Open mike 08/01/2021

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, January 8th, 2021 - 22 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 …

22 comments on “Open mike 08/01/2021 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Morrissey 1
    8 January 2021 at 6:31 am

    How much do those U.S. congresspeople hate violent anti-democratic mobs?

    Nearly every one of the "lawmakers" targeted by those halfwits in the Capitol yesterday has given support, either barking or tacit, for even more violent attacks on the democratically elected Venezuelan government.

  2. ianmac 2
    8 January 2021 at 8:57 am

    Talking of the horror of the outgoing President not surrendering power, didn't Muldoon refuse to handover after the 1984? Election?

    • James Thrace 2.1
      8 January 2021 at 9:17 am

      Muldoon refused to do something with the currency on the request of the incoming Lange government. I think it was a request to devalue it?

    • millsy 2.2
      8 January 2021 at 9:26 am

      Muldoon refused to devalue the NZ Dollar under the instructions of the incoming Labour government, instead proposing a joint statement ruling out devaluation. However he backed down after his cabinet or caucus threatened to, in the case of the former, resign en masse/ask the GovGen to sack him and in the case of the latter, remove him as leader of the National Party. There are conflicting rumours. He was fine with going, he just didnt want to devalue.

  3. Adrian 3
    8 January 2021 at 9:18 am

    I very much doubt that Trump has the codes. In his last unhinged weeks Nixon’s red button or phone ( I can’t remember which ) was apparently hooked up to a cupboard in the WH kitchen, it could ring but nobody could hear it. As I recall it was in a book or interview with a senior military person about 20 years ago. The American military might be a lot of things but the very senior people are not stupid.

  4. The Al1en 4
    8 January 2021 at 1:53 pm

    Totally tone deaf or wilful ignorance?

    Firebirds super smash ad for this Saturday – "Cheer us on to 500 safe nights for 500 women and children in need" against the knights, who will have Scott Kuggeleijn in their squad.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/109964652/nz-cricket-should-end-its-shameful-silence-on-scott-kuggeleijn

    https://www.facebook.com/messenger_media/?thread_id=100008554895611&attachment_id=2129056173895193&message_id=mid.%24cAAAAABk0qKZ9ELJ62F2320bkkiOH

    • The Al1en 4.1
      8 January 2021 at 2:03 pm

      lost to the edit timer

      "Cheer us on to 500 safe nights for women and children in need"

    • CAnker the pig fucker 4.2
      8 January 2021 at 8:54 pm
      • Scott Kuggeleijn was tried twice for rape, the first jury was divided, the second jury found him not guilty. If people have faced our justice system and been found not guilty, even if we personally don’t agree with the verdict, what do you think should happen? If people are found not guilty shouldn’t they be free to live their life?

      it may be that guilty or innocent he has learnt more about sexual assault and genuinely wants to contribute to a good cause.

      • The Al1en 4.2.1
        8 January 2021 at 9:09 pm

        it may be that guilty or innocent he has learnt more about sexual assault and genuinely wants to contribute to a good cause.

        "She said she said no dozens of times, and he pulled down her underwear regardless. He denied this. "I tried [having sex] twice, like she might have said 'no, no' a few times but it wasn't dozens of times.""

        "Yes, he was found not guilty of rape by a jury of his peers. There will be a lot of people out there who think this is enough, that he should be left alone to get on with his life. Given the radio silence around his debut, it could be that the majority of people think this.

        But I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. This was a case where a high-profile player ended up in court because he disrespected a woman's autonomy. At the very least, Kuggeleijn treated a woman with contempt, with no thought for her wishes."

  5. Adrian Thornton 5
    8 January 2021 at 5:17 pm

    Well that all depends on what sort of landlord you are…some of them I would love to smash their shit up along with them….

    NZ

    Students and travellers targeted by sex-for-rent

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/110654203/students-and-travellers-targeted-by-sexforrent-ads

    USA

    Landlords are targeting vulnerable tenants to solicit sex in exchange for rent

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/landlords-are-targeting-vulnerable-tenants-solicit-sex-exchange-rent-advocates-n1186416

    UK

    'I had no choice': Sex for rent rises with coronavirus poverty

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-housing-harassment-trfn-idUSKBN22X2N7\

    Oh no that's right everything bad that happens is Trumps fault…silly me…I am sure none of this will happen once our saviour Biden has got the reins of power…just like Adren and Labour has shut down this obscenity in New Zealand, no wait they haven't and won't, what am thinking, it is just free market capitalism in action, working perfectly…land lord got a house…woman got a body.

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

    • Adrian Thornton 5.1
      8 January 2021 at 5:53 pm

      [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

      I didn't think it was off topic, I think I was quite fairly just reminding some people that Trump wasn't the beginning or the end of bad shit happening to the citizens of the USA (and the world vis-à-vis the USA), which is what 90% of the comments on The Standard would have you believe at the moment….I was simply attempting to bring some balance and nuance back into the conversation….I am sure we all don't just want to be talking into a bubble…or do we?

      • Descendant Of Smith 5.1.1
        8 January 2021 at 6:02 pm

        lol I was writing my comment as it was moved. I didn't think it was off topic either as hopefully can be seen from my comment.

      • Incognito 5.1.2
        8 January 2021 at 6:11 pm

        In my view, it was much more off- than on-topic, which is why I moved it.

        Your comment is intact & unchanged except it has been moved and I’m not sure what you’re bubbling on about bubbles on TS but I do suffer from ‘professional bubble blindness’ as Moderator here, according to some.

        Have you seen the comment @ 5.2? Is that relevant to the other Post too?

    • Descendant Of Smith 5.2
      8 January 2021 at 5:59 pm

      Yeah my mother spotted a young woman sitting in a car crying. She had lost her job, been kicked out of her flat, had a slight intellectual disability, was desperate for accommodation and had ended up having to share a bed with a "landlord". She 22 and he in his 50's. Had moved from sleeping in the same bed, to reluctant agreement for sex (coercive rape) to totally non-consenual rape.

      Mum took her to the police who were great, and sorted out somewhere safe to stay as well. Hopefully the prick will be in court in the next few months. It was quite clear other young women had suffered the same fate with him before this one.

      There are a large number of predatory men out there doing this type of thing – part of the difficulty with the breakdown in sustainability of employment and housing is that these people find it easier to get away with. They are less visible in the community these days as the community is more transient. Others are hiding in gangs using the fear in that environment to enable their predation.

      We need to change the big stuff not just focus on individuals to fix this shit. More employment, more state housing – bring in a 30 hour working week to share employment around and so on. I'm totally fed up with the focus on individuals – 80/20 rule – 80% of the issues come from the environment we are putting people into – fix that first.

      As we have moved to an American style individualism in this country – away from more socialist policies – we are having the same problems. The very concept that everyone can pull themselves up by their bootstraps / the market will provide is the problem.

      Capitalism has its place but not unfettered, socialism also has it's place to fetter the excesses of capitalism. A mixed economy with some of each is what is required. We know right now our mix is out of kilter and too far towards laissez faire capitalism. We just aren't prepared to confront that and move the pendulum back a decent amount.

      Unfettered house prices, rents, lack of quality sustainable employment especially for those with disabilities and paltry benefit rates leading to the situation above are a symptom of how wrong it is at present.

      • McFlock 5.2.1
        8 January 2021 at 9:41 pm

        Reminiscent of a story several years ago about some arsehole who travelled the world writing books about his "pick-up artist" experiences. The few places where his "moves" didn't work? Places like Denmark, where there wasn't the same level of inequality between genders so women didn't have to put up with his shit, spotted him a mile away, and loudly called him out. And I think Iceland banned one of the books by the same guy on the gounds that it was just a manual for rape.

        Capitalism creates inequality, alienation, exploitation, and abuse. It's not the only creator of these things, but it's one of the systems where creating these things is the goal.

  6. Descendant Of Smith 6
    8 January 2021 at 6:26 pm

    "Oh no that's right everything bad that happens is Trumps fault…"

    Any more than blaming Key for everything shitty in NZ. Sure he was an arsehole that exacerbated the problems but let's not pretend that all the other fascists left when he did and everything will be OK now. Labour don't have a clue how ingrained they are in society / their own party, the public service / immigrants / business………..

    • JanM 6.1
      8 January 2021 at 10:09 pm

      I suspect they do know – the issue is what to do about it?

      • Grafton Gully 6.1.1
        8 January 2021 at 10:49 pm

        Ally with minority progressive parties and while maintaining public confidence through charismatic leadership use them to introduce policies that weaken the status quo.

      • Descendant Of Smith 6.1.2
        9 January 2021 at 12:38 pm

        Strengthen the rights of workers to go on strike – disempower the fascists.

        Implement the WEAG recommendations – disempower the fascists.

        Implement rent controls – disempower the fascists

        Increase the number of Maori seats in parliament – disempower the fascists.

        Unless you take the power away by empowering the victims of their fascism you will get nowhere. While workers are at risk from not having control of their own lives, have to put their effort into mere survival rather than building society and communities then we won't make any progress.