must Not Be Ignored, Ecker et al., American Psychologist:Recent academic debate has seen the emergence of the claim that misinformation is not a significant societal problem. We argue that the arguments used to support this minimizing position are flawed, particularly if interpreted (e.g., by policymakers or the public) as suggesting ...
What I’ve Been Doing: I buried a close family member.What I’ve Been Watching: Andor, Jack Reacher, Xmas movies.What I’ve Been Reflecting On: The Usefulness of Writing and the Worthiness of Doing So — especially as things become more transparent on their own.I also hate competing on any day, and if ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by John Wihbey. A version of this article first appeared on Yale Climate Connections on Nov. 11, 2008. (Image credits: The White House, Jonathan Cutrer / CC BY 2.0; President Jimmy Carter, Trikosko/Library of Congress; Solar dedication, Bill Fitz-Patrick / Jimmy Carter Library; Solar ...
Morena folks,We’re having a good break, recharging the batteries. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday period. I’m not feeling terribly inspired by much at the moment, I’m afraid—not from a writing point of view, anyway.So, today, we’re travelling back in time. You’ll have to imagine the wavy lines and sci-fi sound ...
Completed reads for 2024: Oration on the Dignity of Man, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola A Platonic Discourse Upon Love, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola Of Being and Unity, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola The Life of Pico della Mirandola, by Giovanni Francesco Pico Three Letters Written by Pico ...
Welcome to 2025, Aotearoa. Well… what can one really say? 2024 was a story of a bad beginning, an infernal middle and an indescribably farcical end. But to chart a course for a real future, it does pay to know where we’ve been… so we know where we need ...
The Green Party has welcomed the provisional ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and reiterated its call for New Zealand to push for an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestine. ...
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by Kāinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...
Uia te pō, rangahaua te pō, whakamāramatia mai he aha tō tango, he aha tō kāwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rātā whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pō, ngū te pō, ue hā! E te kahurangi māreikura, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. “It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the government’s largest ever investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this government assumed ...
Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora e mua - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead. Māori recipients in the New Year 2025 Honours list show comprehensive dedication to improving communities across the motu that ...
LETTER:By John Minto With the temporary ceasefire agreement, we should take our hats off to the Palestinian people of Gaza who have withstood a total military onslaught from Israel but without surrendering or shifting from their land. Over 15 months Israel has dropped well over 70,000 tonnes of bombs ...
Analysis: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will have got a nasty shock on Friday, when the Taxpayers Union published its monthly poll showing National’s worst major poll result while in government since 1999.In the survey, by National’s own preferred pollster Curia, the party dropped below 30 percent to 29.6 percent. It ...
We wish the new Ministers well, but their success will depend on their ability to secure increased funding for health and the public service, not more irresponsible cuts. ...
Taxpayers’ Union Co-founder, Jordan Williams, said “Economic growth isn’t everything, but it is almost everything. Our ability to afford a world-class health, education, and social safety system depends on having a first-world economy. Nothing is more ...
There should be only one reason why people enter politics. It is for the good of the nation and the people who voted them in. It is to be their voice at the national level where the country’s future is decided. The recent developments within the Samoan government are a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Sunday 19 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report The United Nations tasked with providing humanitarian aid to the besieged people of Gaza — and the only one that can do it on a large scale — says it is ready to provide assistance in the wake of the ceasefire tomorrow but is worried about the ...
Asia Pacific Report About 200 demonstrators gathered in the heart of New Zealand’s biggest city Auckland today to welcome the Gaza ceasefire due to come into force tomorrow, but warned they would continue to protest until justice is served with an independent and free Palestinan state. Jubilant scenes of dancing ...
The Government has released the first draft of its long-awaited Gene Technology Bill, following through on the election promise to harness the potential of biotechnology by ending the de facto ban on genetic engineering in Aotearoa New Zealand.While the country does not and has never completely banned genetic engineering (GE), ...
Comment: Graduation ceremonies are energising. Attending one recently, I felt the positivity from being surrounded by hundreds of young people at their career-launching point.Among them was one of my sons. He struggled through school and left before his mates. As a 21-year-old he qualified as a sparky, and I was ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liam Byrne, Honorary Fellow, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Should a US president by judged by what they achieved, or by what they failed to do? Joe Biden’s administration is over. Though we have an extensive ...
COMMENTARY:By Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson and Junior S. Ami With just over a year left in her tenure as Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa faces a political upheaval threatening a peaceful end to her term. Ironically, the rule of law — the very principle that elevated her to ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. A year ago I met a lovely older gentleman at a Christmas party who owned racehorses. He wasn’t “in the business”, as he said, he just enjoyed horses and so owned a couple as a hobby. After a dozen questions from me ...
The Pacific profiles series shines a light on Pacific people in Aotearoa doing interesting and important work in their communities, as nominated by members of the public. Today, Grace Colcord, Shea Wātene and Devyn Baileh, co-founders of Brown Town.All photos by Geoffery Matautia.Brown Town is an Ōtautahi community ...
The actor and comedian takes us through her life in television, from early Shortland Street rejection to the enduring power of the Gilmore Girls. Browse local telly offerings and you’ll likely encounter Kura Forrester soon enough. Whether you know her best as loveable Lily in Double Parked or Puku the ...
Making rēwana is about more than just a recipe – it’s a journey of patience, care and persistence.A subtle smell is filling our living room as my son crawls around playing with his nana. It has the familiar scent of freshly baked bread, with a slight hint of sweetness. ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Saturday 18 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...
From dubious health claims to too-good-to-be-true deals to bizarre clickbait confessions from famous people, scam ads are filling Facebook feeds, sucking users in and ripping them off. So why won’t Meta do anything about it? I’ve had a Facebook account since 2006, when it first became available to the ...
A year out from leaving the bear pit that is the pinnacle of our democracy, I have returned to something familiar. A working life in litigation, mainly in employment law, has brought me full circle, refreshed old skills and exposed me to some realities and values which have stunned me.But ...
2025 is the Year of the Snake, so it should be another productive year for the David Seymours of the world by which I mean of course people with an enigmatic and introspective nature. Those born in previous Snake years – 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001 – will flourish in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney The acclaimed American filmmaker David Lynch has died at the age of 78. While a cause of death has yet to be publicly announced, Lynch, a lifelong tobacco enthusiast, revealed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Monika Ferguson, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health, University of South Australia People presenting at emergency with mental health concerns are experiencing the longest wait times in Australia for admission to a ward, according to a new report from the Australasian College of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University We’re nearing the halfway point of this year’s Australian Open and players like the United States’ Reilly Opelka (ranked 170th in the world ) and France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (ranked 30th) captured plenty of ...
Asia Pacific Report Four researchers and authors from the Asia-Pacific region have provided diverse perspectives on the media in a new global book on intercultural communication. The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Communication published this week offers a global, interdisciplinary, and contextual approach to understanding the complexities of intercultural communication in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin T. Jones, Senior Lecturer in History, CQUniversity Australia In his farewell address, outgoing US President Joe Biden warned “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy”. The comment suggests ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hrvoje Tkalčić, Professor, Head of Geophysics, Director of Warramunga Array, Australian National University A map showing the ‘Martian dichotomy’: the southern highlands are in yellows and oranges, the northern lowlands in blues and greens.NASA / JPL / USGS Mars is home ...
A new poem by Niamh Hollis-Locke.Field-notes: Midsummer, 9pm, walking barefoot in the reserve after a storm, the sky still light, the city strung out across backs of the hills Dunes of last week’s cut grass washed downslope against the bracken, drifts of pale wet stems rotting into one ...
The poll, conducted between 9-13 January, shows National down 4.6 points to 29.6%, while Labour have risen 4.0 points from last month, overtaking them with30.9%. ...
As the world farewells visionary director David Lynch, we return to this 2017 piece by Angela Cuming about escaping into the haunting world of Twin Peaks. I was only 10 years old when Twin Peaks – and the real world – found me.Once a week, in the dark, I ...
Spook state Aotearoa:
Didn't know Aotearoa has nine Government national security agencies? Nor did I. It’s a suitable occasion for kiwi pride – the yanks will be worried out of their complacency. We could be a contender for top national security nation.
Well they'll just have to be forced to study them & it harder, right? Insitute a comprehension test in a state exam, with marks out of 10 for all citizens. Publish the results. Education ought to be serious. Make it work properly.
Perhaps he's right to be confused that the govt is telling people stuff unofficially rather than officially. People could easily not take the govt seriously. However, I suspect they already don't – so no need to worry, everything's normal.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/132658217/its-a-bit-bleak-government-officials-warn-of-the-future-new-zealand-faces
Well Andrew Little is releasing some NZ MoD & NZDF related stuff on Friday and its related to what was released today.
Unfortunately I'm out bush ie I'm out/ down at Daly Waters NT atm and heading home on Friday so I won't get to read what Andy is releasing until the Weekend before I head back out bush again on Wednesday.
George Monbiot nails it:
"How can you tell when a politician is doing the work of the oil and gas companies? When they start promoting carbon capture and storage (CCS). CCS has been the magic fix for climate breakdown promised by successive UK governments for 20 years – and never delivered. Most of the very few projects brought to fruition around the world have been abject failures.
The sole purpose of CCS is to justify the granting of more oil and gas licences, on the grounds that one day someone might be able to capture and bury the CO2 they produce. It’s no coincidence that Sunak announced both policies – more licences and CCS – in the same statement. It would be wrong to say the technology doesn’t work. It works precisely as intended, even if it never materialises: it is a highly successful method of buying more time for the fossil fuel industry."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/01/rishi-sunak-north-sea-planet-climate-crisis-plutocrats
CCS is greenwashing…and not even light green. Just an enabler for BAU.
Further on the greenwash subject…I am also not a supporter of carbon offset pine plantations in NZ
Not as bad as CCS..but still an enabler…
During the election campaign RNZ is tracking polls, Facebook ads, campaign financing, data from the debates and advance voting numbers. The latest figures are published right here on this page: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/494809/latest-political-polling-campaign-finances-social-media-targeting-and-more
There's more interesting graphs lower down their page:
So they are using a triadic frame to prioritise issues. The graph for Top 5 issues for New Zealanders – Taken from Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor – rates #1 at 63%, inflation & cost of living, #2 crime @ 40%, #3 equal housing & healthcare 31%, #5 climate change 23%, #6 economy 22%, #7 fuel 11%. So they got a heptad of issues (7 graph lines) in the public mind.
Then we get this: [What topics the parties are spending money on this year.] Facebook ad spending by party on issues in the Ipsos top five as a percentage of the party's overall upper spend – the graph is selectable by the viewer pushing buttons on-screen. There's a button for each of five parties and one for them all combined – NZF is being discriminated against by the RNZ computer geek team for some reason…
Biggest combined spend is on the economy, 46%. #2 is transport, 21%. #3 is health, 8%. #4 is crime @ 6%, #5 is housing @ 1%, #6 is climate change, 0%.
So the good news is that the political parties have total consensus that Facebooks users are unworthy of spending money on to persuade them to vote for climate change policy.
If you believed the Facebook community, you would think the three most important issues were (in no particular order): potholes, road speed limits and the price of lattes.
I feel like it should be " the cost of living and housing" I feel like the media and politicians seperate housing from cost of living so it looks like housing costs aren't a great concern.
They are the same thing.
Rents mortgages and rates are living costs.
Power is a living cost
Groceries are a living cost.
I have great despair when I think about how unaffordable NZ is ATM and how unaffordable it will become if we don't start trying to do things differently.
I think a lot of people whose greatest concerns are housing and bill costs are so scared they've tuned right out of politics to distract themselves and protect their mental health from constant worrying
Good to hear Jan Tinetti doing fine with Mike Hosking on ZB this morning on tertiary education. Admitted the areas for improvement particularly in Maori high school credentialising levels, and promised to work hard on them.
Do more of that Jan.
Do you listen to hosking for pleasure..or is it a chore/research you must endure..?
If the latter…goodonya for taking one for the team..
If the former..?..(I'll just leave that there.. hanging…)
On the commute into Queenstown I start with a podcast, then cover BBC World, ZB, RNZ, Wanaka Radio, and More FM Queenstown.
(whew..!..)
I'm lazy…i find that rnz + the guardian pretty much keeps you/me up to speed…
@ Phillip ure… "I'm lazy…i find that rnz + the guardian pretty much keeps you/me up to speed"….that explaines a lot, thanks for the insight…but then I guess you did say that you were lazy.
The Guardian has proved that it is nothing more than a trojan horse in the Left…it has shown itself quite openly and plainly for all to see, a seething, rabid Guardian of the status quo on so many occasions that I am amazed to see how many 'lefties' can still can say with a straight face that they hold it in any regard…and the BBC…seriously Ad?
"How The Guardian Betrayed Not Only Corbyn But The Last Vestiges Of British Democracy"
The BBC admits it spent decades conspiring with MI5 to stop a left-wing UK government
No wonder so many ‘lefties’ are so enthusiastic about every single war and intervention the West get involved with these days…if this is were they are sourcing their ‘news’ from…holy shit, no wonder the Left is dead in the water in the West.
I would also note the wmd debacle…and their eager pimping for the atrocities done to libya..
So I read the politics in it with those filters firmly in place..
I go there mainly for the cultural/environmental stuff…they are good on both of them..
So adrian…where should 'lefties' go for their general news/information..?
Or should they just live frozen in a news vacuum..?
This is the second time I have asked you this question..
Will you answer it this time..?
Left wing approved media? Which left wing approved it? Is there a left wing? Whose left wing?
" BBC World, ZB, RNZ,"…that explaines a lot, thanks for the insight.
Heard Luxon being supported in the "Coalition of Chaos" dig at Labour Greens Ti Parti Maori and…. wait for it… Gangs. Yes Christopher Luxon included Gangs in the coalition grouping. (in the last minute of their talk on RNZ.)am today.
Perhaps someone could link for me?
This is outright fishing by Guyon, and egging on the Head Egg to respond with this laughing nastiness, indicates their thinking. If tackled he will probably say the classic response "I was just joking"
A disgusting comment, but not surprised.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018900891/national-party-defends-24-billion-roading-plan
Thanks aj
For anyone who cannot stomach listening to 9 mins of Luxon the quote referred to begins @ 8 mins.
What a skunk of a man. And he calls himself a Christian.
Thanks Patricia, Nat 'leaders' have form – "When my eyebrow goes up, it's a joke."
Bit hard to tell on radio though.
Luxon was responding to a question about whether the Nats could/would work with NZ First. No mention of the ACT gang though; Luxon is incredibly focussed, whether it be 'the' gangs, or on how to "fund tax".
100% DMK.
National being led around by the nose by act..
.. acting out their scorched earth policies/beliefs… would be chaotic for the rest of us..and for nz…
(Kinda funny how national had their party of tax cuts branding/framing wrenched from them by tmp..
..and now have to own the chaotic label..
..'cos nact is just a re-spelling of chaos…)
Interesting developments, if true, I wonder if we’ll see this on RNZ or TVNZ?
“Shocking video shows South Africa’s black party singing “kill the Boer (Whites), kill the White farmer”
This is all downstream from the rotten secular religion of wokeness and CRT plaguing America today.
You have been warned.”
WATCH.
https://twitter.com/thelaurenchen/status/1686370915494375424?s=46&t=Mb3vWtlQ9iVITzFN3xvWAQ
The song has been around since the pre-post-apartheid days and it's use in current times discouraged. Presenting this without context is disingenuous and just part of the NZ is turning into an apartheid country nonsense being pushed currently. Most posts about this song I have seen are pushing that suggestion e.g. coming soon to a country near you.
The video isn't shocking in any way. It is well known he does this as as you can see he has been previously censured by the courts.
Cop Killer by Body Count and ICE T in the US would be another example of similar anger against power.
Your lack of even simple research and your willingness to fall into the conspiracy / wokeness rabbit hole is astounding – seeing something particularly South African as linked to CRT in the US even more so.
Facts are this song existed way before any of what you refer to as did Cop Killer which was written in 1990 (influenced heavily by Talking Heads – Pyscho Killer written in 1977).
"You have been warned" presumably refers to being sucked in by stupid bullshit.
Dubul' ibhunu, translated as shoot the Boer or kill the Boer, is a controversial South African song. It is sung in Xhosa and Zulu.
Boers are the descendants of the Dutch-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Depending on the interpretation, the song might alternatively refer to institutional structures such as the National Party (NP); or to specific groups of people such as members of the South African Police (colloquially known as "Boers") and armed forces during apartheid.
Supporters of the song, particularly Black South Africans, see it as a liberation song that articulates an important part of South Africa's history
The court ruled that Julius Malema, who was brought before the court for previously singing the song at rallies, was forbidden from singing it in the future
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubul%27_ibhunu
that's a great comment. Can I quote that on twitter?
Feel free to do so.
I think you provided a good example of convincing yourself racism is ok
Top marks A+++
“The video isn't shocking in any way. It is well known he does this as as you can see he has been previously censured by the courts”
Unsure why you have "think" in your sentence.
No…racism isn't ok…
But songs of rebellion written by an enlslaved people.. against those doing that enslaving are..
And this is what this is…
mod note: Karl, you know where you are commenting. If you want to have a conversation about racism, then have one. Explain your thinking, make your argument. But please don't troll.
DoS +1
Importing far-right garbage from the USA … no thanks.
Well..k sinclair…
D.o.s has well and truly'owned' you…eh..?
heh…!
telling someone they've been owned tends to start flame wars, please don't.
Hi Weka, didn’t really think my response was trolling but anyways you wanted my thoughts
1. Original post only had reference to the post about the song, nothing was mentioned about what position I was taking. The response to the post and defensive nature of DoS and PU I found very informative and shines a light on their “souls”… they assume to quickly (must have struck a raw nerve… we here there is smoke there fire!)
2. Due to point 1 above, my thoughts are that people are being trained as attack dogs for the MSM, CNNs of this world (woke). They will happily defend a song that talks about killing “white” people because of cultural context and would suffer an existential crisis if they didn’t go along with approving the song being sung because of cultural woke agenda being foisted upon their cerebellum.
3. It’s never “ok” to sing songs about killing people…. I mean WTF DoS/PU/Weka
Aside Glenn Greenwalds recent post highlighting the dangers of how even wiki pedia is being subjugated to parroting woke talking points is a warning to us all. Maybe some of our “The Standard” commentators are failing into this intellectual trap… (woke = existential mind trap = propaganda parrots)
https://rumble.com/v33wemb-wikipedia-co-founder-condemns-it-most-biased-encyclopedia-in-history-system.html
We get it.
You got schooled in the historical (time of rebellion against an apartheid government) and current context (court sanction) of a topic you raised.
And thus now resort to the shocking revelation of your world view, as if where you go on X was not exposition enough (and also indicative of what X is becoming) to explain why you made the post.
Explaining is not exculpatory. It's called digging a hole.
John Howard did the same when asking native peoples to be grateful and silent.
Here National allow whana ora and sign New Zealand up to UNDRIP, then say Labour establishing Maori Health is racist, any co-governance under either the Tiriti, or in compliance with UNDRIP, would also be racist.
So much of this is just right wing messaging to cater to a certain white race identity groups nationalism .
All in an era where a GOP controlled SCOTUS is enabling a return to white gerrymandering in the South.
And as in the Cold War a demonising those of humanity better than that, as woke (as they once said "fellow travellers" of a foreign left to suppress domestic social democracy/equity/egalitarianism).
The real one thought singularity is a social conservative white race nation identity tribalism – fear of loss of dominance in government, media, and education they imagine/see threats everywhere to the "heritage, religion and cultural civilisation" built in places they settled.
Some of it is manufactured by those of privilege to manage the working class by such identity politics – all those high school graduates with red MAGA caps, proudly voting their race (as the MW in their state falls to half that in other states).
PS What do you think of the flags of the Southern Confederacy? Something to ban, or remember as part of their history?
Hi SPC,
You gave a long explanation to justify a song that contains racism and incitement to carry out murder.
I wonder what the new proposed hate speech laws would do you with you.
Who exactly is digging the whole here?
Enjoy your day
No, you could read it again, next time while thinking and work out why.
And hate speech would only apply to those disseminating the video – as you did, not discussion about it. Your range is a little limited, look at this and say it is bad, or otherwise …
I’ve looked up Harry in the Urban Dictionary …
And finally Trump has his next charge: a four-count indictment, charging:
– conspiracy to defraud the United States
– conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding
– obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and
– conspiracy against rights.
May he roast in hell.
is he going to jail?
Trump'll be doing appeals right through the nomination and then through the Presidential contest itself. It's still his best fundraising trick.
The Georgia State election interference one will be next I expect.
Yes he's well funded on that aspect as I read somewhere his backers have spent $50m in the last year on lawyers via those PACs.
It will likely just confirm to his base that there's a conspiracy against him, not by him. There are enough of them to still give him the Republican nomination, but maybe not to become President. Unless the voter suppression by Republican state officials can still win it for him. Expect that effort to go into overdrive. And if that's not enough and he still loses, it's ghoulish horror time as his supporters react.
A tsunami of insanity will hit as Trump indictments happen. From his supporters. One paradox is that the more indictments are laid, the more suits come up, the less shock, horror and opprobrium there is.
Events are seen as normal, there’s nothing unusual going on. The astounding, the once extraordinary events are part of the wallpaper. That likely means the ordinary punters won’t be moved to express disgust and condemn and reject the individual.
Can I point out again that 'tho trump leads the republican race..it is the independent voters who decide american elections…and it was awhile ago but the polling I saw showed Independents not buying the trump message any more…
So those fretting about a possible trump re-run as president…should maybe relax about that…and just watch the movie..
He has more chance of doing jail-time..than to again move into the white house…
They've wheeled one of the big guns out.
Greg
@waltisfrozen
Summoning this legal discourse into existence : Does the 18 USC Section 241 (conspiracy against rights) charge mean Donald Trump could be facing the death penalty??
https://twitter.com/waltisfrozen/status/1686599480089686016
A reminder to the labour party people – even when the other team is truly bloody awful – if you have offer nothing people need, want, or desire you are going to lose.
The orange one is the perfect example of that…
Money in the hand (due to the cost of living) is what I'd say people want most right now.
And due to the fears of further stoking up inflation, The best way to do that is to cut GST across the board. Neutralizing the effect.
The best policy in 2022 was a two year rent freeze. Rent is now $50 a week extra.
Other options include raising $2.5B and taking GST off all food (it's the most regressive part of GST and why countries with an estate tax/CGT system did not place it on food in the first place).
I am dreading the possibility that gst off fruit/veg is their big-bang policy..
'cos it ain't..
I’ve been lucky enough to be nice andwarm in Europe for the last 6 weeks but back to the cold now and we don’t know how lucky we are, the UK is fucked, it s despondent, discouraged and hugely expensive. CHain stores like W H Smiths, ( books etc) have had huge stuff cuts to “ save money” according to the staff I talked to. A big WHS, bigger than a Whitcoulls in Auckland or Chch, in Bath which is wealthy, had only 2 staff, the others having been laid off. A family I know, who had a tough Covid with a vulnerable son are going to have to sell their house because all assistance dried up early on and is now non existent and yet the father has a good IT job but cumulative inflation ver the last 3 years or so is almost 40% according to them, and wages and benefits are years behind.A 73 year old mate has barely 10 quid left over after rent is paid for a single room in a flat. he survives on waiting tables on a call up basis, pretty precarious. Note.. don’t get divorced, it’s generally unsurvivable for either sex.
Like I said we don’t know how lucky we are, so stop bloody complaining and take a look around the world, sure things could be better here but we are still right at the top for ease of living. So long a we can keep the right out of power.
Been to Auckland two days ago. NZ is fucked. More for lease signs then open businesses. No transport woes as no one was driving to anywhere. It was eerie.
People can't afford to rent even with accommodation benefits thus end up in Motels – granted in the UK they actually throw homeless natives out of motels to fill them up with the deserving migrants who cross the channel from France. At great cost to the country and tax payers. But who cares. Right the working stiff will pay for the excesses of government one way or another.
Shops on Ponsonby road had their doors locked and only opened when people actually looked like buyers. Aggressive pan handlers demanding money. Open toileting on the street. Rubbish everywhere. In fact the words that comes to mind is 'disshevelled' 'neglected' 'filthy' 'unsanitary'.
Despite many raises of the min wage working people needs lots of benefits to make ends meet, in fact one of the biggest Pay day lenders in NZ – unregulated too btw – is Winz.
And Winz will use the same debt collectors then any other business should people not be able to refund the money they got for the dentist or the wash machine or any of the other stuff that gets financed by a refundable emergency grant err loan.
And did you know that our homeless people are taxed 25% of their benefit to pay for substandard hovels, run by gang bangers who bring their own gang security and hey who cares……if the right does it its bad if the left does it its ok. Whoopdeedoo.
Fact is – having followed the politics in Europe for a while now, the only difference between the UK and NZ is that the ones are run by people who pretend to be conservative and here we pretend that the current lot is liberal.
In both cases the working stiff is shit outta luck, on its way to losing their home to mortgages that they can no longer finance, obese and malnourished at the same time because healthy food is something that the worker can no longer afford, ditto for heating, communications etc. IF you have money you are fine, if not fuck off and be silent.
Both countries have a cost of living that no one who works for a standard wage can afford. Both countries have an issue with the kids not learning. Both countries have an issue with theft, crime through the roof, homelessness and hunger. Both countries have a healthservice that is no longer providing much of a service, but is held together with the heroic and valiant efforts of its workforce. I guess the suits in parliament will get healthcare, even if some working stiff has to be pushed of their surgery date to make space for some highly paid suit that forgot to go for regular checks cause…its unpleasant.
So really if the right is so bad in England, how come that all that shit here came via a Labour government?
Maybe because there is actually no longer any difference between the right and the left?
If you really believe that last sentence then only a National/ACT government will show how wrong you are. The assumption that we can simply "bank" the hard-won gains forever is a delusion too many voters fall for.
Elections are always a contest between those who can see what will happen, and those who refuse to. The Right are hiding in plain sight, and so we have no excuse not to know.
And yes, Adrian is correct about the UK.
I don't say that Adrian is incorrect about the UK. I say that we have the same problems here in NZ and that our government is left. Currently left with a full majority.
Please tell me where the difference is in the UK with the NHS failing – for the same reasons as here and NZ where this happens.
https://www.thepress.co.nz/a/nz-news/350045927/hospital-ed-shuts-doors-illness-and-staff-shortages-push-doctors-and-nurses
and i would like to point out that Labour together with National, ACT, TPM and the Greens sold the hard won rights of women – human females down the drain.
Again, tell me where the difference is. Not of the past, but NOW.
Now? Sure.
Why is abortion no longer a crime in NZ?
Because it is a medical procedure. Between a woman and her medical practitioner.
Because that is a the progressive position and Labour and the Greens made it happen. Would it have happened under Nact?
The reason for the similar outcomes is because the labour and tory parties in both countries have been in thrall to neoliberal-incrementalism…for far too long..
It's way past time to tear up that playbook..
We won't get change until we do…
Thanks Adrian.
Sabine is there anything you like about here?
Seriously, there has been a worldwide pandemic, and around 20 a week are still dying,
We now have a war causing food shortages, and fallout from floods and cyclones which indicate climate change tipping points are here, with Earth boiling, impacting our food costs.
But tell yourself those social costs are caused by this Government by using one experience to back up your bleak view.
By the way Mayor Brown is as right wing as you can get, and is currently looking at Council retirement units, as he mentioned a Real estate Agent instead of a Consultant. He wants free advice rather than paying for advice.
The hyperbole of stream of conscious writing you do is like one long scream.
If you think the Right would be better… how could we convince you otherwise.?
Many late comers will fall for the blue gang and find to their detriment "trickle down" is a cruel joke. I hope you don't Sabine. We remember 2008 to 2017.
Believe it or not, last time they were in, there was a 13 week stand down before you would get an interview at Winz where you would be asked do you have anything to sell? Could you work 15 hours a week? (there was no work)…. let alone "get a Winz loan" at no interest.
It could get worse. Most unemployed were steered in Key's time to Govt courses run by private contractors who gave out useless diplomas for student debt.
I just hope people remember how after the GFC we were promised the Moon "A Rock Star Economy" (rock not star) and did not even get the man, we got a sleezy money bod instead, who ran the place down while playing housing monopoly.
Look up the history of each of Nationals MPs It is sad.
Timely perspective thankyou Adrian.
Anybody else planning on checking out Heavyweight with Dave Letele on TVNZ2 tomorrow night (8.30pm)?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/dave-letele-opens-up-on-his-battle-with-booze-gang-life-and-the-choices-faced-by-brown-parents/33M27ALAYJCITJOHD6AYORMTW4/
Yes He is a remarkable human.
Kia Ora
Whanau.
Just a few wise words.
Most People have short memory's.
Most can't even think about what we have been through in the last few years.
For one some other political party had the rains for 9 years ago
And what was the result of their rain.
They starved the public sectors that didn't serve there political agenda.???.
And koha a million dollars each to 400 farmers mates down the South Island. HUGE IRRITATING SCEEM
Hence all the hassle that a lot government agencies are going through because there basic matainance was not maintained.
Next if these people did have the rains in the last 8 years well there would have been thousands hakari going down.
This short term memory is what gets us in the shit all the time. Ie carbon and other gas warming our environment ie belleaving the lies that the alt right push.
Ps I would ban polls for six months before a election.
I can see all the work these righty people served up in my neck of the woods in their 8 years a new hinaki new roads heaps of whano on the streets no house plenty of extremely expensive house for their wealth mates. Ps wake up the rightys only serve the wealthiest people the rest of us are here just to be milked on a regular basis.
Eco Maori Backs labour green this combination is what will have most of people's best interests at heart and not just the Wealthiest.
Ps I know you sandflys have been baiting me to do this so don't go blowing your horn.
Kia kite Ano
Eco Maori .. There are more than a few anti-Lab/Green doomers and white-anters, even on here.
We can, and must prevent the NAct jackboot on our NZ future.
Kia Kaha.
Kia Ora whano
Im aloud to have a political opinion ON MY OWN WHENUA the spies are framing this as a crime. Ps my World political opinion
Ka kite Ano
Old Nagti Porou Rangtira served the people first and took care of the whenua environment and in turn they will look after Te Rangtira zealously.
Ka kite Ano whanau
https://youtu.be/zRvXKwA5iMw
Kia Ora whano.
Guess what just had those angels the nz police over O same excuse we didn't have his ph number.
You see whanau it's so easy for these SPIES to cast there shit om to unsespecting people send cops over just like spiking a DRINK or convincing someone to jump waka because. They live in that hinaki together
Ka kite Ano whanau
https://youtu.be/QAB6aXOfUmU