Open mike 08/07/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 8th, 2022 - 19 comments
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19 comments on “Open mike 08/07/2022 ”

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  1. PsyclingLeft.Always 1
    8 July 2022 at 7:46 am

    Kiwi …….Iwi

    I posted on this yesterday

    https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-07-07-2022/#comment-1898935

    9.1

    Anyone else bothered by this ?

    I note ol' Muriel Newman's……involvement. And the Three White Men of Anti 3 Waters (of course theres more than that ! )

    Peter Williams, Jim Hopkins (unfunny man ) Garrick Tremain sure encapsulate the Old White Dinosaur meme.

    Shame !

  2. Patricia Bremner 2
    8 July 2022 at 8:23 am

    Those 3 have a small but vociferous following, and they are nasty misogynists.

    Most people are more exercised about the rising covid threats.

    They see 3 waters fight back by Farmers and Councils as vested interests.

    When the alternatives are spelled out most people will make sensible choices. After all water is a human right, not a resource to be sold off to the highest bidder, as has been the case up 'till now.

    We want new pipes and no more blue babies. Farmers have to change, painful though that may be. We have to build our exports in other areas to gradually change to other proteins where possible.

    Humans have been overcoming change forever, the speed of change is only a reflection of our prevarication.

    It takes Government to mandate necessary change, so the machinery of Government is being attacked by the self interested, who had carefully dismantled all checks and balances, and are screaming as they are re-established.

    Central control is necessary, or our country will end up like a self driven car, going too fast in an uncontrolled fashion. We have democratic levers to act as checks and balances, but even they may be swayed by the loud voices and the money.

    Pete Williams etal are just eamples of that rump. Those who say an industry is "Too big to fail" need to read some history. We do not have the excuse of ignorance any more, so have to belatedly "bite the bullet" of over water use and climate change effects.

    • Robert Guyton 2.1
      8 July 2022 at 8:50 am

      Ex-Federated Farmers president throws hat in ring for Southland District Council Mayoralty.

      Standing on an anti-3 Waters, anti-co-governance ticket. No doubt assured of strong farmer support at the polling booth.

      • Shanreagh 2.1.1
        8 July 2022 at 10:54 am

        What?

        Isn't the old idea of sitting a dog on a rural mail box with a blue ribbon around its neck and a name enough? (As my Southland born and bred farmer bro in law would say)

        They want a person?

        Southland is making/continuing a bit of a name for itself with this hardline, reactionary stuff eg Groundswell.

        Though we ignore them at our peril.

        • Robert Guyton 2.1.1.1
          8 July 2022 at 11:24 am

          It's a name I'm not proud of. This play, by the regressive farmers, speaks volumes to the negative side of conservatism. Loyalty to the "old days" can be admirable; blockheadedness isn't.

  3. Jenny how to get there 3
    8 July 2022 at 8:30 am

    '

    Big Ups to the editorial staff at Newshub for re-publishing this, opening themselves to charges of having a Left Wing political bias by those on the Right who have a stake in and benefit from increasing inequality in our society.

    Newshub

    8 July 2022

    Explainer: Karl Marx's philosophy detailed – how his work continues to influence

    By Christopher Pollard for The Conversation

    ….Marx argued inequality is not a natural fact; it is socially created. He sought to show how economic systems such as feudalism or capitalism – despite being hugely complex historical developments – were ultimately our own creations.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2022/07/explainer-karl-marx-s-philosophy-detailed-how-his-work-continues-to-influence.html?

  4. Stephen D 4
    8 July 2022 at 10:40 am

    Even as we speak, pol studs graduates will be writing their phd briefs as to why the worlds 2 oldest democracies are such a mess.

    The USA has a federal system, with the Constitution providing, in theory, checks and balances. England has a parliamentary democracy with no written constitution, but hundreds of years of precedence.

    Yet how come over the last few years they are both such clusterfucks. Could it be as simple as their electoral system. FPP has delivered such flawed democracies. Yet in both cases there is no real drive for change.

    Are we going to see a break up of the United Kingdom, and civil war in the US before meaningful change happens?

    • DavidJ 4.1
      8 July 2022 at 4:02 pm

      Democracy in the UK and the US is fine. The problem is the people drawn to political leadership in each of those countries in recent times.

      In the US, voters have swapped a deranged narcissist for a frail and cognitively challenged lame duck.

      In the UK, the last election featured two opponents, one a buffoon better suited to stand up comedy, the other labelled a 'f***ing disgrace' by one of his own shadow ministers, and who led his party to it's worst ever defeat.

      It never ceases to amaze me that the US, a country of over 300m people, haven't produced a half decent president in yonks.

    • Stuart Munro 4.2
      8 July 2022 at 8:24 pm

      If we take Montesquieu at his word, the operating principle of late monarchy was honour, which flowed from (or was mediated by) the sovereign.

      As the public role of royalty declined, the risks of manifestly dishonourable behaviour, which might once have attracted a royal rebuke, or even merely interrupted the honours gravy train, are no longer sufficient to deter out and out bounders like Johnson and Starmer.

      Semibarbaric sovereigns are looking better every day.

      • In Vino 4.2.1
        8 July 2022 at 11:45 pm

        O tempora! O mores!

        There are many floodgates that have been opened: religious tolerance; easing of sexual repression; dogma replaced by educated thought..

        It has struck me for a long time that countries have constantly reverted to their normal style. Russia had its radical communist revolution, but Stalin reverted to being a ruthless old Czar. China too – Mao became a dictatorial old warlord-emperor.

        But when you look at the likes of Boris, Trump, dubya Bush and Biden, are we western countries reverting to anything, or just losing the power of rational thought?

        • Stuart Munro 4.2.1.1
          9 July 2022 at 4:26 pm

          I like your reversion thesis, though I'm not sure Mao is a good fit for it – his linguistic reform is more in accord with enlightened rulers like Sejong The young North Korean dynasty may be closer to the archetype – a divinely anointed ruler or god king – though clearly no Confucian exemplar.

          Xi seems to be determined to emulate Mao – dooming himself to never surpass him.

          • Stephen D 4.2.1.1.1
            9 July 2022 at 9:14 pm

            It’s not Mao he wants to emulate. It’s the Emperors of old.
            The Son of Heaven.

  5. Joe90 5
    8 July 2022 at 3:35 pm

    Couple of reports that he's not too well.

    https://twitter.com/japantimes/status/1545240553797066752

  6. Blade 6
    8 July 2022 at 4:30 pm

    I see Chris Hipkins is hitting the road to talk with frontline police staff across the country. That is very good. A little late and a waste of time in my opinion because most people could tell the minister what is needed NOW. But at least he's making an effort. And it would seem police are starting to harden up a little as this clip shows. This is what I call good policing.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/07/watch-man-arrested-after-allegedly-crashing-into-car-fleeing-into-locals-backyards-in-devonport.html

    https://community.scoop.co.nz/2022/07/police-minister-to-visit-every-police-district/

    However, this isn't so good from Chris

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-minister-chris-hipkins-claims-national-mp-mark-mitchell-attacked-him-in-an-on-air-clash-over-police-issues/VXCZ5DCKO67NFFQDBIYI2WI6BI/

    ''Hipkins tweeted later that Mitchell "attacked" him during the interview for talking about increased diversity in police.

    "He claimed it's undermining confidence Wow!! National really do seem to have a problem with women at the moment!,"

    I have posted about my reservations regarding many women police officers.
    [deleted]

    That is understandable and I have witnessed that myself.

    Now this. This will be a incoming National Party problem. They will need to deliver to regain public and police confidence.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/northland-police-officer-blows-lid-on-alleged-mid-and-far-north-failings/GLZACZV2XWRRW3Z4BB4KTCLWQ4/

    Only a fool now believes crime is not out of control in NZ.

    [citation without link deleted. I’m also not inclined to let casual racism through based on hearsay, so I deleted the rest of the paragraph as well – weka]

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