John Armstrong has made a full on attack against Russel Norman and the Greens in todays Herald.
Obviously the Greens are starting to worry the National Party’s number 1 PR man.
Norman needs to continue to attack National FULL ON, he has my support 100%. In fact the more Armstrong complains the better, it just provides a gauge on how affective his attacks actually are.
Despite the tight secrecy and media blackout that surrounded the Green Party AGM, details of what went on are starting to come out.
The new rules mean getting a remit on to the floor of the conference will be a logistical nightmare as all remits will require endorsement by two other branches, one of which must be in another region than that of the branch promoting the remit.
Branch remits will be subject to stricter vetting and potential redrafting by the party’s standing orders committee.
If a remit does not satisfy certain conditions, the committee can “suspend” it. If the remit reflects discontent with a wider issue, then it will be subject to a dispute procedure.
A copy of the committee’s proposals for changing the party’s standing orders which was obtained by the Weekend Herald acknowledges remits provide a “safety valve” if a sufficiently large number of members are disgruntled with some aspect of party operations.
But the report says it is possibly more important that unresolved issues between the party at large and a branch does not consume “valuable and finite time” at the party’s annual conference.
All of this has some members crying foul. There is concern that the rule changes will leave branches reduced to chores such as fundraising, leafletting and campaigning and having no input into how the party is run. Annual conferences will likewise become sterile affairs.
There is also suspicion that the effective blocking of a means of expressing dissent is motivated by the hierarchy’s fears the party’s wider and idealistic membership will find the necessary compromises of coalition too hard to stomach.
John Armstrong
If what Armstrong reports is true;
Then it seems that this conference saw a steep reduction in the Greens inner party democracy. With the right to veto membership remits or amend them out of all recognition by the top table, power has been concentrated with the leadership. As well as this, the increased and complex bureaucracy imposed to make branch remits harder to put in the first place, will put a further crimp on the members ability to influence the direction of their party.
In my estimation these new rules to restrict inner party democracy are much tougher than those in the Labour Party. And though I am not as familiar with the remit procedures of the other parties, possibly every other parliamentary party as well.
Business As Usual will not be upset by upstart political parties.
Is this the beginning of the end for the Green Party?
weka has posited here, that it is a natural progression for political parties to become more corrupted as they become more mainstream. (Probably because of their greater attraction for careerists). I would go further and say that it is actually, not a natural progression at all, but a time honoured but still conscious process that protects privilege and power for a minority of elitist self servers from the threat inherent in democracy to challenge both, Privilege and Power and elitism.
I’ve said before that I think it is possible that the GP will eventually compromise too far. That is the nature of politics – those on the edge, as their ideas becomes popular and as they influence the mainstreamthus become corrupted. The difference between you and I is that I just don’t see how that is anything other than inevitable
weka
I on the other hand argue that this degeneration is not inevitable at all.
But it seems the Green Party are determined not to learn from history and not resist the dilution of their inner party democracy, and their transformation into an autocratic top down traditional political organisation.
Personally I think this is a sad day for the Greens. And for our democracy in general. Not to mention the future of our civilisation, which could well hinge on whether leading political organisations can break away from the BAU model or not.
P.S. Suppressing inner party democracy has never succeeded in ending inner party political tensions. That they will break out into the open in some other form, and usually at the worst possible place and time is inevitable. The resulting inner party explosion/implosion, what ever form it takes, could well mark the end of the Green Party as a political force.
That you would take an article written by Armstrong of all people, as proof of the corruption of the GP, says alot about you Jenny.
I’d like to put my earlier comment in context. It’s not that the GP will inevitably become corrupt. It’s that parliament, as it is at this point in time, is a culture that demands certain behaviours. The very nature of the adversarial system is that it undermines creative solutions and co-operation. People who come into parliament as MPs (and I would guess this is true of staff too), have to adapt to the culture or they won’t fit in/be able to gain anything for their party. While I hope that the GP can influence that culture for the better, I’m not sure that it’s their job to transform it.
You look at people like Marilyn Waring, who got out early, and her contemporaries like Clark and Shipley, who stayed in. Waring once talked about what happened to women in parliament, the pressure to become something else. It was brutal. How do people survive that? Her contention was that some just get out, and those that stay get changed by the place. There is no way that Clark would have become PM if she hadn’t adapted in such a way as to be able to take power and use it.
Sad, but true. You can see manifestations of that brutality here on ts, where it tends to be cruelty, both to each other, and towards politicians. What this means is that only the tough survive, both here and in parliament. And thus we lose the more sensitive people who would probably bring much to the table.
Unless MPs are betraying their party, I think that we should be supporting them, and helping them find ways to survive the brutality as long as possible. They are doing us a service and should be acknowledged for that, not pilloried before they even get started (Jenny).
The Green Party IMHO are set on a well worn course for destruction. The question is: How will they avoid the fate of the Maori Party and the Alliance before them?
First off the Green Party could announce that they will not go into coalition with any government that approves the Denniston Coal Mine or Deep Sea Oil Drilling off our coasts.
Which would most likely mean they don’t get to be part of govt. I’m asking you how GP MPs could be part of a NZ govt and not be changed by the experience.
First off the Green Party could announce that they will not go into coalition with any government that approves the Denniston Coal Mine or Deep Sea Oil Drilling off our coasts.
Secondly give the Labour Party Confidence and Supply.
If the Labour Party still want to proceed with wrecking the environment, the Greens need to let them know that they are on their own.
Simple, clear, direct, principled. This will future proof the Green Party. As the coal and extreme oil schemes go sour.
I’m asking you how GP MPs could be part of a NZ govt and not be changed by the experience.
weka
This question answers itself. The Green Party cannot be part of a government committed to Deep Sea Oil Drilling, and mining Denniston. And not be changed.
Mr Armstrong tries a long bow, and drops the arrow on his foot.
Would like to see a more sober account of the Green Party’s remit changes. But even the way it’s told by Armstrong, it doesn’t amount to anything like the anti-democratic practices of Key’s government or Muldoon.
By all accounts, the motion to streamline the party’s antiquated remit system easily obtained the required 75 per cent backing to effect a change to the party’s standing orders.
So that means the vote was well over 75%?
And the “Green’s are thirsting for power”. …. who is using a less than measured tone there, Mr Armstrong, even as you blast Norman for the same, and ignore how much the right wing bloggers and Key use way less than measured tones when they launched the attack on the Greens?
It’s very unlikely that party members voted to reduce the voice of their branches while strengthening the power of centralised control. Not saying it didn’t happen; its far more likely Armstrong has the wrong end of the stick.
Would like to see a more sober account of the Green Party’s remit changes.
karol
Green Party Mt Eden branch convener Jeremy Hall said in the party newsletter Te Awa that there was irony to Greens’ holding a conference on democracy because its rule changes would make it near-impossible for branches to raise issues and participate in the internal democracy of the party.
He added: “It will turn branches simply into volunteer units to just do fundraising, leafletting and campaigning, where their input into how the party is run will no longer be welcome.”
The concerns came from a minority within the party – the remit was believed to have passed with around 80 per cent support.
Green Party members vote to curtail their democracy by 80%
80%?
80 percent support for a vote to limit inner party democracy. The sad thing about such votes, is that by their nature they can not be revisited.
But democracy is a funny thing, you suppress here, it pops up somewhere else, in some other form. Like that other great human impulse, it is as perennial as the grass.
And Armstrong is starting to come across a more than a little hysterical lately.
Now we just have to wait for the hysterical screeching of the Nats number one fan boy, Roughan.
I read it as Key and co, knowing they will most likely lose the election, fucking things up as much as they can, and leaving the cupboard bare, so the incoming Government can change as little as possible.
There is however also the imperative to deliver as much of the “commons” to their corporate funders as possible, before they get voted out to secure their retirement funding.
The feather bedded directorships and sinecures they expect to get, with the private sector, as a reward for stealing from tax payers and wage earners.
@kjt..re yr first paragraph..i don’t know if it is necessarily that..i think it is just them doing what they promised..
..(i mean..i mean..!..did the moronic component of that massive majority opposed to selling our power assets/means into foreign ownership..who voted for national..
..did they think key/national were just joshing when they promised to do just that..?
..how was that for an epic-disconnect..?..on the part of those asset-selling opposed/voting national moron-component..?)
..yr second paragraph i totally agree with..with labour as enmeshed in that corrupt revolving-door process as national..
..with the neo-lib/randite-apologist ex labour party president williams..being a textbook example of a revolving-door too many..
(if you doubt my assesment of williams..go to the radio new zealand archives..and pull up a couple of his recent appearances as .(wait for it!..)..a spokesperson for the left..(!)..)..(as someone else said:..’oh irony..!..thou art a harsh mistress..!’..)
..and looking back to the right-revolution..the then union uber-boss frantically/serially blinked..and just went and sat in the corner..as the right dismantled the welfare state/broke the union-movement..and he uttered not a whimper..
..(but he did do rather well out of it..like williams..seats on boards/honours etc..and both about as far from the shop-floor as you can get..)
..and the contrast with that union leader here of course is australia..
..where the union movement stood up and went ‘no yr fucken not..!’..
..(and what is the size of our wage-gap with aust..?…and growing..we are told..)
..that didn’t work out too well for us..did it..?..
..corruption takes many forms..it isn’t all envelopes stuffed with cash..slipped into pockets..
..our new zealand version is far more subtle..(sort of..)
Interesting how there is liitle by way of useful disucussion, which comes from the NZH, while its no surprise, its become very transparent, that all the NZH has to offer, is proarchial support for the owners, chosen governmnent!
Its rather sad, to see society demoted to such a low level of, *informative debate*
Its the ,confuse, contain, control tactics geared up to prevent people from piecing together cogent views, and the decisions/actions, which might then follow changing view formation.
It genuinely sadens me, this country is under such a ferocious attack, which is even more powerful incentive to stay vigilant, and up to speed.
Its the primary reason I stay in touch sites such as this, for the angles/perspectives which don’t see the light of day elsewhere.
yes, I reckon that the NZH/Armstrong/O Sullivan et al are very effective at creating a support base for National that would be better off voting Left. When you look at Slane’s cartoon on another post here it actually reflects the truth, but National’s support base is much larger than the very small/elite group that benefit from their policies.
Actually the real damage is done by Radio stations like the Edge who insinuate the consumer culture into the young, invite Key along as their best mate etc.
This is where the dumbing down of society is occurring.
Now we have cold war hysteria from Hooten about communists in the Greens. Its going to be one hell of an 18 months, with the Green party on the wrong end of it. Im pretty sure that Key might even try and ban them (like Australia did with their communist party in the 1950’s).
2014 is going to be an ugly election campaign. The neo-libs, god-botherers and RWNJs, along with the swivel-eyed loons are just getting warmed up.
Of course the very system that Dunne appears to have leaked a report on probably has records of Dunne’s emails but cannot release them because that would confirm what Dunne was trying to expose. Spy vs Spy here?
If Dunne was trying to expose anything, that would be a valid reason to do what he has done. He has admitted several times that he has no good reason for what eventuated. Honey trapped buffoon who has far too many skeletons in his closet, absolutely . . . Valiant warrior battling evil, not so much.
On thursday June 5 weka and Jenny went toe to toe on how far the Green Party should be prepared to compromise to gain seats in a Labour led cabinet.
So would you be happy if the GP went into govt and as part of that won an agreement from Labour to not mine Denniston?
weka
Weka, YES. Yes, I would. This would be a major concession from Labour. And major blow to the fossil fuel industry. Stopping Denniston would be a step forward in the war against climate change in this country. I would be overjoyed. I would be stunned if the Greens could win such a concession from the Labour Party.
Jenny
Can one of the Labour people here tell us if that would be a hard thing for Labour to give up?
weka
Yes, come on Labour Party people, tell us what you think.
How about you Colonial Viper? How about you R0B? Or maybe lprent?
Would any of you like to have a go at answering weka’s question?
Maybe even EDDIE might like to share his opinion with us?
Jenny
To date. Not one of the Labour Party people here, have chosen to give up their opinion on this question.
So I thought I would give them another opportunity .
Would any Labour Party People here, like to venture an answer to weka’s question?
Of course, an ominous silence could also count as an answer.
Pretty obvious in my opinion. *Maybe*. Especially in the euphoria of coalition talks post election.
If the Greens were willing to settle for a short term objective in lieu of something more substantive, then I think that Labour would happy to let them take the flak from the coasters. Labour MPs would undoubtedly prefer that Green MPs dissipated their political capital that way rather than in something more widespread like looking at the question of exploration and mining in conservation areas.
I’m not so sure the Greens membership would be that happy after spending decades to get MPs into cabinet to be that concerned with a single bauble rather than a policy shift.
Politics is the art of the possible and the careful use of painfully acquired political capital. I am pretty sure that was what was being discussed in the closed door sessions at the Greens conference last weekend.
Like the others, I am working during the week. Explaining politics 201 isn’t high on my priority queue.
I catch some of these older comments when I’m scanning for people talking to me. In this case the “lprent”.
Nice. I might have to quote that
You’re welcome to it. It is a paraphrase of something that I read or heard somewhere at some time. It is an accurate representation of the practice of politics.
One qualified maybe from lprent and a no-comment from Colonial Viper. It’s not looking good.
So how about you Te Reo Putake?
The question is; If the Green Party refuse to join any coalition which would approve the Denniston Coal Mine. Can you tell us, if that would be a hard thing for Labour to give up?
The discussion on The Nation over the International Transfer of Prisoners was interesting; NZ the only OECD country not a signatory, in fact, the parts of the world that are really only excluded Africa and parts of Asia in the main. It is not politically palatable it seems to have these folk repatriated to serve their sentences, particularly for those chasing the conservative vote as the cost to the tax-payer would be humungous; 850 serving time in Aus, just for starters; that would be around a Billion dollars for the first year for them to be imprisoned here.
Collins generalized that “they are drug dealers and rapists” (from the two featured) and that those in Aus had “lived all their lives there, paid there taxes there” blah blah. Aus keeps hitting NZ govt up about it. They are signatories http://www.ag.gov.au/Internationalrelations/Internationalcrimecooperationarrangements/TransferOfPrisoners/Pages/default.aspx
Some under-arm return for not providing social security measures to kiwis over there. 😉
Anyway, these tory Ministers may have professions to there name yet they sure appear thick!
Next, a critique of the rise of the ‘victim’ culture; like monetary compensation is a reinforcer.
😀
Phoebe Fletcher makes an excellent point today on the Daily Blog: the media storm around Dunne’s resignation is diverting big time from the extremely worrying changes to the GCSB legislation.
I don’t really care about speculation over whether Dunne has done a Clinton. It’s not like he was instagramming his penis like US Senator Anthony Weiner – from all accounts it seems like a couple of tweets and some emails. The more important issue is the legislation, and the potential impact Dunne’s demotion will have on the coalition government. I don’t have to agree with every single statement that comes out of a politician’s mouth to support them on issues of confluence. It seems extraordinary to me that Norman on behalf of the Greens is calling for the police to investigate – it would be better to let Peters lead that line of attack, given that he has continually complained about the level of secrecy around the Security Committee. At the end of the day, it is not about a soap opera, it is about our rights as citizens. And this needs to be the focus of the opposition, not continuing the blood bath for political points.
Indeed, the deflective glare is strong, the focus , hard as it is in this country, must remain on the legislation, because the *grid*, is tightening its grip!
People think little to nothing, about smart meters, the UFB roll out etc, but these are part of the *grid*, and even now, privacy/freedom are concepts, relegated to the history books, never to be seen again, if people don’t get involved.
It occurs to me the latest blog post by Farrar is an outstanding example of how the government use him to try and control the media naarative. Effectively, he is trying to frame how the whole story around the demise of Dunne is told by lazy and/or time pressed journalists by providing in a nice, easy digestible format a whole narrative of the winners and losers. Very cunning, and highlights the lack of a comparable blog on the left.
I would contend that The Standard itself is a blog comparable in influence to Kiwiblog, and further that; The Daily Blog is a rapidly emerging foil to WhaleOil (that there’s some long standing rivalry between Bradbury and Slater has long been evident; even on Tumeke – I imagine it goes back to uni days if not before). Personally, I don’t read either of the RWNJ blogs – life’s too short. Plus Kiwiblog just makes me feel manipulated (DPF is certainly good at what he does!), while WhaleOil makes me feel unclean (though I did have a glance over on Queen’s birthday weekend to savour the panic).
That MSM journalists take their cues from Farrar and Slater probably has more to do with; editorial policies and lack of; time and resources, than; inaccesability of alternate viewpoints on the net.
Was the Dunne/Vance imbroglio a “honey trap” ( to quote an old cold war term )? And shouldn’t the morality and ethics of that be discussed? Admittedly for Herald and Dominion journalists they are almost certainly really big words they would need to look up.
“The Independent
The A-list conspiracy: Did Hollywood tell Obama to take down internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom?
As the infamous file-sharing mogul fights US extradition, Steve Anderson hears his lawyer’s claims of a murky connection between Washington and the movie industry.”
In the UK they are seeing the implications of American big business being able to control politicians and the internet.
Corporate-Political influence in the US is really fubar. It is a broken system. It actively encourages companies to hire people whose only job is to stand in a queue and hold that place until the salaried lobbyist shows up to tell the pretzel-spined politicians exactly what they are doing with their votes that day. We have our problems in NZ but we are not quite that far gone and I like to think we can resist a whilst longer.
On The Nation just now we saw Winston Peters making another series of accusations – that the Dunne emails also contained leaks of other information apart from the GCSB report, and that because of the nature of the leak (effectively a top secret document with limited “eyes only” distribution) the government came under pressure from our ECHELON allies to find out who the potential spy was. Peters also was unequivocally able to state they contained personally embarassing stuff on Dunne. Of course, Peters could be bluffing, but in this case I think he has clearly seen the unedited emails. So, where did Peters get those?
Looks like the GCSB stitiched up Dunne to placate our allies concern over the leak, which raises yet more thorny questions about an agency that has clearly (Kim Dotcom, illegal spying, Dunne) gone rogue. Who is the master of this country, the GCSB (who can clearly access and leak anything about anyone who threatens their mana) or the politicians? Because at the moment, it looks like the spies are getting the politicians to dance to their tune.
I wonder what they said to John Key to ensure the Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill was to their liking?
PS I was astonished at how inept Rachel Smalley’s performance was. There was Winston Peters dangling all sorts of juicy tidbits – shadowy foreign pressure to find the leaker, additional sectet material being leaked – she relentless stuck to the pre-scripted panty-sniffing line about trying to find out if Dunne wanted to be a tampon, or something.
Sanctuary – The *presenters*, are simply there to ensure the narrative is controlled, and it is, by the producers.
No need to be astonished, this is what the MSM is designed to do, except that sadly its seems in NZ, we have plumbed even lower depths.
Smalley, not all that long ago had some promise, but over the past 3-6 months, she has become as debased, as the like of Corin Dann, and the other puppets!
The media repeat what they are told to write. Everyone with a modicum of curiosity and critical thinking cano see that.
You want evidence TC? Iraq and WMD.
My question to you.
Why are you such a relentless defender of the corporate elite?
But at least I don’t make completely erroneous statements about imaginary foes based purely on ill informed rhetoric gleaned from conspiracy sites and crank doctors.
But at least I don’t make completely erroneous statements about imaginary foes based purely on ill informed rhetoric gleaned from conspiracy sites and crank doctors.
TC, can you point to the conspiracy sites, which I personally , have linked to on here, you have a problem with.
If you can locate any such links, give your reasoning, why you have a problem, and try to avoid becoming a parody of your handle name, in the process, eh!
You can’t believe a thing you read in Murdoch’s rags. The Guardian, which has just started up in Oz, contains a lot less fantasy. According to Murdoch, they might as well save money and not even have the election because Abbott has already won in a landslide. I hope not, because while Gillard is about as left as Key, Abbott makes John Banks look balanced.
Colonel Viper . Thanks for that link to Andrew Nikifororuk on the characteristics of a Petro State.
Suddenly it all becomes explainable. With fracking and oil drilling in the offing in the Canterbury Basin both on land and at sea…. and the strange undemocratic manoeuverings of the National Government eg.
* extensive GCSB powers to spy on ordinary NZers,
* outlawing of environmental protest where it affects economic corporate activity( whether this be harmful for NZers environment or not),
* promotion of education dumbing down and no standards for charter schools ( undermining a fine NZ education tradition of egalitarian , high quality , state funded , secular education, which promotes critical thinking and scholarship for all)
* ousting of the democratically elected Environment Canterbury away from Cantabrians’ voting control and into the hands of National Government appointed commissioners.
* the prolonged state of emergency in Christchurch and power and control wrested away from the City Council and Christchurch residents.
All NZers should watch this video and be warned of what could be in store!
Interesting interviews on Radionz today. The last one was from Jaron Lanier who explains how he changed his mind about making the web accessible and free to all, as he now sees that the benefits of this are being scooped up by those with the biggest computers. And lots more of intelligent stuff.
He is great to listen to, a lively speaker and thinker and a great laugh. Still with a sense of humour, someone to treasure and pay attention to. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup
(Who Owns the Future – book)
Jaron Lanier radionz 1.40pm Sat 8/6
Lanier is a miserable whiney bore who is just pissy that the web has left him behind and his precious digital utopia never came about because people would rather watch porn and exchange recipies for meatloaf.
A free colostomy bag if you can spot what’s wrong with this sentence…
Breton Grove resident Marc Nicholas and his Priscilla Cres neighbour Gavin Forman were evacuated from their homes with their families when the slip struck at 4.30am last Saturday.
And at this point I have to say I’m not ‘highly confident’ about this claim:
Wellington City Council city networks manager Stavros Michael said he was “highly confident” the water main had nothing to do with the landslide. Council staff went to check reports of a leak on Friday night, and booked in to do the repairs on Saturday morning. A small hairline fracture was found then.
“There was no indication that the leak had been going for more than a matter of hours.”
I’m thinking that Mr Michael’s staff may have indeed found a hairline crack on the Friday night, but they’ve missed, or are covering up for something much larger. Much better for the man to have withheld comment until all the evidence was in. Because at this early stage such an unsupported claim just looks horribly self-serving.
I wouldn’t want my family to be evacuated in a landslip. The house we were in ?…sure, but damned if i’m gonna let a team suck the shit out of me and mine in an emergency.
mindfulness (or a wee dram). Better go “cook tea” now (before witnessing all the wasted human life (fatalities, local and international) on the box.).
Kind regards, bet it was a cold week down there too.
Daytime TV Review
Three Wise Men discuss “Relationship Woes”
Hands up all those who cannot abide Willie Jackson!
Okay, okay, but first I need to tell you something about a program he featured on the other day….
Good Morning, TV1, 9:10 a.m., Tuesday 4 June 2013 Relationship Woes, a Men’s Panel discussion featuring Wallace Chapman, Miles Davis and Willie Jackson
Trashy television has its charms. Take TV1’s ailing Good Morning program, for instance. Last year, host Jeanette Thomas got hypnotized on air, performed the haka, conducted an imaginary orchestra with a raw chicken, tried to seduce Tom Cruise and had a go at pole dancing. And all of that happened in just one morning’s episode. Over the years, one of the perverse highlights, or lowlights, for this writer, i.e. moi, was watching the perplexed, slightly hostile look on the dial of macho man Brendon Pongia as Steve Gray gave his movie reviews.
Despite all this top quality entertainment, however, Good Morning has been cursed with low ratings, and as a result it has been cut back this year from three hours to just one—from 9 to 10 o’clock.
Today the coiffured blond host, whose name I could not ascertain even after extensive hunting, introduced a semi-serious panel discussion, about Relationship Woes. The three “talents” chosen for the task were lovable and impish professional boy-man Wallace Chapman, professional cheeky cockney chappy Miles Davis, and professional cheeky Maori fulla Willie Jackson.
Here are the highlights…..
MILES DAVIS: You have to admit that ninety-nine per cent of the time the woman is the one in the right. WALLACE CHAPMAN: Yeah, but you don’t want to be a male doormat. MILES DAVIS:[accentuating the East End wide-boy accent] I’m no’ a doormat.
………
WILLIE JACKSON: Ya see, the problem with you Wallace is, it’s all academic, it’s all P.C. with you. You can’t solve relationships with an academic approach and it’s SHOCKING really. WALLACE CHAPMAN:[diffidently and sensitively] I-I-I-I… MILES DAVIS: Talk to us, Wozza! HOST: We’re going to continue our debate on relationships and the blame game with THESE GUYS, after THIS.
BLOND HOST: Well, we’re back with the Men’s Panel discussing Relationship Woes. Wallace, you were talking about your kayaking session.
Wallace Chapman embarks on a long and terribly dull story about going kayaking with his family. Nothing at all seems to have happened, but apparently it was very important for strengthening his family relationships. At least that’s what he reckons. After he finishes talking, there is a long awkward silence….
HOST: That’s it? WILLIE JACKSON: Terrible story. MILES DAVIS: Ha ha ha ha ha!
…….
Later on, Miles Davis talks about how it is possible to argue constructively with one’s wife or partner. This attempt at sensitivity is quickly scotched by Willie Jackson, who has no patience for such displays of SNAGgery….
WILLIE JACKSON: It just gets WORSE!!!! Next thing you’re into a PUNCH-UP!!!!!
Jackson’s main gig these days is the Radio Live program he hosts with the equally erudite John Tamihere. Several years ago, Willie and JT had dwarf-boxing impesario Dean Lonergan on to talk sensitively and learnedly on the subject of marital infidelity. Both Deano and JT made it clear that there was no excuse for violence against any woman, even if one came home one day midway through the afternoon to find her in bed with, say, half the ACT caucus. Willie Jackson, though, was having none of that P.C. nonsense. “If I found out that my missus was fooling around on me,” he said, with quiet sincerity, “I’d put a knife through her heart.”
This shocked even the crass and offensive Lonergan, who felt moved to remonstrate: “I think that’s going a bit far, mate.”
Willie didn’t back down an inch, however. “Nah, nah, nah—don’t give me THAT,” he said, without even a hint of his usual playfulness. “I would. I would put a knife through her heart. I WOULD.”
JT snorted sardonically and laughed, “You’re a mongrel, Willie, a mongrel.”
interestingly, I have an aquaintence (aquainted with his whanau as well) and he did take a tomahawk to the man, in bed with his wife; 4 years later, upon release, no wife. sigh, was getting muscle fatigue keeping my arm up.
sigh, I do have a volume or three of actual / factual stories to tell, I know, as many of us do; fortunately, or other wise, many of them are memorable, yet Robert Plant (another Rock god) advised to keep on rolling and resist writing a book…and I DO NOT YET OWN A WORKING COMPUTER OF MY OWN…yet when it does happen, it could be a lot worse than a hybrid of The Bone People and Tough Guys Don’t Dance with a little Child In Time wound in. 😉 yeeha!
“It’s all about defence! Y’ know, the All Blacks won the World Cup in 2011 because of their outstanding defence!”
—Ant Strachan, Radio Sport, 75 minutes into the New Zealand-France friendly, Saturday 8 June 2013
See also….
No. 17: Stephen Franks: “Peter has been such a level-headed, safe pair of hands.
No. 16: Phil Kafcaloudes: “Tony Abbott…hasn’t made any mistakes over the past eighteen months”
No. 15: Donald Rumsfeld: “I did not lie… Colin Powell did not lie.”
No. 14: Colin Powell: “a post-9/11 nexus between Iraq and terrorist organizations…connections are now emerging…”
No.13: Barack Obama: “Simply put, these strikes have saved lives.” http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27052013/#comment-638881
No. 12: U.K. Ministry of Defence: “Protecting the Afghan civilian population is one of ISAF and the UK’s top priorities.”
No. 11: Brendan O’Connor: “Australia’s approach to refugees is compassionate and generous.”
No. 10: Boris Johnson: “Londoners have… the best police in the world to look after us and keep us safe.”
No. 9: NewstalkZB PR dept: “News you NEED! Fast, fair, accurate!”
No. 8: Simon Bridges: “I don’t mean to duck the question”
No. 7: Nigel Morrison: “Quite frankly, they’ve been VERY tough.”
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-15052013/#comment-633295
No. 6: NZ Herald PR dept: “Congratulations—you’re reading New Zealand’s best newspaper.”
No. 5: Rawdon Christie: “…a FORMIDABLE replacement, it seems, is Claudette Hauiti.” http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13052013/#comment-632594
No. 4: Willie and J.T.: “The X-Factor. Nah, nah, there’s some GREAT talent there!”
No. 3: John Key: “Yeah we hold MPs to a higher standard.”
No. 2: Colin Craig: “Oh, I have a GREAT sense of humour.”
No. 1: Barack Obama: “Margaret Thatcher was one of the great champions of freedom and liberty.”
I just hope that tomorrow (Sun) someone puts up an interesting enough post or two that we can stop talking about fluoridation and conspiracy theories :-/
Kia Ora,I try to keep most my posts without a paywall for public interest journalism purposes. However, if you can afford to, please consider supporting me as a paid subscriber and/or supporting over at Ko-Fi. That will help me to continue, and to keep spending time on the work. Embarrassingly, ...
There was a time when Google was the best thing in my world. I was an early adopter of their AdWords program and boy did I like what it did for my business. It put rocket fuel in it, is what it did. For every dollar I spent, those ads ...
A while back I was engaged in an unpleasant exchange with a leader of the most well-known NZ anti-vax group and several like-minded trolls. I had responded to a racist meme on social media in which a rightwing podcaster in the US interviewed one of the leaders of the Proud ...
Hi,If you’ve been reading Webworm for a while, you’ll be familiar with Anna Wilding. Between 2020 and 2021 I looked at how the New Zealander had managed to weasel her way into countless news stories over the years, often with very little proof any of it had actually happened. When ...
It's a long white cloud for you, baby; staying together alwaysSummertime in AotearoaWhere the sunshine kisses the water, we will find it alwaysSummertime in AotearoaYeah, it′s SummertimeIt's SummertimeWriters: Codi Wehi Ngatai, Moresby Kainuku, Pipiwharauroa Campbell, Taulutoa Michael Schuster, Rebekah Jane Brady, Te Naawe Jordan Muturangi Tupe, Thomas Edward Scrase.Many of ...
Last year, 292 people died unnecessarily on our roads. That is the lowest result in over a decade and only the fourth time in the last 70 years we’ve seen fewer than 300 deaths in a calendar year. Yet, while it is 292 people too many, with each death being ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob HensonFlames from the Palisades Fire burn a building at Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The fast-moving wildfire had destroyed thousands of structures and ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Regulatory Standards Bill, as I understand it, seeks to bind parliament to a specific range of law-making.For example, it seems to ensure primacy of individual rights over that of community, environment, te Tiriti ...
Happy New Year!I had a lovely break, thanks very much for asking: friends, family, sunshine, books, podcasts, refreshing swims, barbecues, bike rides. So good to step away from the firehose for a while, to have less Trump and Seymour in your day. Who needs the Luxons in their risible PJs ...
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the Auckland City Centre Advisory Panel and a director of Greater Auckland In 2003, after much argument, including the election of a Mayor in 2001 who ran on stopping it, Britomart train station in downtown Auckland opened. A mere 1km twin track terminating branch ...
For the first time in a decade, a New Zealand Prime Minister is heading to the Middle East. The trip is more than just a courtesy call. New Zealand PMs frequently change planes in Dubai en route to destinations elsewhere. But Christopher Luxon’s visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 5, 2025 thru Sat, January 11, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The decade between 1952 and the early 1960s was the peak period for the style of music we now call doo wop, after which it got dissolved into soul music, girl groups, and within pop music in general. Basically, doo wop was a form of small group harmonising with a ...
The future teaches you to be aloneThe present to be afraid and coldSo if I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists…And if you tolerate thisThen your children will be nextSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Do you remember at school, studying the rise ...
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 ...
Welcome to the official half-way point of the 2020s. Anyway, as per my New Years tradition, here’s where A Phuulish Fellow’s blog traffic came from in 2024: United States United Kingdom New Zealand Canada Sweden Australia Germany Spain Brazil Finland The top four are the same as 2023, ...
Completed reads for December: Be A Wolf!, by Brian Strickland The Magic Flute [libretto], by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder The Invisible Eye, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Owl’s Ear, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Waters of Death, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Spider, by Hanns Heinz Ewers Who Knows?, by Guy de Maupassant ...
Well, it’s the last day of the year, so it’s time for a quick wrap-up of the most important things that happened in 2024 for urbanism and transport in our city. A huge thank you to everyone who has visited the blog and supported us in our mission to make ...
Leave your office, run past your funeralLeave your home, car, leave your pulpitJoin us in the streets where weJoin us in the streets where weDon't belong, don't belongHere under the starsThrowing light…Song: Jeffery BuckleyToday, I’ll discuss the standout politicians of the last 12 months. Each party will receive three awards, ...
Hi,A lot’s happened this year in the world of Webworm, and as 2024 comes to an end I thought I’d look back at a few of the things that popped. Maybe you missed them, or you might want to revisit some of these essay and podcast episodes over your break ...
Hi,I wanted to share this piece by film editor Dan Kircher about what cinema has been up to in 2024.Dan edited my documentary Mister Organ, as well as this year’s excellent crowd-pleasing Bookworm.Dan adores movies. He gets the language of cinema, he knows what he loves, and writes accordingly. And ...
Without delving into personal details but in order to give readers a sense of the year that was, I thought I would offer the study in contrasts that are Xmas 2023 and Xmas 2024: Xmas 2023 in Starship Children’s Hospital (after third of four surgeries). Even opening presents was an ...
Heavy disclaimer: Alpha/beta/omega dynamics is a popular trope that’s used in a wide range of stories and my thoughts on it do not apply to all cases. I’m most familiar with it through the lens of male-focused fanfic, typically m/m but sometimes also featuring m/f and that’s the situation I’m ...
Hi,Webworm has been pretty heavy this year — mainly because the world is pretty heavy. But as we sprint (or limp, you choose) through the final days of 2024, I wanted to keep Webworm a little lighter.So today I wanted to look at one of the biggest and weirdest elements ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 22, 2024 thru Sat, December 28, 2024. This week's roundup is the second one published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, ...
We’ll have a climate change ChristmasFrom now until foreverWarming our hearts and mindsAnd planet all togetherSpirits high and oceans higherChestnuts roast on wildfiresIf coal is on your wishlistMerry Climate Change ChristmasSong by Ian McConnellReindeer emissions are not something I’d thought about in terms of climate change. I guess some significant ...
KP continues to putt-putt along as a tiny niche blog that offers a NZ perspective on international affairs with a few observations about NZ domestic politics thrown in. In 2024 there was also some personal posts given that my son was in the last four months of a nine month ...
I can see very wellThere's a boat on the reef with a broken backAnd I can see it very wellThere's a joke and I know it very wellIt's one of those that I told you long agoTake my word I'm a madman, don't you knowSongwriters: Bernie Taupin / Elton JohnIt ...
.Acknowledgement: Tim PrebbleThanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..With each passing day of bad headlines, squandering tax revenue to enrich the rich, deep cuts to our social services and a government struggling to keep the lipstick on its neo-liberal pig ...
This is from the 36th Parallel social media account (as brief food for thought). We know that Trump is ahistorical at best but he seems to think that he is Teddy Roosevelt and can use the threat of invoking the Monroe Doctrine and “Big Stick” gunboat diplomacy against Panama and ...
Don't you cry tonightI still love you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightDon't you cry tonightThere's a heaven above you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightSong: Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin“Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so”, said possibly the greatest philosopher ever to walk this earth, Douglas Adams.We have entered the ...
Because you're magicYou're magic people to meSong: Dave Para/Molly Para.Morena all, I hope you had a good day yesterday, however you spent it. Today, a few words about our celebration and a look at the various messages from our politicians.A Rockel XmasChristmas morning was spent with the five of us ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). 2024 has been a series of bad news for climate change. From scorching global temperatures leading to devastating ...
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 ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing all New Zealanders a great holiday season as Kiwis prepare for gatherings with friends and families to see in the New Year. It is a great time of year to remind everyone to stay fire safe over the summer. “I know ...
From 1 January 2025, first-time tertiary learners will have access to a new Fees Free entitlement of up to $12,000 for their final year of provider-based study or final two years of work-based learning, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Targeting funding to the final year of study ...
“As we head into one of the busiest times of the year for Police, and family violence and sexual violence response services, it’s a good time to remind everyone what to do if they experience violence or are worried about others,” Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney Imagine a gathering so large it dwarfs any concert, festival, or sporting event you’ve ever seen. In the Kumbh Mela, a religious festival held in India, millions of Hindu pilgrims come ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Motortion Films/Shutterstock You may have seen stories the Australian dollar has “plummeted”. Sounds bad. But what does it mean and should you be worried? The most-commonly quoted ...
Summer reissue: Lange and Muldoon clash, two days after the election. Our live updates editor is on the case. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gina Perry, Science historian with a specific interest in the history of social psychology., The University of Melbourne ‘Guards’ with a blindfolded ‘prisoner’.PrisonExp.org A new translation of a 2018 book by French science historian Thibault Le Texier challenges the claims of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Jordan, Professor of Epidemiology, The University of Queensland Peakstock/Shutterstock Many women worry hormonal contraceptives have dangerous side-effects including increased cancer risk. But this perception is often out of proportion with the actual risks. So, what does the research actually say ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kiley Seymour, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Behaviour, University of Technology Sydney Vector Tradition/Shutterstock From self-service checkouts to public streets to stadiums – surveillance technology is everywhere. This pervasive monitoring is often justified in the name of safety and security. ...
South Islanders Alex Casey and Tara Ward reflect on their so-called summer break. Alex Casey: Welcome back to work Tara, how was your summer? Tara Ward: I’m thrilled to be here and equally as happy to have experienced my first New Zealand winter Christmas, just as Santa always intended. Over ...
Summer reissue: Five years ago, we voted against legalising cannabis. But what if the referendum had gone the other way? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a software developer shares his approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Male. Age: 34. Ethnicity: NZ European. Role: Software developer. Salary/income/assets: Salary ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan Cassidy-Welch, Professor of History and Dean of Research Strategy, University of Divinity Lieven van Lathem (Flemish, about 1430–93) and David Aubert (Flemish, active 1453–79), Gracienne Taking Leave of Her Father the Sultan, 1464 The J. Paul Getty Museum Travellers have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian A. Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University Goami/Shutterstock On hot summer days, hitting the beach is a great way to have fun and cool off. But if you’re not near the salty ocean, you might opt for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Loc Do, Professor of Dental Public Health, The University of Queensland TinnaPong/Shutterstock Fluoride is a common natural element found in water, soil, rocks and food. For the past several decades, fluoride has also been a cornerstone of dentistry and public health, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ladan Hashemi, Senior Research Fellow in Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau PickPik, CC BY-SA Children with traumatic experiences in their early lives have a higher risk of obesity. But as our new research shows, this risk can be ...
Further interest rate cuts are coming, but why does everything still feel so bleak? Stewart Sowman-Lund explains for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The year ahead: On a small boat in an oyster farm devastated by storms, ANZ’s boss learns about the importance of adapting to change The post Making the world your oyster appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Two key events in February will set the direction of New Zealand’s clean, green reputation for the rest of the year – and perhaps even many years to come.First, the Government must announce its next emissions reduction target under the Paris Agreement by February 10. Then, later in the month, ...
In our latest in-depth podcast investigation, Fractured, Melanie Reid and her team delve deep into a complex case involving a controversial medical diagnosis and its fallout on a young family. While Fractured is a forensic examination of this case here in New Zealand, the diagnosis that started it all is ...
To complete our series looking back at 2024 and gazing forward to 2025, we asked our big political commentary brains to nominate the three issues that will loom large in the year to come. Madeleine Chapman (editor, The Spinoff)The Treaty principles bill just won’t rest, and will start the ...
Summer reissue: There are fewer pokie machines in Aotearoa than ever, but they still rake in more than $1bn a year. So are strict council policies working – and do the community funding arguments stack up? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue ...
Opinion: The Economist magazine asks whether Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘Trump gamble’ of discontinuing fact-checking posts on Meta will pay off. We in Aotearoa should understand that good news for Meta’s bottom line could be a disaster for us.We live at a time when everything seems to be happening all at once. There is an incoming ...
Comment: With the right leadership, local government can be a genuine part of democratic community life. With a little effort, anyone can contribute to that. The post Don’t shrug your shoulders over local government appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia The world has watched in horror as fires continue to raze parts of Los Angeles, California. For those of us living in Australia, one of the world’s most fire-prone continents, the LA experience ...
Every story about the Ministry of Regulation seems to be about staffing cost blow-outs. The red tape slashing Ministry needs teeth, sure, but all we seem to hear about are teething problems, says axpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager James ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carmen Lim, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland Visualistka/Shutterstock A multi-million dollar business has developed in Australia to meet the demand for medicinal cannabis. Australians spent more than A$400 million on it ...
Summer reissue: The tide is turning on Insta-therapy. Good riddance, but actual therapy is still good and worth doing. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University Stained glass with a depiction of the martyred nuns, Saint Honoré d’Eylau Church, Paris.Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA The Martyrs of Compiègne, a group of 16 Discalced Carmelite nuns executed during the Reign of ...
Tara Ward wades bravely into one of the thorniest January questions: how late is too late to greet someone with a cheery ‘Happy New Year’? Every January, New Zealand faces a big problem. I’m not referring to penguins strolling into petrol stations or cranky seagulls eating your chips, but something ...
The proposed Bill cuts across existing and soon-to-be-implemented frameworks, including Part 4 of the Legislation Act 2019, which is slated to come into force next year, and will make sensible improvements to regulation-making. ...
http://i.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/6810936/Lawyer-named-Shearers-chief-of-staff
Fired. Shearer has fired Roberson’s plant in his office. Cameron was ‘gone by lunchtime ‘ yesterday.
Has Shearer finally worked out that his real enemy is poorly polling Wellington central mp?
“Has Shearer finally worked out that his real enemy is poor polling Welington central mp?”
Nope. His real enemy is his own incompetence as a political leader.
He needs to Fire himself.
Maybe a sex scandal can be arranged?
Where did you get this bit of news from ? I can’t find it on Scoop, Herald, Dom Post – so please elucidate.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10889121
John Armstrong has made a full on attack against Russel Norman and the Greens in todays Herald.
Obviously the Greens are starting to worry the National Party’s number 1 PR man.
Norman needs to continue to attack National FULL ON, he has my support 100%. In fact the more Armstrong complains the better, it just provides a gauge on how affective his attacks actually are.
+1
The Green Party Conference will not be televised
Despite the tight secrecy and media blackout that surrounded the Green Party AGM, details of what went on are starting to come out.
If what Armstrong reports is true;
Then it seems that this conference saw a steep reduction in the Greens inner party democracy. With the right to veto membership remits or amend them out of all recognition by the top table, power has been concentrated with the leadership. As well as this, the increased and complex bureaucracy imposed to make branch remits harder to put in the first place, will put a further crimp on the members ability to influence the direction of their party.
In my estimation these new rules to restrict inner party democracy are much tougher than those in the Labour Party. And though I am not as familiar with the remit procedures of the other parties, possibly every other parliamentary party as well.
Business As Usual will not be upset by upstart political parties.
Is this the beginning of the end for the Green Party?
weka has posited here, that it is a natural progression for political parties to become more corrupted as they become more mainstream. (Probably because of their greater attraction for careerists). I would go further and say that it is actually, not a natural progression at all, but a time honoured but still conscious process that protects privilege and power for a minority of elitist self servers from the threat inherent in democracy to challenge both, Privilege and Power and elitism.
I on the other hand argue that this degeneration is not inevitable at all.
But it seems the Green Party are determined not to learn from history and not resist the dilution of their inner party democracy, and their transformation into an autocratic top down traditional political organisation.
Personally I think this is a sad day for the Greens. And for our democracy in general. Not to mention the future of our civilisation, which could well hinge on whether leading political organisations can break away from the BAU model or not.
P.S. Suppressing inner party democracy has never succeeded in ending inner party political tensions. That they will break out into the open in some other form, and usually at the worst possible place and time is inevitable. The resulting inner party explosion/implosion, what ever form it takes, could well mark the end of the Green Party as a political force.
Game set and match for the establishment.
That you would take an article written by Armstrong of all people, as proof of the corruption of the GP, says alot about you Jenny.
I’d like to put my earlier comment in context. It’s not that the GP will inevitably become corrupt. It’s that parliament, as it is at this point in time, is a culture that demands certain behaviours. The very nature of the adversarial system is that it undermines creative solutions and co-operation. People who come into parliament as MPs (and I would guess this is true of staff too), have to adapt to the culture or they won’t fit in/be able to gain anything for their party. While I hope that the GP can influence that culture for the better, I’m not sure that it’s their job to transform it.
You look at people like Marilyn Waring, who got out early, and her contemporaries like Clark and Shipley, who stayed in. Waring once talked about what happened to women in parliament, the pressure to become something else. It was brutal. How do people survive that? Her contention was that some just get out, and those that stay get changed by the place. There is no way that Clark would have become PM if she hadn’t adapted in such a way as to be able to take power and use it.
Sad, but true. You can see manifestations of that brutality here on ts, where it tends to be cruelty, both to each other, and towards politicians. What this means is that only the tough survive, both here and in parliament. And thus we lose the more sensitive people who would probably bring much to the table.
Unless MPs are betraying their party, I think that we should be supporting them, and helping them find ways to survive the brutality as long as possible. They are doing us a service and should be acknowledged for that, not pilloried before they even get started (Jenny).
“I on the other hand argue that this degeneration is not inevitable at all.”
So tell use Jenny, how you think it can be avoided. Please give specific examples that work in the real world, not just your ideals.
The Green Party IMHO are set on a well worn course for destruction. The question is: How will they avoid the fate of the Maori Party and the Alliance before them?
First off the Green Party could announce that they will not go into coalition with any government that approves the Denniston Coal Mine or Deep Sea Oil Drilling off our coasts.
Which would most likely mean they don’t get to be part of govt. I’m asking you how GP MPs could be part of a NZ govt and not be changed by the experience.
First off the Green Party could announce that they will not go into coalition with any government that approves the Denniston Coal Mine or Deep Sea Oil Drilling off our coasts.
Secondly give the Labour Party Confidence and Supply.
If the Labour Party still want to proceed with wrecking the environment, the Greens need to let them know that they are on their own.
Simple, clear, direct, principled. This will future proof the Green Party. As the coal and extreme oil schemes go sour.
This question answers itself. The Green Party cannot be part of a government committed to Deep Sea Oil Drilling, and mining Denniston. And not be changed.
It’s happening already.
Mr Armstrong tries a long bow, and drops the arrow on his foot.
Would like to see a more sober account of the Green Party’s remit changes. But even the way it’s told by Armstrong, it doesn’t amount to anything like the anti-democratic practices of Key’s government or Muldoon.
So that means the vote was well over 75%?
And the “Green’s are thirsting for power”. …. who is using a less than measured tone there, Mr Armstrong, even as you blast Norman for the same, and ignore how much the right wing bloggers and Key use way less than measured tones when they launched the attack on the Greens?
The bleeting coming from Armstrong and others over Norman calling Key , Muldoon , could end up biting the right in the bum.
In over egging the situation , they’ve raise the bar , or at least drawn attention to the language used by politicians,
This could have a stifling effect on Key , who relies heavily on put downs, and negative name calling etc.
It’s very unlikely that party members voted to reduce the voice of their branches while strengthening the power of centralised control. Not saying it didn’t happen; its far more likely Armstrong has the wrong end of the stick.
GP members here: please confirm.
http://whoar.co.nz/2013/green-party-central-strips-away-power-from-green-party-branches-as-party-hierachy-tighten-their-control-pre-coalition-ed-but-hey-they-are-only-formalising-already-de-facto-means-of-control/
(excerpt:..”..so what will be changed..?..
..when it has always been thus in the green party..
..this is only formalising those de-facto power-realities..
..and as for party conferences being hotbeds of political/ideas-debate..?
..back then they were tightly controlled top-down-exercises..(with (now mp) delahunty being the enforcer of that control..)
..as with most/(all?) political conferences…the green party ones were also exercises in agenda-control/suppressing any dissent/idea-challenges..”)
..this is just an exercise in formalising the de-facto..
phillip ure..
Green Party members vote to curtail their democracy by 80%
80%?
80 percent support for a vote to limit inner party democracy. The sad thing about such votes, is that by their nature they can not be revisited.
But democracy is a funny thing, you suppress here, it pops up somewhere else, in some other form. Like that other great human impulse, it is as perennial as the grass.
And Armstrong is starting to come across a more than a little hysterical lately.
Now we just have to wait for the hysterical screeching of the Nats number one fan boy, Roughan.
Roughan represents the pits of print journalism in this country.
o’sullivan is also getting more and more ‘reds-under-beds!’ hysterical..
..her defence of key as not being muldoonist (published today) is to point at norman and go ‘nyah nyah..!..you are too..!’..
..the right seems to be getting more and more jangled..
..and what a stinking/corrupt govt this has become..
..dunne..and banks..
..and national/key knowing they probably won’t get back in again..
..are going gangbusters..
..stitching together all the dirty-deals they can..
..and key must be torn two ways at the moment..
..he is so bored/over it all..he must be dreading the long grind from now to election-time..
..he must want to go..
..but the other force is all that unfinished (privatisation/union-busting) business..
..which they have to cram /ram through between now and the next election..
..and tho’ that business-imperative is strong..
..i don’t think key is up personally for it all..
..a long/slow grind..to destination failure…
..that isn’t how key sees himself rolling..
..so those two pressures are grinding on key like clashing tectonic-plates..
..something’s gotta give..
..so i would still prepare for an early election..
..with maybe key not being there for that..
..phillip ure..
I read it as Key and co, knowing they will most likely lose the election, fucking things up as much as they can, and leaving the cupboard bare, so the incoming Government can change as little as possible.
There is however also the imperative to deliver as much of the “commons” to their corporate funders as possible, before they get voted out to secure their retirement funding.
The feather bedded directorships and sinecures they expect to get, with the private sector, as a reward for stealing from tax payers and wage earners.
Yep.
@kjt..re yr first paragraph..i don’t know if it is necessarily that..i think it is just them doing what they promised..
..(i mean..i mean..!..did the moronic component of that massive majority opposed to selling our power assets/means into foreign ownership..who voted for national..
..did they think key/national were just joshing when they promised to do just that..?
..how was that for an epic-disconnect..?..on the part of those asset-selling opposed/voting national moron-component..?)
..yr second paragraph i totally agree with..with labour as enmeshed in that corrupt revolving-door process as national..
..with the neo-lib/randite-apologist ex labour party president williams..being a textbook example of a revolving-door too many..
(if you doubt my assesment of williams..go to the radio new zealand archives..and pull up a couple of his recent appearances as .(wait for it!..)..a spokesperson for the left..(!)..)..(as someone else said:..’oh irony..!..thou art a harsh mistress..!’..)
..and looking back to the right-revolution..the then union uber-boss frantically/serially blinked..and just went and sat in the corner..as the right dismantled the welfare state/broke the union-movement..and he uttered not a whimper..
..(but he did do rather well out of it..like williams..seats on boards/honours etc..and both about as far from the shop-floor as you can get..)
..and the contrast with that union leader here of course is australia..
..where the union movement stood up and went ‘no yr fucken not..!’..
..(and what is the size of our wage-gap with aust..?…and growing..we are told..)
..that didn’t work out too well for us..did it..?..
..corruption takes many forms..it isn’t all envelopes stuffed with cash..slipped into pockets..
..our new zealand version is far more subtle..(sort of..)
..phillip ure..
+1
.. re williams
.. (completely, totally, utterly)
Scared, dogmatic, confused old man!
Interesting how there is liitle by way of useful disucussion, which comes from the NZH, while its no surprise, its become very transparent, that all the NZH has to offer, is proarchial support for the owners, chosen governmnent!
Its rather sad, to see society demoted to such a low level of, *informative debate*
Interesting also in how Armstrong is following the Lusk plan to pick up on and circulate propaganda begun on right wing blogs.
Very true, Karol.
Its the ,confuse, contain, control tactics geared up to prevent people from piecing together cogent views, and the decisions/actions, which might then follow changing view formation.
It genuinely sadens me, this country is under such a ferocious attack, which is even more powerful incentive to stay vigilant, and up to speed.
Its the primary reason I stay in touch sites such as this, for the angles/perspectives which don’t see the light of day elsewhere.
+1 Muzza
yes, I reckon that the NZH/Armstrong/O Sullivan et al are very effective at creating a support base for National that would be better off voting Left. When you look at Slane’s cartoon on another post here it actually reflects the truth, but National’s support base is much larger than the very small/elite group that benefit from their policies.
Actually the real damage is done by Radio stations like the Edge who insinuate the consumer culture into the young, invite Key along as their best mate etc.
This is where the dumbing down of society is occurring.
Probably a crosby textor strategy…
doesn’t match this though:
(^=^)
Get Hauraki and some Revolution Rock;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzZ6GsSpsUQ
and Rebel Waltz
Maybe someone paid Lusk to pay him.
Now we have cold war hysteria from Hooten about communists in the Greens. Its going to be one hell of an 18 months, with the Green party on the wrong end of it. Im pretty sure that Key might even try and ban them (like Australia did with their communist party in the 1950’s).
2014 is going to be an ugly election campaign. The neo-libs, god-botherers and RWNJs, along with the swivel-eyed loons are just getting warmed up.
Of course the very system that Dunne appears to have leaked a report on probably has records of Dunne’s emails but cannot release them because that would confirm what Dunne was trying to expose. Spy vs Spy here?
I’m inclined to agree with your theory Logie.
Dunne has been played. His vulnerability and vanity has been used to make him impotent!
The spy boys needed a fall guy, a distraction from the past screw ups and probably a third driver that has yet to appear.
Winston is probably being played too, amd perhaps a bit knowlingly…. He is always for sale.
And where has Shearer and Labour been in all this? AWOL
Robertson on TV this morning repeated “if I was Prime Minister” three times. What a fucking boffoon.
Are you being serious? You didn’t mean Ross Robertson by any chance?
Ross Robertson was able to build his electorate and party vote. Definitely not to be confused with the Wellington Central “Robertson”.
Possibly. But I also heard that there were fewer than 100 members in his electorate. Don’t know if that is accurate though.
If Dunne was trying to expose anything, that would be a valid reason to do what he has done. He has admitted several times that he has no good reason for what eventuated. Honey trapped buffoon who has far too many skeletons in his closet, absolutely . . . Valiant warrior battling evil, not so much.
On thursday June 5 weka and Jenny went toe to toe on how far the Green Party should be prepared to compromise to gain seats in a Labour led cabinet.
Pretty obvious in my opinion. *Maybe*. Especially in the euphoria of coalition talks post election.
If the Greens were willing to settle for a short term objective in lieu of something more substantive, then I think that Labour would happy to let them take the flak from the coasters. Labour MPs would undoubtedly prefer that Green MPs dissipated their political capital that way rather than in something more widespread like looking at the question of exploration and mining in conservation areas.
I’m not so sure the Greens membership would be that happy after spending decades to get MPs into cabinet to be that concerned with a single bauble rather than a policy shift.
Politics is the art of the possible and the careful use of painfully acquired political capital. I am pretty sure that was what was being discussed in the closed door sessions at the Greens conference last weekend.
Like the others, I am working during the week. Explaining politics 201 isn’t high on my priority queue.
So it is a *Maybe* from lprent.
Any other takers?
What do you think CV?
“Like the others, I am working during the week. Explaining politics 201 isn’t high on my priority queue.”
I just assumed that by the time the conversation got to that point, no-one else was reading.
“Politics is the art of the possible and the careful use of painfully acquired political capital.”
Nice. I might have to quote that.
I catch some of these older comments when I’m scanning for people talking to me. In this case the “lprent”.
You’re welcome to it. It is a paraphrase of something that I read or heard somewhere at some time. It is an accurate representation of the practice of politics.
How’s your pissing into the tent strategy working out Jenny?
Anyway: when it comes to issues of Labour coalition agreements, I don’t deal in hypotheticals.
One qualified maybe from lprent and a no-comment from Colonial Viper. It’s not looking good.
So how about you Te Reo Putake?
The question is; If the Green Party refuse to join any coalition which would approve the Denniston Coal Mine. Can you tell us, if that would be a hard thing for Labour to give up?
You’re not part of the Greens. You’re not part of Labour.
You have a real issue with being a self righteous and indignant busybody telling everyone else what they should be doing.
The discussion on The Nation over the International Transfer of Prisoners was interesting; NZ the only OECD country not a signatory, in fact, the parts of the world that are really only excluded Africa and parts of Asia in the main. It is not politically palatable it seems to have these folk repatriated to serve their sentences, particularly for those chasing the conservative vote as the cost to the tax-payer would be humungous; 850 serving time in Aus, just for starters; that would be around a Billion dollars for the first year for them to be imprisoned here.
Collins generalized that “they are drug dealers and rapists” (from the two featured) and that those in Aus had “lived all their lives there, paid there taxes there” blah blah. Aus keeps hitting NZ govt up about it. They are signatories
http://www.ag.gov.au/Internationalrelations/Internationalcrimecooperationarrangements/TransferOfPrisoners/Pages/default.aspx
Some under-arm return for not providing social security measures to kiwis over there. 😉
Anyway, these tory Ministers may have professions to there name yet they sure appear thick!
Next, a critique of the rise of the ‘victim’ culture; like monetary compensation is a reinforcer.
😀
NZ politicians, in general, have a super shit and 50 year outdated approach to Corrections.
“If the Green Party refuse to join any coalition which would approve the Denniston Coal Mine”
Wow, you really don’t get what a coalition is do you. Do you honestly think it’s about the GP throwing down demands?
Phoebe Fletcher makes an excellent point today on the Daily Blog: the media storm around Dunne’s resignation is diverting big time from the extremely worrying changes to the GCSB legislation.
Indeed, the deflective glare is strong, the focus , hard as it is in this country, must remain on the legislation, because the *grid*, is tightening its grip!
People think little to nothing, about smart meters, the UFB roll out etc, but these are part of the *grid*, and even now, privacy/freedom are concepts, relegated to the history books, never to be seen again, if people don’t get involved.
Agree about the GP. They’re at risk of overplaying their hand here.
There was some speculation on ts yesterday about why had Dunne actually resigned. Maybe this is it, he’s the diversion.
It occurs to me the latest blog post by Farrar is an outstanding example of how the government use him to try and control the media naarative. Effectively, he is trying to frame how the whole story around the demise of Dunne is told by lazy and/or time pressed journalists by providing in a nice, easy digestible format a whole narrative of the winners and losers. Very cunning, and highlights the lack of a comparable blog on the left.
I would contend that The Standard itself is a blog comparable in influence to Kiwiblog, and further that; The Daily Blog is a rapidly emerging foil to WhaleOil (that there’s some long standing rivalry between Bradbury and Slater has long been evident; even on Tumeke – I imagine it goes back to uni days if not before). Personally, I don’t read either of the RWNJ blogs – life’s too short. Plus Kiwiblog just makes me feel manipulated (DPF is certainly good at what he does!), while WhaleOil makes me feel unclean (though I did have a glance over on Queen’s birthday weekend to savour the panic).
That MSM journalists take their cues from Farrar and Slater probably has more to do with; editorial policies and lack of; time and resources, than; inaccesability of alternate viewpoints on the net.
Was the Dunne/Vance imbroglio a “honey trap” ( to quote an old cold war term )? And shouldn’t the morality and ethics of that be discussed? Admittedly for Herald and Dominion journalists they are almost certainly really big words they would need to look up.
No. An old guy with an unrequited woody for a younger woman does not constitute a “honey trap”.
Millhouse noted this last night.
In the UK they are seeing the implications of American big business being able to control politicians and the internet.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-alist-conspiracy-did-hollywood-tell-obama-to-take-down-internet-entrepreneur-kim-dotcom-8648426.html
Corporate-Political influence in the US is really fubar. It is a broken system. It actively encourages companies to hire people whose only job is to stand in a queue and hold that place until the salaried lobbyist shows up to tell the pretzel-spined politicians exactly what they are doing with their votes that day. We have our problems in NZ but we are not quite that far gone and I like to think we can resist a whilst longer.
On The Nation just now we saw Winston Peters making another series of accusations – that the Dunne emails also contained leaks of other information apart from the GCSB report, and that because of the nature of the leak (effectively a top secret document with limited “eyes only” distribution) the government came under pressure from our ECHELON allies to find out who the potential spy was. Peters also was unequivocally able to state they contained personally embarassing stuff on Dunne. Of course, Peters could be bluffing, but in this case I think he has clearly seen the unedited emails. So, where did Peters get those?
Looks like the GCSB stitiched up Dunne to placate our allies concern over the leak, which raises yet more thorny questions about an agency that has clearly (Kim Dotcom, illegal spying, Dunne) gone rogue. Who is the master of this country, the GCSB (who can clearly access and leak anything about anyone who threatens their mana) or the politicians? Because at the moment, it looks like the spies are getting the politicians to dance to their tune.
I wonder what they said to John Key to ensure the Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill was to their liking?
PS I was astonished at how inept Rachel Smalley’s performance was. There was Winston Peters dangling all sorts of juicy tidbits – shadowy foreign pressure to find the leaker, additional sectet material being leaked – she relentless stuck to the pre-scripted panty-sniffing line about trying to find out if Dunne wanted to be a tampon, or something.
Sanctuary – The *presenters*, are simply there to ensure the narrative is controlled, and it is, by the producers.
No need to be astonished, this is what the MSM is designed to do, except that sadly its seems in NZ, we have plumbed even lower depths.
Smalley, not all that long ago had some promise, but over the past 3-6 months, she has become as debased, as the like of Corin Dann, and the other puppets!
Muzza – All fucking talk no fucking facts.
The media repeat what they are told to write. Everyone with a modicum of curiosity and critical thinking cano see that.
You want evidence TC? Iraq and WMD.
My question to you.
Why are you such a relentless defender of the corporate elite?
“My question to you.
Why are you such a relentless defender of the corporate elite?”
Sorry to answer a question with a question but “Huh?”
“Everyone with a modicum of curiosity and critical thinking cano see that.”
Critical thinking =/= believing anything based purely on your say so.
Facts, references, cites and evidence. Please provide,
The media copied the story told them about Iraq having WMD
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3036750/ns/msnbc-documentaries/vp/50736581
Can be sourced in multiple places………
Why do you defend the elite?
Pointing out stupid conspiracy fallacies =/= Defending the elite
If you look at your posts that is not what you do on this site…….
But at least I don’t make completely erroneous statements about imaginary foes based purely on ill informed rhetoric gleaned from conspiracy sites and crank doctors.
Is that, really how you see yourself bro?
“Is that, really how you see yourself bro?”
No, it’s how I see you.
TC, can you point to the conspiracy sites, which I personally , have linked to on here, you have a problem with.
If you can locate any such links, give your reasoning, why you have a problem, and try to avoid becoming a parody of your handle name, in the process, eh!
Think you can manage all that?
Hey muzza,
facts?
TC – You making it personal now bro?
So agressive, and angry sounding, you taking anything to manage it?
I’d suggest avoiding alcohol!
It’s just my Morgellons acting up again.
Things are getting interesting across the Tasman Ditch ..
“Rudd blitz begins as host of Labor MPs back a national tour”
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/rudd-blitz-begins-as-host-of-labor-mps-back-a-national-tour/story-fnii5s3y-1226659596090
and
http://news.google.com.au/news/rtc?ncl=dpBheRHTARv3I4MW21X_3qszqa4GM&topic=h&ar=1370645967
You can’t believe a thing you read in Murdoch’s rags. The Guardian, which has just started up in Oz, contains a lot less fantasy. According to Murdoch, they might as well save money and not even have the election because Abbott has already won in a landslide. I hope not, because while Gillard is about as left as Key, Abbott makes John Banks look balanced.
Yeah, but who’s laughing right now ?
http://www.smh.com.au/national/rudd-backers-frolic-as-pm-loses-her-grip-20130607-2nviv.html
Probably Gina Stoneheart, at anyone who thinks the Fairfax media isn’t just a crude big mining propaganda bulletin.
Did I get it right?
.. and in Ye Olde Countrie
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2013/06/lord-ashcroft-we-cant-afford-to-waste-another-six-months.html
Canada: undemocratic political behaviour of a petrostate
Colonel Viper . Thanks for that link to Andrew Nikifororuk on the characteristics of a Petro State.
Suddenly it all becomes explainable. With fracking and oil drilling in the offing in the Canterbury Basin both on land and at sea…. and the strange undemocratic manoeuverings of the National Government eg.
* extensive GCSB powers to spy on ordinary NZers,
* outlawing of environmental protest where it affects economic corporate activity( whether this be harmful for NZers environment or not),
* promotion of education dumbing down and no standards for charter schools ( undermining a fine NZ education tradition of egalitarian , high quality , state funded , secular education, which promotes critical thinking and scholarship for all)
* ousting of the democratically elected Environment Canterbury away from Cantabrians’ voting control and into the hands of National Government appointed commissioners.
* the prolonged state of emergency in Christchurch and power and control wrested away from the City Council and Christchurch residents.
All NZers should watch this video and be warned of what could be in store!
see more on Petrostates in the ‘Slane sums up’ thread.
Interesting interviews on Radionz today. The last one was from Jaron Lanier who explains how he changed his mind about making the web accessible and free to all, as he now sees that the benefits of this are being scooped up by those with the biggest computers. And lots more of intelligent stuff.
He is great to listen to, a lively speaker and thinker and a great laugh. Still with a sense of humour, someone to treasure and pay attention to.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thiswayup
(Who Owns the Future – book)
Jaron Lanier radionz 1.40pm Sat 8/6
Lanier is a miserable whiney bore who is just pissy that the web has left him behind and his precious digital utopia never came about because people would rather watch porn and exchange recipies for meatloaf.
he makes shitty tunes too.
Excellent Gingerbread recipe;
-cream butter and sugar
-add 1 egg
-add molasses
-add flour, baking soda, salt
-add cloves, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, grated lemon.
Mix
Chill
Roll into a log on gladwrap (or generic).
Bake at 180 Degrees celsius, 15-20 minutes.
😀
A free colostomy bag if you can spot what’s wrong with this sentence…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8771257/Slip-victims-Where-did-the-water-come-from
Neighbours with different street names, but looking on map it appears they are on a corner.
or, the article attributes wrong houses to these residents i.e. : Gavin Formans’ house is in Breton Gr.
If I’m correct, you can keep the bag.
I feel for the family without insurance in this very sad event.
Sadly, and indicative of shitty journalistic standards…but no
the clue is in the bag 🙂
And at this point I have to say I’m not ‘highly confident’ about this claim:
I’m thinking that Mr Michael’s staff may have indeed found a hairline crack on the Friday night, but they’ve missed, or are covering up for something much larger. Much better for the man to have withheld comment until all the evidence was in. Because at this early stage such an unsupported claim just looks horribly self-serving.
I concur…
Oh for an Oxford comma or two
I wouldn’t want my family to be evacuated in a landslip. The house we were in ?…sure, but damned if i’m gonna let a team suck the shit out of me and mine in an emergency.
another example of the lack of subeditors.
Hay, Clover, name-checked your worthy self in the ‘Slane sums up’ thread. Bah, Hmmm.
-Bug
good cartoon, but the comments seem to be a bit earnest for my current mood.
Weekend Blues (Sunday afternoon on Bay FM). 😀
nah – more enjoying a quiet day without too much thought. Busy week.
mindfulness (or a wee dram). Better go “cook tea” now (before witnessing all the wasted human life (fatalities, local and international) on the box.).
Kind regards, bet it was a cold week down there too.
Daytime TV Review
Three Wise Men discuss “Relationship Woes”
Hands up all those who cannot abide Willie Jackson!
Okay, okay, but first I need to tell you something about a program he featured on the other day….
Good Morning, TV1, 9:10 a.m., Tuesday 4 June 2013
Relationship Woes, a Men’s Panel discussion featuring Wallace Chapman, Miles Davis and Willie Jackson
Trashy television has its charms. Take TV1’s ailing Good Morning program, for instance. Last year, host Jeanette Thomas got hypnotized on air, performed the haka, conducted an imaginary orchestra with a raw chicken, tried to seduce Tom Cruise and had a go at pole dancing. And all of that happened in just one morning’s episode. Over the years, one of the perverse highlights, or lowlights, for this writer, i.e. moi, was watching the perplexed, slightly hostile look on the dial of macho man Brendon Pongia as Steve Gray gave his movie reviews.
Despite all this top quality entertainment, however, Good Morning has been cursed with low ratings, and as a result it has been cut back this year from three hours to just one—from 9 to 10 o’clock.
Today the coiffured blond host, whose name I could not ascertain even after extensive hunting, introduced a semi-serious panel discussion, about Relationship Woes. The three “talents” chosen for the task were lovable and impish professional boy-man Wallace Chapman, professional cheeky cockney chappy Miles Davis, and professional cheeky Maori fulla Willie Jackson.
Here are the highlights…..
MILES DAVIS: You have to admit that ninety-nine per cent of the time the woman is the one in the right.
WALLACE CHAPMAN: Yeah, but you don’t want to be a male doormat.
MILES DAVIS: [accentuating the East End wide-boy accent] I’m no’ a doormat.
………
WILLIE JACKSON: Ya see, the problem with you Wallace is, it’s all academic, it’s all P.C. with you. You can’t solve relationships with an academic approach and it’s SHOCKING really.
WALLACE CHAPMAN: [diffidently and sensitively] I-I-I-I…
MILES DAVIS: Talk to us, Wozza!
HOST: We’re going to continue our debate on relationships and the blame game with THESE GUYS, after THIS.
……….
Shark Steam Mop advert….
WOMAN: What?!!??!? Nine ninety-nine?!!!!??!?? You’ve gone MAD!!!!
MAN: I’ve gone C-R-R-RAAAZY!
……….
BLOND HOST: Well, we’re back with the Men’s Panel discussing Relationship Woes. Wallace, you were talking about your kayaking session.
Wallace Chapman embarks on a long and terribly dull story about going kayaking with his family. Nothing at all seems to have happened, but apparently it was very important for strengthening his family relationships. At least that’s what he reckons. After he finishes talking, there is a long awkward silence….
HOST: That’s it?
WILLIE JACKSON: Terrible story.
MILES DAVIS: Ha ha ha ha ha!
…….
Later on, Miles Davis talks about how it is possible to argue constructively with one’s wife or partner. This attempt at sensitivity is quickly scotched by Willie Jackson, who has no patience for such displays of SNAGgery….
WILLIE JACKSON: It just gets WORSE!!!! Next thing you’re into a PUNCH-UP!!!!!
Jackson’s main gig these days is the Radio Live program he hosts with the equally erudite John Tamihere. Several years ago, Willie and JT had dwarf-boxing impesario Dean Lonergan on to talk sensitively and learnedly on the subject of marital infidelity. Both Deano and JT made it clear that there was no excuse for violence against any woman, even if one came home one day midway through the afternoon to find her in bed with, say, half the ACT caucus. Willie Jackson, though, was having none of that P.C. nonsense. “If I found out that my missus was fooling around on me,” he said, with quiet sincerity, “I’d put a knife through her heart.”
This shocked even the crass and offensive Lonergan, who felt moved to remonstrate: “I think that’s going a bit far, mate.”
Willie didn’t back down an inch, however. “Nah, nah, nah—don’t give me THAT,” he said, without even a hint of his usual playfulness. “I would. I would put a knife through her heart. I WOULD.”
JT snorted sardonically and laughed, “You’re a mongrel, Willie, a mongrel.”
All right, you can put your hands down now.
interestingly, I have an aquaintence (aquainted with his whanau as well) and he did take a tomahawk to the man, in bed with his wife; 4 years later, upon release, no wife. sigh, was getting muscle fatigue keeping my arm up.
Blinking hell, ghostrider! Can you spin that out into a dramatic reconstruction for us? It sounds like a riveting story.
sigh, I do have a volume or three of actual / factual stories to tell, I know, as many of us do; fortunately, or other wise, many of them are memorable, yet Robert Plant (another Rock god) advised to keep on rolling and resist writing a book…and I DO NOT YET OWN A WORKING COMPUTER OF MY OWN…yet when it does happen, it could be a lot worse than a hybrid of The Bone People and Tough Guys Don’t Dance with a little Child In Time wound in. 😉 yeeha!
Al-Qaeda, and post-Assad Syria
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10889164
and from the Business desk;
the diluting of the Infant Formula brand
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10889176
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business-editors-picks/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501981&objectid=10889015 (greed cannot help itself. a New Image? Don’t think so Murry).
“Farming the Elderly”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10889082
(retirement eats capital).
Chocolate Aeroplane 😉 wings
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10889079
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10889128
(price-fixing).
Fonterra share, unit prices, shake-up.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/agriculture/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=10888777
(spilt milk).
LIARS OF OUR TIME
No. 18: Ant Strachan
“It’s all about defence! Y’ know, the All Blacks won the World Cup in 2011 because of their outstanding defence!”
—Ant Strachan, Radio Sport, 75 minutes into the New Zealand-France friendly, Saturday 8 June 2013
See also….
No. 17: Stephen Franks: “Peter has been such a level-headed, safe pair of hands.
No. 16: Phil Kafcaloudes: “Tony Abbott…hasn’t made any mistakes over the past eighteen months”
No. 15: Donald Rumsfeld: “I did not lie… Colin Powell did not lie.”
No. 14: Colin Powell: “a post-9/11 nexus between Iraq and terrorist organizations…connections are now emerging…”
No.13: Barack Obama: “Simply put, these strikes have saved lives.”
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-27052013/#comment-638881
No. 12: U.K. Ministry of Defence: “Protecting the Afghan civilian population is one of ISAF and the UK’s top priorities.”
No. 11: Brendan O’Connor: “Australia’s approach to refugees is compassionate and generous.”
No. 10: Boris Johnson: “Londoners have… the best police in the world to look after us and keep us safe.”
No. 9: NewstalkZB PR dept: “News you NEED! Fast, fair, accurate!”
No. 8: Simon Bridges: “I don’t mean to duck the question”
No. 7: Nigel Morrison: “Quite frankly, they’ve been VERY tough.”
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-15052013/#comment-633295
No. 6: NZ Herald PR dept: “Congratulations—you’re reading New Zealand’s best newspaper.”
No. 5: Rawdon Christie: “…a FORMIDABLE replacement, it seems, is Claudette Hauiti.” http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13052013/#comment-632594
No. 4: Willie and J.T.: “The X-Factor. Nah, nah, there’s some GREAT talent there!”
No. 3: John Key: “Yeah we hold MPs to a higher standard.”
No. 2: Colin Craig: “Oh, I have a GREAT sense of humour.”
No. 1: Barack Obama: “Margaret Thatcher was one of the great champions of freedom and liberty.”
I just hope that tomorrow (Sun) someone puts up an interesting enough post or two that we can stop talking about fluoridation and conspiracy theories :-/