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6:00 am, October 2nd, 2024 - 63 comments
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Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/10/01/health-nz-urges-govt-to-consider-privately-run-public-hospitals/
The 40 year mission to destroy our health system and privatize it appears to be complete!
ACT party policy. It includes school buildings.
The money they have allocated for roads would fund all the buildings, and better fund health with public money.
The lease cost burden would result in allowing others to run for profit hospitals – the old funder provider split.
Charter hospitals.
And at some point, the public will find out the only way to access a GP is via health insurance.
Then it will be Charter primary health centres.
The UK will have a taxpayer funded NHS and we won’t. They will have higher wages and productivity, and higher levels of home ownership and the media will report of their post Brexit decline.
Why, they have CGT and estate tax to fund government. And we do not. We have a government that provides what it thinks the precariat deserves, so they can retain lifestyles for the wealthy and well to do.
Newstalk ZB seems to be on a mission to get everyone to buy medical insurance which benefits private hospitals.
There seems to be a noticeable shift towards a two-tier health system. As Tui says in the sidebar, this government is happy to promote privatisation of the health system in NZ.
My understanding is that Shane Reti has interests in private hospital(s)-maybe TS commentators know more on this.
You suffer or you pay.
There's already a 3-tier system:
Private insurance, ACC, and the poor sods who can't afford insurance (or are uninsurable), and not covered by ACC.
Thanks psych….excellent info.
I don't remember Reti mentioning that during the election campaign.
Dr Cigaretti is well ensconced in the private sector–check out PLA’s 1.2.2 links.
The National-ACT Agreement included this.
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationalparty/pages/18466/attachments/original/1700778592/National_ACT_Agreement.pdf?1700778592
Presumably it was on this basis that HM staff acting like cyborgs to the Hive mind …
The National-NZ First Agreement, as to funding
(Most of their focus was on seniors policy)
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationalparty/pages/18466/attachments/original/1700778597/NZFirst_Agreement_2.pdf?1700778597
National claim to be focused on better health outcomes.
Will they measure access to primary health care (even those enrolled find timely appointments difficult)?
Using a pandemic in such a way is par for political discourse
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationalparty/pages/18436/attachments/original/1696286925/Better_Health_Outcomes.pdf?1696286925
The Hubris of Empire
Abraham Accords deal dies in the ruins of Gaza, US to Blame
The Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, hammers another nail into the coffin lid of the Abraham Accords.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2024/09/30/israel-can-live-in-peace-with-arab-states-if-palestinian-state-established-jordan-fm
What Arab or majority Muslim state could possibly want to normalise relations with Israel after this?
From 'StandWithUs' Israeli Fact Sheet on the Abraham Accords:
The Abraham Accords multi-partner deal to normalise diplomatic and trade and political ties between the US, the pro-US totalitarian Arab dictatorships and autocracies, and the Apartheid settler state of Israel, was set to ensure US led Western dominance of this oil rich region of the globe in perpetuity.
Normalising relations between all the pro-US Arab states and Israel, was on the condition that the Arab States would ignore, or at least not object, to Israel's slow strangulation and takeover of the Palestinian Arab territories.
The Abraham Accords would be the death knell of the Palestinian people's dream of an independent sovereign state, free from Israeli occupation and oppression.
Instead, following the Hamas led attack on October 7, and Israel's genocidal retaliation, the bell is being tolled for the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords Time Line:
'The Intercept' June 2022 – (15 monthis before October 7, 2023)
'The Intercept' October 9, 2023 – (2 Days after the Hamas led attack on Israel)
'Alarabiya News' 30 September, 2024 at the UN (358 days and counting, after October 7, 2024)
What if Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's offer for a long-term truce, that Sinwar put in a letter written in Hebrew to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, would October 7 have been prevented? (Sinwar had studied Hebrew and became fluent during his 22 years of incarceration in the Israeli prison system, until he was freed in a prisoner swap).
What if Israel instead of launching a genocidal war of retribution against the Gaza strip had negotiated a prisoner exchange?, would the Abraham Accords still have been possible?
We will never know.
One thing we know for certain, is that any hopes of the Abraham Accords to normalise relations between America's Arab allies and Israel are finished now..
What if Hamas hadn't launched a terror raid into Israel, deliberately targeting civilians? One thing is sure, tens of thousands of Palestinians would still be alive, if they hadn't deliberately provoked a response from Israel.
And the Abraham Accords would still have been possible. Of course, Hamas doesn't want the Abraham Accords. And there is a credible argument that the terror raid was deliberately timed to derail a Saudi-Israel agreement.
12 hundred Israelis would still be alive, if 'they' sic. hadn't deliberately provoked a response from Hamas.
'Al Jazeera' January 3, 2023 (9 months before October 7)
Maybe if the Israeli's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's offer of a truce and had agreed to stop killing Palestinians in their own land. Maybe if the Israeli's governmentl Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir had not conducted an "unprecedented provocation" against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site, important not just to religious Palestinians but to secular and even Christian Palestinians as a symbol of their culture and history.
Belladonna; "if they hadn't deliberately provoked a response…"
Presumably by "they" you mean Hamas.
Yahya Sinwar, the recognised architect and director of Hamas October 7 attack on Israel, is not just a political and military leader, Sinwar is a recognised Islamic Hafiz, meaning that he has memorised the whole of the Koran. as such Sinwar would take a provocation against the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque very seriously.
Having been released in a prisoner swap himself, Sinwar probably thought he could repeat the exercise.
And miscalculated what Israel's response to his October 7 attack and taking of hostages would be.
Similarly, Netanyahu has miscalculated what the International response to his genocide in Gaza would be. Especially what the response of the Arab nations, to any normalisation of ties with Israel, ending Israel's hope of achieving the Abraham Accords with its Arab neighbours.
'Time' magazine, December 4, 2023 (two months after October 7)
And how's that working out for the people of Palestine?
Of course, the Hamas leadership are safely in Qatar… so not exposed to any risk.
And now for the facts:
Here's a question for you Belladonna.
Are you a Zionist?
Hamas leadership, safe in Qatar – not subject to the Israeli troop attacks in Gaza (unlike the ordinary Palestinians).
https://www.timesofisrael.com/qatar-says-hamas-will-remain-in-doha-as-long-as-group-remains-useful-for-mediation/
Not really heartbroken about terrorist leaders being targeted for assassination. Much rather see this than ordinary people being killed.
What do you mean by Zionist?
You think?
Maybe the Palestinians fear, was that Israel’s Slow-Motion Genocide in Occupied Palestine being carried out, with the complicity of not only the US and its Western allies, but would also now be joined by America's repressive Arab allies as well?
Netanyahu's rejection of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's offer for a long-term truce, meant a permanent state of war existed between Hamas and Israel.
Israel's excuse for the massive number of Palestinian civilian deaths, including 15 thousand children and infants, is that, 'bad things happen in war'
Not just me – it's been widely reported that the timing of the Hamas terrorist attack seems calculated.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-attack-aimed-disrupt-saudi-israel-normalization-biden-2023-10-20/
And Hamas' excuse for conducting a terror raid deliberately targeted against civilians is?
The Jewish God Yahweh did not stop 6 million Jews dying in the death camps.
Why?
Fail to see what Yahweh has to do with a Muslim terrorist organization.
Maybe the Jewish God believed the Jews needed punishing
Maybe Allah believes that the Palestinian Arabs need punishing.
Seems more likely, given the current outcomes.
Gods can be vengeful – I like (the safety of) atheism, within secularism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_state#/media/File:Map_of_secular_states.svg
Perhaps you should share your thoughts with Koina.
Thanks for the advice B.
Fwiw, I’m sharing my thoughts with all Standardistas – how about you?
So you have something in common with those legitimising imperialism/colonialism as the means by which the Christian or Moslem God acts to evangelise.
Conflating human events with God's will. How do you explain cancer then?
An interesting question to ask on the Jewish New Year.
For the same reason the Christian God and Moslem God did not prevent the deaths of Christians by other Christians and Moslems by other Moslem – or by each other.
For those of faith, it is obvious. This is a human dominion, and God can redeem the dead.
Yeah – like they said about the Cathars in France – "kill them all, God will know his own".
I used the term, God can redeem the dead, in the context that this is how a God could/does intervene without interfering in a human dominion of the mortal realm.
The corruption of power is what it is.
That men of religion have and would abuse power in our human dominion, does not discredit God or the concept (though Jordan Peterson does raise doubts here for anyone remotely feminist or questioning the utility of hierarchy/patriarchy as heritage).
But it is why Voltaire was of the opine that those of a supremacist religion (or political creed) should not hold power over others.
Keeping the human dominion free of such corruption is on us.
'Seems'?
I find it hard to agree with someone who supports genocide, but in this case Biden is not wrong.
From the above link supplied by Belladonna:
It should come as no surprise to anyone, that the 'autocratic' leaders of the repressive state of Saudi Arabia, would want to seek common ground with the 'fascist' leaders of the apartheid state of Israel. And that the US wants to facilitate this partnership.
It's not a secret,
Both states support US hegemony in the Middle East. Both states are forgiven any crime, as long as they support US hegemony in the Middle East.
To fully dominate and secure this oil rich region, it is in the interest of the US to reconcile the pro-US petro states with the US backed settler state of Israel,
The position of yet another Minister in the C of C government has been questioned.
A Minister serving her boss, the Tsar of inadequate regulation, or lipspittle (dribble down apologetics of failure to act), as they call it at Atlas NeTwerk.
Yes first we proffer ridicule, then we campaign and then we vote and win.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/10/02/opinion-nzs-current-laws-wont-tackle-modern-slavery/
Iran sent a highly choreographed & highly telegraphed warning to Israel last April, where Israel, the USA, the UK and Jordan all got plenty of time to prepare for an attack of largely OWA (One-Way Attack) drone and cruise missiles – easily intercepted – with a few IRBMs thrown in to show what Iran could achieve. Israel basically ignored the warning, and now they've been hit by 300-500 IRBMs, many (most?) of which seem to have accurately hit their targets. Notable by their absence this time is active US and British military help in intercepting these ballistic missiles, or threats of US action against Iran. Israel is also being sent a message by omission from the Americans.
Despite its size this attack by Iran is yet another warning to Israel. The Iranians have several thousand ballistic missiles and a vast arsenal of OWA drones and cruise missiles. A full-on attack would involve a sustained saturation and segmented attack by OWAD, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Hopefully (but unlikely) this Iranian attack will sober up an Israel drunk on violence and cause them to pause and think.
The effective targeting of the missiles seems to be rather questionable. Al Jazeera (closest thing to an independent source on the Middle East) – certainly doesn't make this claim. The only source claiming to have significant numbers on target is Iran state TV (hardly a reliable source)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/1/israel-says-iran-launches-missile-attack-warns-residents-to-shelter
There are also credible reports that the US helped shoot down the missile attack (they have a carrier group in the region).
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-us-prepared-israel-defend-iranian-attack/story?id=114393069
I just heard a guy say on RNZ that "dozens" of the ballistic missiles got through Israel's incredibly expensive Iron Dome system today.
Surely Israel knows that Iran has serious quantities of military hardware. Biden will be telling them to back off retaliation and stick to fighting Hezbollah and Hamas.
A guy on Al Jazeera this morning said that Israel's economy is tanking.
From The Guardian today: “Moody’s cut the country’s credit rating two notches to “Baa1” last week and warned of a drop to ‘junk’ if the current heightened tensions with Hezbollah turned into a full-scale conflict.”
Well done Bibi.
Do you actually have source for this? I've not seen reports from anyone (apart from Iranian state TV) that a significant number of missiles hit (let alone hit the targets they were directed towards).
Al Jazeera (my go-to source for Middle Eastern news), doesn't mention any significant hit rate.
As I said a guy on RNZ said "dozens got through". However, this BBC article explains that the Iron Dome is "up to 90% effective".
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20385306
If you saw the words "up to 90% discount" in a shop you would assume 50% discount. But lets be generous and say the ID is 80% effective.
That means that 36 missiles got through (20%x180). Three dozen.
Remember these missiles take only 12 minutes from Iran to Israel. I suggest you try not to swallow the IDF propaganda Bella.
So no link to any source. The equivalent to 'a bloke in the pub said'
Your maths appears to be ignoring the fact that US sources have confirmed that they shot down Iranian missiles, as well as the Israeli Iron Dome
Do try not to swallow Iranian propaganda, BG.
You’ll note that I’ve sourced from Al Jazeera – hardly likely to be IDF propaganda.
Next you will be telling me that Netanyahu is right to dismiss the two-state solution.
Just like the support of both Iran and Hamas for the two state solution /sarc/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-state_solution#Non-governmental_supporters_of_a_two-state_solution
Dude's day job is researching nuclear strategy and missile technology at the Oslo Nuclear Project .
@FRHoffmann1
To me, this video appears to be the clearest example of a substantial number of ballistic missile projectiles getting through. Angle, speed, & impact are indicative of incoming warheads. Also, note the horizontal spread of the impact points, which is indicative of a CEP. 1/2
https://x.com/FRHoffmann1/status/1841169498197402021
@FRHoffmann1
I count what appear to be 4 intercepts in this video and 10+ impacts.
https://x.com/FRHoffmann1/status/1841172303737942077
Cheers Joe…I watched those videos a few times on El Jazeera and it certainly looked like quite a few were hitting the ground unscathed. Whether they hit any important targets is another thing….but to be honest I'm not sure that was the reason Iran fired them.
Both Iranian attacks on Israel so far seem to have been something of a warning. If they were serious they could have done much more damage.
From the Net, which is never wrong:
"US Air Force Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told Congress in 2023 that Iran had “over 3,000” ballistic missiles, according to a report this year from the Iran Watch website at the Wisconsin Project"
You target densely populated areas with ballistic missiles to kill civilians.
I saw an interpretation that the impacts were into open ground, and Iron Dome left them alone to concentrate on missiles that were going to hit the defended target.
Iron Drome isn't designed to intercept ICBM's and IRBM's.
David's Sling & the Arrow ABM System are designed to intercept ICBM's and IRBM's.
The way the Iranians are use their various Missiles, is saturation attack, design to overload the IDF Missile Defence to the point of failure ie the Radar/ Tracking system goes bugger this shit I'm shutting down or degrades to a point it can't shoot every incoming Missile.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David%27s_Sling&wprov=rarw1
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_(missile_family)
Good point Scud…now you mention it I have heard that before. (Dome not Drome)
Something most who use our wonderful supermarket duopoly, already knew..
And yet one of the duopoly had wanted even less choice, as it moved to strengthen its domination…..
The Commerce Commission threw a spanner into that….
And, FFS, does he believe his own lies ?
The commerce commission should have never allowed the merger of Countdown and Foodtown and Woolworths.
They must have at some stage also allowed Foodstuffs Auckland and Foodstuffs Wellington to merge as I remember our company had three separate accounts for Foodstuffs around 13 years ago.
I agree. The creation of the duopoly has entrenched their position, and enabled them to shut out smaller competition, bully suppliers, and raise prices for consumers.
The 'competition' is artificial at best (as is the petrol company model).
In Wanaka you have the choice of New World downtown or New World 3 Parks.
Plus 2 tiny 4 Square's.
It is a near-total lock.
That's a monopoly!
Wairoa just has New World.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/hawkes-bay/129325309/the-small-town-with-a-new-17m-supermarket
I suspect that the locals would rather have a cheaper supermarket, and lower prices….
It's not that long ago (20 yrs) that everyone in Queenstown would go down to Invercargill once a month / fortnight to do a shop at the large city supermarkets. along with that would be clothes, new cars, furniture, the lawyer and accountant, and dentist. All were much cheaper in town. Whiteware and carpets however were an aberration and much better buying at home with hotel / motel refits (tourists flooding the room…) and the massive number of new builds. Made for a rather different town and way of life.
Once faxes and email came about the Invercargill supermarkets did a courier service which was very popular and we didn't to go down as much.
Eventually Queenstown became big enough to get the big box supermarkets, we went from 2 x 4 Square, to a New World, to the lot, in 10 years. along with that came some of the other national retailers, and the money that used to be spent in Invercargill got spent at home and we started to get a city economy.
Lack of perceived retail competition in small towns is a function of the town's size, people adapt, and there's ways around it. In the Wairoa case I suspect most of the business would go to Napier, it's only 120km (we're 200km from Invercargill) so driving or courier is easy.
One of the insights I've got from one of our local supermarket operators is how hard it's been for the local supermarket to break into the established trade with Invercaargill, even when pricing became the same. I'd presume there'd be a similar thing going on in the Wairoa retail market.
Yes, much of the weekly shop goes to either Gisborne or Napier.
Of course, both are dependent on roading infrastructure (the area was badly hit by Gabrielle)
But, of course, the bigger issue is that shopping at either requires access to a car – which is not a given in a pretty economically deprived area.
Use this site, when checking media stories on farming.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/livestock-numbers/
Despite linking to it, this article goes on to mislead by saying that conversion to forestry is the reason for lower stock numbers. The line from Fed Farmers in seeking changes to government policy.
It is only the main reason in some areas.
In some regions it is sheep to dairy (esp Canterbury/Southland), and some beef to dairy (esp Waikato).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/rural/350432833/declining-sheep-numbers-last-straw-smithfield-plant
Land use for forestry has not gone up in the past 20 years.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/agricultural-and-horticultural-land-use
It seems cost of living difficulties are being caused by excessive executive remuneration.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350436094/how-rise-manager-driving-cost-living?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=1&utm_source=localised_module#cxrecs_s
Presumably not by an absence of CGTs or wealth taxes etc..
UN and 2006 Resolution 1701 reprise in 2024.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155221
Two different factors – Israel leaving Lebanon (likely in weeks) and an end to Gaza IDF presence in Gaza (dependent on some agreement).
The question is whether Hezbollah would resume attacks on Israel after they left Lebanon, if there is no agreement as per Gaza.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155196
A lot of the media organisations have “experts” who insist Israel has to respond to the "180" IRBM fired off by Iran.
Given there were no strikes (being over an hour), the reasoning for this is a bit like Trump logic – gotta hit back, this is unsound some/a lot of the time.
3 posts this week, insisting that an MP be made to apologise by his party and media for a retweet (since deleted).
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/
It seems that there is a determination to infer there is an unacceptable free speech for a public person, or a requirement that some views be untenable for the foreign affairs spokesperson of a political party.
Or a journalist (SBS), in Oz
https://thejewishindependent.com.au/hate-speech-complaint-against-high-profile-broadcaster
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/08/28/acclaimed-journalist-charged-with-anti-semitism/
The criticism, that state of Israel violence begets violence, can be read by anyone subscribing to Haaretz.
It is probably celebrated by Jews worldwide as a sign of their vibrant political culture.
Too strong a wine for "others"?
Well, adopting this attitude towards comments from politicians will certainly reduce the 'gotcha' media stories, not to mention the number of posts on TS.
No, free speech is not diminished by a questioning of censorship.
I can't work out whether you:
Or have some other opinion altogether.
Of course not. You've just confused yourself after trying to make a silly response to my post.
SPC, this is the specific kiwiblog column address, otherwise it just gets the blog top post.
Did the deleted tweet use the actual word "justifiable" or in context, was it more accurately, "understandable"?