Open mike 03/04/2025

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 3rd, 2025 - 108 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:


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 …

108 comments on “Open mike 03/04/2025 ”

  1. Bearded Git 1
    3 April 2025 at 6:12 am

    Starmer's "Labour" government in the UK refuses to clean up polluted rivers. But the courts have held they have to:

    "The [Appeal Court] judges dismissed Reed’s argument that it was administratively unworkable to develop specific measures to clean up individual rivers, lakes and streams as is required by law under the water framework directive – legislation that aims to improve the quality of rivers, lakes and coastal waters."

    The High Court had already held:

    "The judge in the high court found that the government had unlawfully failed to assess and identify specific measures to achieve the legally mandatory targets for the waterbody."

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/02/ministers-lose-appeal-against-yorkshire-anglers-river-pollution-ruling

    Shame on Labour UK. One hopes a Labour/Green/TPM coalition would be more enlightened.

    Reply
  2. gsays 2
    3 April 2025 at 8:22 am

    If recently, like me, you've found the squabbling about Russia/Ukraine/US a bit of a mystery, here is a once over lightly history of NATO.

    It's origins, intents and a look at its future. Tensions from the French and the US dominance of the organisation.

    Rest assured it comes from a liberal point of view, he is no fan of Trump but deals with him fairly even-handedly.

    https://halfarsedhistory.net/tag/north-atlantic-treaty-organisation/

    BTW, the podcast series is wide ranging with subjects from Xerxes to monuments to Sir Donald Bradman to history of sayings.

    Reply
  3. Janice 3
    3 April 2025 at 8:31 am

    Daylight saving ends this weekend. I am sick of getting up in the dark, surely if the time has to mucked about with (thank you Peter Dunn) it would be more logical to have it from equinox to equinox.

    Reply
  4. Joe90 4
    3 April 2025 at 9:20 am

    As mad as a hatter without the mercury.

    Reply
    • Cricklewood 4.1
      3 April 2025 at 1:59 pm

      Weirdly enough alot of the meth and coke coming into NZ pass through Canada.

      Reply
    • mpledger 4.2
      3 April 2025 at 7:28 pm

      He must have checkers looking over his tweets to make sure he doesn't make an ass of himself. And even the checkers don't understand what is going on.

      Reply
    • Dennis Frank 5.1
      3 April 2025 at 10:26 am

      So the gist seems to be that the Greens are prioritising political representation of sub-cultures. Well and good insofar as nobody else is, but too much of a deviation from the primary purpose of the party. Chloe:

      “The central conspiracy here is that the use of such a word on a private account by an MP, before they were an MP, is inherently suspicious.” https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360634318/green-mp-benajmin-doyle-facing-death-threats-and-abuse-over-social-media-account

      Her conspiracy theory is based on Winston's complaint but there's no explanation given as to who Winston is conspiring with. Do you believe it's in the best interests of the Greens that she explain the conspiracy further?

      Reply
      • weka 5.1.1
        3 April 2025 at 4:43 pm

        I agree with your first paragraph and it won't surprise me if they stay stuck in the 10% cul de sac, or even drop their vote. Not because of this, but because of the now many issues they’ve had with MPs in the past few years. Voters don’t like incompetency and the best thing the Greens have going for them atm in voting terms is that Labour aren’t performing that well. I hope they sort this pattern out (not least because I want their energies going to policy and connecting with voters rather than putting out fires), but it looks to me like it’s deep in GP culture.

        It's not her conspiracy theory. The conspiracy is from a bunch of far right tweeters. A high profile pseudonymous account had screenshots of the Instagram posts and tried to get MSM to investigate because that account appears to think BD is a paedophile and/or a risk to kids in other ways.

        I assume the MSM wouldn't touch it because it's was baseless innuendo.

        On Friday (from memory) another high profile account who has much more reach into the mainstream tweeted about it. From memory, she or someone else soon after, tagged Winston Peters in.

        A twitter storm ensued, with a lot of people basically saying BD is a paedophile.

        Peters then tweeted what he did. The reason the MSM got involved was because the Deputy PM had said something very controversial. By the time they'd done due diligence and started reporting, the mob had been going hard for 3 days.

        Peters is tying this to BD's support for gender transition, but it's hard to tell how much Peters is against that vs how much he just hates the left.

        That's the conspiracy. It's basically about how the Greens are paedophiles and/or paedophile apologists. I have no doubt that there was organising going in the background.

        It's a masterclass in political assassination. Both of BD, because taking down any Green MP is a tactical, and a queer one is a bonus. But also the Greens, who were once again caught on the backfoot having messed up around their candidate vetting (all that needed to happen was for BD to remove those posts before selection and then none of this would have happened).

        Reply
        • gsays 5.1.1.1
          3 April 2025 at 5:13 pm

          Just left linking two threads here.

          The world needs more women leaders and the (to be kind) 'situation' The Greens are in.

          The party most inclined to be inclusivee and the forest fires they have been fighting. Granted Shaw was around Kerekere, Gharaman, Tana, now Doyle.

          The behavior of Kerekere and Tana in particular is nothing to be proud of.

          Less the chromosomes more the aspiration to be wary of.

          Reply
        • Dennis Frank 5.1.1.2
          3 April 2025 at 5:18 pm

          Thanks for that comprehensive analysis. I accept your view. Seems like she saw it as a conspiracy and referred to it as such due to currency of the framing.

          Peters probably thinks BD will flounder if he responds to his call for clarification. I suspect the situation would be best handled by the Greens via the co-leaders standing with him in support if he does want to respond – as long as they agreed prior on all the points to be made in public. That way they can fill in any gaps or clarify any points from their independent appraisal.

          BD can emerge from the situation with dignity if he fronts well. A baptism of fire, as they say, but it could give him a reputation for speaking truth to power.

          Reply
    • Psycho Milt 5.2
      3 April 2025 at 12:02 pm

      'Complete lack of self-awareness' award to the head of Pride for bringing up "stochastic terrorism.” Members of Pride were major contributors to the most obvious example of "stochastic terrorism” resulting in violence against vulnerable people in this country – at the Let Women Speak event in Auckland on 25 March 2023.

      Reply
      • weka 5.2.1
        3 April 2025 at 12:14 pm

        quite. It's such a weird blindspot in people who are otherwise capable of thinking and who have progressive values.

        I was also thinking about the years of SM violence, including death and rape memes, against GC women. And the degree to which liberals would have reacted if that was directed at trans people, but basically sanctioned it by turning a blind eye and continuing to use terf as a slur.

        Reply
  6. Phillip ure 6
    3 April 2025 at 9:52 am

    So at least 10%…and if he adds our gst..it's gonna get ugly …

    Reply
    • Tiger Mountain 6.1
      3 April 2025 at 10:03 am

      Watching the live TrumpFather video stream on RNZ-he is waffling on with lie after lie, it is a pretty low rent affair, no big screen for charts etc. One thing is clear so far-big tax cuts for the 1%.

      Reply
      • Macro 6.1.1
        3 April 2025 at 10:20 am

        One thing is clear so far-big tax cuts for the 1%.

        Gotta pay the Piper

        Reply
        • AB 6.1.1.1
          3 April 2025 at 11:30 am

          Tarrifs are a consumption tax on all citizens – a regressive tax. Combine that with slashing Federal programmes and you get the fiscal headroom to lower taxes on the richest even further. That was probably the plan all along.

          If, after an initial period of pain, some American manufacturers on-shore processes that they had previously off-shored for reasons of wage arbitrage, that may help some non-rich people eventually. But those manufacturers will on-shore only if American wages are in the cellar and likely to stay there in the long term.

          Reply
          • Belladonna 6.1.1.1.1
            3 April 2025 at 11:51 am

            But those manufacturers will on-shore only if American wages are in the cellar and likely to stay there in the long term.

            A 25% tariff on imported cars, would mean that there is substantial room for growth in US auto-workers salaries, before the locally-produced product would be out-priced by the imported one.

            This is right out of the Trump playbook on revitalizing US industries, and on-shoring previously out-sourced production. It will be highly popular with the blue-collar workforce.

            Big business don't want to do this (of course they want the cheapest possible production, so they can maximise their profits) – but Trump doesn't seem to be caring too much about them.

            He's also talking about massive tariffs on non-US (constructed, owned and operated) shipping to the US. Which is entirely designed to re-invogorate the moribund US shipbuilding infrastructure. The international shipping cartels (who have been banking super-sized profits ever since Covid) are screaming blue-murder – but it doesn’t seem to be impacting Trump’s decision-making.

            We're already seeing international companies who want to sell to the US announcing substantial new investment in US manufacturing – entirely to avoid the tariffs.

            https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/24/south-korea-hyundai-us-investment.html

            Reply
            • weka 6.1.1.1.1.1
              3 April 2025 at 12:30 pm

              Is Trump intending to legislate a federal minimum wage?

              because isn't it likely that businesses will pocket increase profit rather than passing it on to workers? And that workers will also face increased priced on goods?

              Reply
              • Belladonna …
                3 April 2025 at 1:56 pm

                The unionized movement seems to be pretty strong in the manufacturing sector – certainly the auto-workers union seems to be pro-tariffs. And the dockworkers union has been successful with recent strike action, in gaining concessions for their workers. I think there is a big difference employment difference between skilled and unionized workers, and minimum-wage employees in big box companies (Amazon, etc.)

                The shift is from manufacturing in China (for example) + 25% tariff; to manufacturing in the US (without the tariff).
                Either option is going to cost the business more than the current status quo.
                So no extra profits to be pocketed.

                Unlike the current shipping situation – where the global carrier lines have been pocketing record profits ever since Covid.

                Everyone in the US is going to find cars (for example) are more expensive to buy. The difference is that there will be more jobs for US workers, and more profit being made locally, so more tax.

                Reply
            • AB 6.1.1.1.1.2
              3 April 2025 at 12:34 pm

              A 25% tariff on imported cars, would mean that there is substantial room for growth in US auto-workers salaries, before the locally-produced product would be out-priced by the imported one.

              To be sure of that we'd need to know the existing differential wage rates between the US workers and workers in China etc, – and whether a 25% tariff is enough to even close that gap, let alone allow for growth in US wages.

              I have my doubts, because off-shoring has both a short-term goal of more profit now through wage arbitrage, and a long-term goal of more profit forever by driving down first-world wages permanently.

              Reply
            • mpledger 6.1.1.1.1.3
              3 April 2025 at 12:45 pm

              There are also companies talking of pulling out manufacturing especially in Red states/counties.

              I read somewhere that it'll take about three years for the auto-industry to utilise US manufacturing and there is not a lot of point in the investment because Trump could change his mind multiple times before that.

              Reply
          • Macro 6.1.1.1.2
            3 April 2025 at 1:17 pm

            I was responding to Tiger Mountain's comment that one of the things to come out of the Trumpian rant this morning was that the top 1% would get a massive tax cut (in America). If you were to follow the link in my comment you would see that

            Just 100 extremely wealthy families invested $2.6bn during the election cycle that put Trump back in the White House

            Trump is repaying their investment.

            Reply
  7. Phillip ure 7
    3 April 2025 at 10:10 am

    Well ..for those who have long called for an end to globalisation..this must be liberation day ..

    I guess they just didn't see it coming from a rightwing nut job like trump..

    CBS has reported that the head of united auto workers union sez he likes what he sees so far .. looking forward to the tarrifs creating more jobs for Americans ..and of course protections for the American car industries…

    Reply
    • weka 7.1
      3 April 2025 at 10:16 am

      Not sure it is the end of globalisation, but that may be a consequence.

      It's not a liberation, it's a descent into authoritarianism.

      The end of globalisation was meant to be a transition to sustainability and fairness for workers, not this unfolding hellscape.

      Reply
      • Phillip ure 7.1.1
        3 April 2025 at 10:31 am

        Of course in America's case it is a 'descent into authoritarianism'..

        ..I am noting the ironies here…

        Trump has done one clever thing…all the monies collected will be paid into a separate entity…

        ..so he will be able to show the 'good' the tarrifs are…for his populist base…

        It's a smart move…

        ..as they say..'he's as cunning as a rat with a gold toothpick'..

        Reply
        • Bearded Git 7.1.1.1
          3 April 2025 at 12:11 pm

          Love that expression…

          Luxon will be sticking pins into a Trump doll today …he is knee capping global growth for the next couple of years when Luxon hopes to show a growing economy at the next election.

          Reply
          • thinker 7.1.1.1.1
            4 April 2025 at 7:30 am

            Or Luxon will be burning incense in front of Trump's statue because he now has a plausible excuse for not achieving anything…

            Reply
      • Dennis Frank 7.1.2
        3 April 2025 at 10:58 am

        Whilst I agree T's style is authoritarian, it isn't ideological as far as I can see, just a reversion to America First from the early 20th century. Incidentally I posted to Daily Review last night a report that it is also sourced in technocracy.

        It may liberate our Labour Party from capture by the right though! They've been advocates of neoliberalism way too long already. Wikipedia's section on NZ (see link below) credits Labour for their ideological conversion in the 1980s without citing any subsequent shift away from that…

        Historian Elizabeth Shermer argued that the term gained popularity largely among left-leaning academics in the 1970s to "describe and decry a late twentieth-century effort by policymakers, think-tank experts, and industrialists to condemn social-democratic reforms and unapologetically implement free-market policies" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoliberalism

        Tariffs repudiate that status quo rather forcefully, so this site outlines how pragmatic reversion to nationalist economic policy is "progressive": https://www.americanprogress.org/article/a-trade-strategy-for-the-post-neoliberal-world/

        Reply
        • weka 7.1.2.1
          3 April 2025 at 4:48 pm

          Not sure what you are reading, but there is plenty analysis out there of the US direction now towards authoritarianism. They're not even trying to hide it.

          You can look up the signs of fascism and how fascism comes about.

          Read some Sarah Kendzior, she's been writing about this since before the 2016 election.

          Reply
          • Dennis Frank 7.1.2.1.1
            3 April 2025 at 5:28 pm

            I'm not seeking to disagree – you could easily be proven right. However my radar for fascism remains finely attuned despite the passage of time.

            Like I've written onsite here several times in the past, I was a victim of fascist enforcement as a child and it remains my primary social influence. Sure, I was able to transcend it in adolescence enough to be mostly objective in analysis of it nowadays, but those early experiences were extremely visceral and reinforced on hundreds of days, possibly even thousands. It's a deep imprint.

            Reply
    • Incognito 7.2
      3 April 2025 at 10:24 am

      I’ve already ordered my electric T Ford through Amazon with free MAGA hat and one year free use of X Premium.

      Reply
      • Phillip ure 7.2.1
        3 April 2025 at 10:35 am

        Surely they will throw in a 'trump was right about everything' hat .?..you'd think..?

        Reply
      • Macro 7.2.2
        3 April 2025 at 10:43 am

        Hehehe – Make America Grate Again. devil

        Reply
      • Shanreagh 7.2.3
        3 April 2025 at 6:27 pm

        I’ve already ordered my electric T Ford through Amazon with free MAGA hat and one year free use of X Premium.

        There was a limited special with all of those things plus a small orange doll with non combable (because of the hairspray) 'floating' dolls hair. It was dressed in a suit with a tie almost to its knees and big shoes with removable shoe lifts (so you could make the doll limp along if more fun was wanted).

        You must have been too slow…….

        Reply
      • thinker 7.2.4
        4 April 2025 at 7:35 am

        A Tesla would've been better. Then you can keep repeat ordering auto parts.

        Reply
    • Belladonna 7.3
      3 April 2025 at 12:10 pm

      It's gaining support from some Dems as well.

      https://www.axios.com/2025/03/16/democrats-trump-tariffs-economy

      US looks as though it's heading back into a period of isolationism – which is not historically unusual.

      Reply
  8. Anne 8
    3 April 2025 at 10:36 am

    A delightful and refreshing RNZ podcast with Guyon Espiner and Sam Neill:

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/series – 30 mins.

    Sam's reckons:

    The two outstanding PMs in NZ – Jacinda Ardern and Helen Clark.

    The reason the world is going to hell in a handbasket (my expression) is because it has been ruled forever by toxic males.

    The answer: the world needs to be ruled by women. wink

    Reply
    • KJT 8.2
      3 April 2025 at 11:21 am

      I agree about too many "toxic" sociopathic males at the top.

      However Shipley, Bennet, Collins, Richardson were not really any improvement.

      Reply
    • bwaghorn 8.3
      3 April 2025 at 11:33 am

      Like thatcher, richerdson , bennet ,collins , and not forgetting Ben and jerries favorite nicki no boats

      Reply
    • Belladonna 8.4
      3 April 2025 at 11:40 am

      I don't think that the example of Margaret Thatcher (longest serving British PM of the 20th century) serves your argument well.

      Reply
      • weka 8.4.1
        3 April 2025 at 11:54 am

        actually it does. Because Thatcher is a product of the old boys networking letting in the women that think like them.

        When we say let's have women running things for a while, we don't assume all women are like Thatcher, Shipley, Richardson and so on. We assume women cover a wide range of politics, values, and behaviours, and that this will be reflected in governance. No-one is saying women are all egalitarian.

        I also believe that women (as a group) are more likely to share power and find solutions that are based in valuing people and the environment. They will tip use towards egalitarianism again, which is one of the reasons why the old boys network controls who is allowed in.

        You can look at the countries that did well by their people in the covid pandemic and which had strong female leadership.

        Reply
        • Belladonna 8.4.1.1
          3 April 2025 at 12:03 pm

          Depends on how you define 'did well by their people during Covid' – many of those which had the lowest death rates – did not have women in power.

          Also, the countries with arguably some of the most inconsistent and often chaotic responses (UK, US) – were also the ones which developed effective vaccines.

          https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/26/coronavirus-pandemic-global-response-devi-sridhar-review/

          https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-opinion-lessons-learned-from-covid-pandemic-global-comparison/

          And Thatcher is a prime example that just having XX chromosomes doesn't translate into outstanding leadership, or into a change in governance style.

          Reply
          • weka 8.4.1.1.1
            3 April 2025 at 12:10 pm

            And Thatcher is a prime example that just having XX chromosomes doesn't translate into outstanding leadership, or into a change in governance style.

            I just addressed that. Did you not read my explanation?

            Reply
            • Belladonna 8.4.1.1.1.1
              3 April 2025 at 12:15 pm

              Yes, I read your explanation. However, I don't agree that it reflects the original point the OP made. Which was that "the world needs to be ruled by women"

              Possessing an XX set of chromosomes doesn't (IMO) necessarily result in better country or world leadership. Nor does it necessarily shift the governance style.

              Reply
              • weka …
                3 April 2025 at 12:24 pm

                again, people who say let women rule aren't talking about individuals, they're talking about women as a sex class. Women organise differently, this isn't a surprise.

                Also, even if it were individual women in positions of power, once you get parity of female numbers in positions of power across society, things change naturally because again, on average, when looking at women as a class, women tend more towards sharing power and prioritising care of people and the environment.

                #notallwomen etc

                If you are looking for an explanation of that, it's not found in chromosomes, it's in evolution. Both humans being tribal and kin based, and women having social roles around childbirth, lactation and childrearing that make them more predisposed to caring.

                Myself, I go further and say that women are hardwired because of our biology to care about the collective more. Again, not all women (obvs). But the bond between a mother and infant is deeply biological.

                (in case anyone things I am being essentialist, I'm not saying that having female biology means women can only do child bearing or that all women have to do childbearing. The whole point is that women's drive for the collective also makes them good at other things).

                Reply
                • Ad …
                  3 April 2025 at 1:15 pm

                  What bullshit. You'd see a vast history of women far outweighing men in forming collectives of all kinds.

                  Reply
                    • Ad …
                      3 April 2025 at 1:37 pm

                      Oh I don't know some woo about

                      "…women tend more towards sharing power and prioritising care of people and the environment." will mumblemumble to some apparent propensity that women have a stronger "drive towards the collective…"

                      Whether biological or environmental, any propensity like that would have shown up in organisational leadership after I don't know the last 20,000 years.

                    • weka []
                      3 April 2025 at 1:52 pm

                      Indeed. And it did.

                      In the introduction to The Sacred Hoop – Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions, Allen outlines seven main themes in Native culture. These include multiple references to what she calls gynocracy (which I interpret not as rule by women, but the centering of women in societal organisation).

                      Traditional tribal lifestyles are more often gynocratic than not, and they are never patriarchal. These features make understanding tribal cultures essential to all responsible activists who seek life-affirming social change that can result in a real decrease in human and planetary destruction and in a real increase in quality of life for all inhabitants of planet earth.

                      …

                      Some distinguishing features of a woman-centered social system include free and easy sexuality and wide latitude in personal style. This latitude means that a diversity of people, including gay males and lesbians, are not denied and are in fact likely to be accorded honor. Also likely to be prominent in such systems are nurturing, pacifist, and passive males (as defined by western minds) and self-defining, assertive, decisive women. In many tribes, the nurturing male constitutes the ideal adult model for boys while the decisive, self-directing female is the ideal model to which girls aspire.

                      …

                      In tribal gynocratic systems a multitude of personality and character types can function positively within the social order because the systems are focused on social responsibility rather than on privilege and on the realities of the human constitution rather than on denial-based social fictions to which human beings are compelled to conform by powerful individuals within the society.

                      Tribal gynocracies prominently feature even distribution of goods among all members of the society on the grounds that First Mother enjoined cooperation and sharing on all her children.

                      One of the major distinguishing characteristics of gynocratic cultures is the absence of punitiveness as a means of social control.

                      …

                      Among gynocratic or gynocentric tribal peoples the welfare of the young is paramount, the complementary nature of all life forms is stressed, and the centrality of powerful women to social well-being is unquestioned.

                      Again, I feel compelled to point out that this isn’t native/good, white/bad. We’re talking systems here. And please, let’s resist the temptation to dismiss what Paula Gunn Allen is presenting by casting it in (anti) Noble Savage memes just because it challenges our own dominator socialisation.

                      It’s likely that all peoples have ancestors from egalitarian cultures if we go back far enough.

                      https://thestandard.org.nz/the-patriarchy-is-not-inevitable/

                      We similar patterns in Southern Māori, and we see the same destruction of those patterns via colonisation. Lots of other examples from around the world.

                    • weka []
                      3 April 2025 at 1:58 pm

                      and this

                      “Men haven’t been dominent forever.”

                      “Ask a feminist if that is true. I think it’s a safe assumption given the power imbalances inherent in most cultures from day one.”

                      There is feminist theory that disputes that patriarchy is the norm for Homo sapiens across all places and all time. There are other bodies of knowledge too eg some indigenous peoples dispute the ‘patriachy has always existed’ myth.

                      a sampling,

                      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosuo

                      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Gunn_Allen

                      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matriarchy#History_and_distribution (ignoring the matriarchy as a reverse of patriarchy red herring)

                      http://www.suppressedhistories.net/womenspowerscript2.html

                      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riane_Eisler#Partnership_and_domination_models

                      https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-26122014/#comment-944388

      • bwaghorn 8.4.2
        3 April 2025 at 2:53 pm

        Isn't she Thatcher, hated by many for destroying lives and jobs on a scale richardson could only dream of?

        Reply
    • Phillip ure 8.5
      3 April 2025 at 12:30 pm

      Yeah…yeah…good on Sam…!..for having an opinion..

      ..but his gender based claim for better politicians…

      ..is basically a load of simplistic tosh ..

      Reply
    • Ad 8.6
      3 April 2025 at 1:14 pm

      Women have no greater or worse governmental capacity than men, are just as stupid if often for different reasons, and there's no reason to believe they would do a better job running a country.

      Just stop with essentialist tripe masquerading as virtue.

      Reply
      • Dennis Frank 8.6.1
        3 April 2025 at 3:12 pm

        I asked Google re scientific evidence and got the AI overview:

        scientific evidence suggests that men and women have evolved differently, particularly in reproductive strategies, physical characteristics, and some cognitive and behavioral traits, due to differing selective pressures and adaptations… The brain circuits of males use more testosterone and vasopressin, whereas female's brain circuits use oxytocin and estrogen.

        So assuming the trad view of normalcy is correct seems unwise. That said, conforming to socially-endorsed behaviour prescriptions is why this country still suffers under neo-colonialism. I once asked my mother why she voted National when she was clearly not as stupid as my father and she said `women are supposed to support their husbands'. Duh!

        Reply
        • Incognito 8.6.1.1
          3 April 2025 at 5:25 pm

          The brain circuits of males use more testosterone and vasopressin, whereas female’s brain circuits use oxytocin and estrogen.

          Instead of parroting Google AI, why don’t you explain what that actually means? Is your middle name Luke and are you even more stupid than your father?

          Reply
      • weka 8.6.2
        3 April 2025 at 4:31 pm

        It's not essentialist to understand the differences between women and men. I'm sure you've heard of oxytocin, so I'm curious why you think women and men are the same.

        It's not about being greater or worse, it's about difference. It's not hard to parse that humans who have a child come out of their body and are immersed in life changing physiological changes as well as strong evolutionary pressures, would tend to care in different ways than humans that don't had that.

        the problem isn't that women are better than men. It's that our sociopolitical systems have favoured male rule and this has skewed the ways in which both women and men behave and interact with the collective.

        Reply
      • Barfly 8.6.3
        3 April 2025 at 4:32 pm

        I have seen the claim that men are 3 times more likely than women to be sociopaths

        Reply
      • Anne 8.6.4
        4 April 2025 at 5:42 pm

        You ignored the relatively light-hearted nature of the podcast, but happy to misinterpret and cast aspersions on the one doing the reporting. My sincere apologies for daring to contribute,

        Narcissism is treatable you know.

        Reply
  9. weka 9
    3 April 2025 at 10:37 am

    does the US change on tariff impact on international trade agreements?

    Reply
    • SPC 9.1
      3 April 2025 at 12:01 pm

      They have no impact on how other nations trade with each other.

      Reply
      • weka 9.1.1
        3 April 2025 at 12:27 pm

        right, but they impact on the country that has had the US charge tariffs, which means the economics don't work the same and they may want to rethink what they are doing with exports and imports elsewhere. If that’s not true, then why does the US charging tariffs matter?

        Reply
        • SPC 9.1.1.1
          3 April 2025 at 12:44 pm

          Phase One

          It only impacts those (companies) that supply the US market.

          Some will move production into the USA, others will move production to areas that have lower (10%) tariffs applied.

          Others will do nothing – it might be there is no domestic US production alternative (not enough US workers, or will take years to build a plant and train up locals) and so they just sell at a higher price (old price + tariff) and make the same profit.

          Adjustment

          Some companies dependent on the US market will retrench – lay off workers.

          Their countries will have a recession and import less. There would be downstream impacts on trade with other nations.

          On the other hand

          The impact on US exporters of retaliatory tariffs.

          Layoffs in the USA.

          The USA sees its military exports and global tech giants as immune to tariffs on movable goods.

          But nations will cut back their use of US military supply and also dependence on US tech (in large part because the US is not seen as reliable/trustworthy).

          Reply
  10. tWig 10
    3 April 2025 at 10:58 am

    On the topic of council rates, increasing numbers of councils in the UK are attaching higher rates to second/holiday homes. Air B&B means that homes in rural areas have disappeared for the locals, as out-of-towners buy a holiday home and fund it via short-term rentals, taking both homes and long-term rentals out of the locality.

    One council has had a bright idea: "In Gwynedd in Wales, the council has pledged to spend the proceeds raised from its 150% hike in council tax on second homes directly on tackling homelessness." A similar earmarking of rates by councils here could be a possibility, too.

    Reply
  11. weka 11
    3 April 2025 at 11:42 am

    Finally at least one healthcare system is intending to provide healthcare for detrans people.

    from https://x.com/Transgendertrd/status/1907521960818659443

    Image

    Reply
    • weka 11.1
      3 April 2025 at 11:50 am

      for all the naysayers about the Cass Review, this along makes it worthwhile. Because people with lifelong medical injuries as well as transition regret, have been left without adequate healthcare. Transitions surgeries and hormone prescribing are still highly experimental. And the ideological basis of transition healthcare has meant a lot of denial that detrans people even exist or matter. Which has meant lots of transition surgeries and prescribing, without long term follow up, care or research into adverse effects. That's a medical scandal.

      Reply
      • Belladonna 11.1.1
        3 April 2025 at 11:54 am

        An "unfortunate experiment"?

        Reply
        • weka 11.1.1.1
          3 April 2025 at 12:02 pm

          a very unfortunate experiment, on steroids.

          Reply
          • Phillip ure 11.1.1.1.1
            3 April 2025 at 12:49 pm

            If we are talking about unfortunate experiments (current)..the one going on with those with 'p' issues..bears investigation..

            ..I am unsure of the twisted logic used…but a 'cure' for those with a liking for go-fast…

            ..is to give them a lifelong addiction to an opiate…that is more addictive/harder to kick than heroin…

            ..they are being prescribed methadone…

            ..which..to my mind ..sets a whole new benchmark for the cure being worse that what it purports to heal…

            ..and is unbelievably stupid..

            (Bear with me here.. it's relevant)…during my opiate/cocaine etc etc years..my favourite was heroin and cocaine mixed together and taken intravenously..it's called a speedball (despite the name speed comes nowhere near it..)

            Back to now:..a short time ago I had a conversation with a drug counselor about this .

            I pointed out to him that aside from the idea that a lifelong addiction to an opiate is a cure for anything..is barking mad..

            ..my take is that now..that they will be getting their methadone…and then going to their p-dealer..

            Boom..!..instant (albeit low-rent) speedball high…

            He told me that this is exactly what is happening now..

            (It would be good if the media could start asking some questions about this ..

            ..yet another 'unfortunate experiment'..

            ..one happening here/now…

            ..this madness must be stopped…

            Reply
            • Cricklewood 11.1.1.1.1.1
              3 April 2025 at 4:55 pm

              Those new weight loss drugs seem to be promising if they help with alcohol good chamce theyll help with others.

              Reply
      • Obtrectator 11.1.2
        3 April 2025 at 11:56 am

        Well that's surgeons for you. I have an impression that most are only interested in the actual procedure, not the patient (before, during or after).

        Reply
        • weka 11.1.2.1
          3 April 2025 at 12:02 pm

          I'm sure there are a range just like with doctors generally. But yes, I think doctors become surgeons because they like the technical aspects, over the social ones. And no doubt there is a lot of gratification and peer validation from doing cutting edge surgeries.

          Reply
  12. SPC 12
    3 April 2025 at 11:58 am

    Our trade minister says this

    "US exporters, the average is about 1.9% they face in New Zealand, that would take it below 17%

    https://www.tickaroo.com/e/FPwYf45mVhvcJtLM

    He is adding 1.9% to our 15% GST. Why? GST is not a tariff.

    And it is irrelevant – Trump's lowest tariff is 10%.

    He says ours is 20%, that of the UK and Oz at 10% and we all get a tariff wall at 10% (on top of existing tariffs).

    Our response should be some group/organisation tasked with assessing the worlds tariffs on the USA (nation by nation, as at 20 January 2025), the new American tariffs on top of their existing ones – the facts, not Trump speak.

    The lie about New Zealand’s rate.

    1.we are unlikely to challenge the lie, if we are at the lowest rate 10%

    2.they would look bad (hypocrites) applying 10% on a nation with only 2% tariff on their exports.

    We should show an appreciation of their circumstance and help them out by applying a reciprocal tariff of 10% on some of their exports.

    Reply
    • mpledger 12.1
      3 April 2025 at 1:31 pm

      Anyway, apparently it's not about our GST.

      James Surowiecki: “Just figured out where these fake tariff rates come from. They didn’t actually calculate tariff rates + non-tariff barriers, as they say they did. Instead, for every country, they just took our trade deficit with that country and divided it by the country’s exports to us. So we have a $17.9 billion trade deficit with Indonesia. Its exports to us are $28 billion. $17.9/$28 = 64%, which Trump claims is the tariff rate Indonesia charges us. What extraordinary nonsense this is.”

      https://x.com/JamesSurowiecki/status/1907559189234196942

      The thing it that it apparently only counts "Goods" and not "Services" and the USA is far ahead on "Services". Time for a highly trusted nation to start providing "Services".

      Reply
    • Phillip ure 12.2
      3 April 2025 at 1:39 pm

      Trump has been quite clear that he views sales taxes as regressive..

      …and as a tariff..

      ..because they sit between American goods and customers…

      Reply
      • SPC 12.2.1
        3 April 2025 at 1:44 pm

        Tariffs are also regressive and a way to afford lower taxes on the wealthy.

        The states apply the consumption taxes in the USA.

        Reply
  13. mpledger 13
    3 April 2025 at 12:57 pm

    The USA don't have a sales tax at the federal level but they do have it at the state and county level so, if they are going to count GST/VAT, we should include those in our defintion of the tariffs they impose on us.

    Reply
  14. Ad 14
    3 April 2025 at 1:21 pm

    If this post-Tariff disaster sharemarket stays as volatile as this, the Kiwisaver individual accounts are going to get smashed down.

    Prepare to retire later all you people in your 60s late Boomers and 50s early GenXers.

    Reply
    • SPC 14.1
      3 April 2025 at 1:31 pm

      The POTUS 47 era will cause the sort of economic and political dislocation within years what was forecast for climate change over decades.

      The market uncertainty is based on revaluation of companies impacted and macroeconomic impact on national economies – recessionary (non USA) and stagflation in USA (tariff impact on inflation, demand for workers in production relocated to the USA and decline in consumer spending because of higher price – with regional variation).

      Reply
      • Ad 14.1.1
        3 April 2025 at 1:33 pm

        People need to contact their Kiwisaver providers and ask closely which companies and markets they are most exposed to.

        Reply
        • SPC 14.1.1.1
          3 April 2025 at 1:40 pm

          Those who moved from growth to conservative funds to avoid the Trumpeconomics impact will be smug.

          And those fund managers who moved to gold etc, also.

          Reply
        • Barfly 14.1.1.2
          3 April 2025 at 1:49 pm

          As an assetless peasant I have no skin in the game but for those who do I would suggest investing in European arms companies – big days ahead

          Reply
  16. joe90 16
    3 April 2025 at 2:33 pm

    And the good news is that the dip shit who leaked an image to Slater adjacent POS Marc Spring of Golriz Ghahraman being questioned outside a supermarket has been identified and sacked.

    (no link, for obvious reasons)

    Reply

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