Here we go again. Goebbels would have been proud of the propaganda effort.
Chemical attack witnessed by the ‘heroic’ White Helmets, whose word is accepted unequivocally by the lapdog western media, prompting Trump to say there is going to be a big price to pay.
More rushing to judgement over Russia.
The western public has already been softened up with lies about spies. They’ve been primed to blame Russia and its dastardly leader Putin.
Looks like the western establishment including its propaganda arm of the media is gunning for war.
Francesca was bullied off this site by your aggressive treatment of her.
I know you do not share my opinion on this and other matters.
I do not think this gives you the right to stalk every post I write with insults and aggression.
I am wearying of your constant bully boy approach.
I’ve no doubt OABs commenting behaviour ‘helped’ Francesca decide to take to the garden and what not for a time. And there was Lynn’s unnecessarily rude moderating comment to her.
Lynn does that.
But OAB is hanging by the tenderest of threads. He knows this, but oddly just carries on with the same derailing, snarking and bullying – which I find interesting to observe.
Maybe today’s the day the boredom sets in and the 1 month ban lands. Could be tomorrow or the next day. Might be one comment away.
Or then again, OAB might just cut the crap. Who knows?
OAB has been shredding his own credibility in an obnoxious way for a while now.
I to used to be a real aggressive arsehole on the internet …. before I wised up a bit.
Going back and reading old arguments I’d had …. made me realise I came across as much the same prick as those pricks I was arguing with.
So I started making changes ….. and I’m still evolving my techniques against trolls and others.
Now when I make a post / point of view, I log out, and perhaps write the next piece of information I want to put up.
This stops me getting involved with the ‘snarks’., …. which is a derail from the point of view I’m trying to put across. They are ego baiting. I try to leave my ego off the table .
I write for the people I’m not arguing with.
I also find it helps to view trolls as Dick Picks …. which allows me to treat them with the seriousness which they deserve,… as even a pack attack by a bunch of penises is laughable to me …. bunt away boys.
I’m not saying OAB is a troll ….. but he’s starting to display a few to many of their symptoms and he’s letting himself down.
He’s obviously quite intelligent …. but imparts so little information … and is obsessed over some things ….. Ed being one of them.
Yo Assad, you just secured 90% of E. Ghouta. You’ve surrounded the last town, you have overwhelming military force and are negotiating surrender. What’s next ? Assad: launch a chemical attack of no tactical significance to provoke international outrage & military intervention against me.
I think this latest attack holds to a pretty consistent pattern from that tyrant Assad. It goes: warn everyone on the ground that the rebels will raise a false flag operation about a chemical warfare attack. Do the attack. Then before enough good evidence has been raised by the incoherent international community, strike somewhere else.
The outrage economy moves on to another town.
Makes perfect sense in the calculus of Assad, Vladimir Putin, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They want first and foremost to subdue the remaining rebels in Syria, specifically several million people remaining in rebel-held Idlib province. Give them all fear enough to dissuade any later opposition once the war is over. And second, outflank Trump and the outrage machine, just as they did with Obama.
Obama was humiliated in August 2013 when he changed his mind about his “red line”. Box America and you neutralise Saudi Arabia, and then the entire floor is yours to lay waste with.
Bold tactic – then and now – from the leading three countries, and its still working.
So the chemical weapons factories in Ghouta (replete with instructions for manufacturing various compounds and delivery mechanisms) are just for show?Or the first hand reports are lies, and the accompanying photographs false? Or (perhaps) the entire set up is a hastily cobbled together stage set that the SAA constructed for the benefit of gullible journalists?
I’ll have to go with that (or similar).
Because the only sensible explanation is that an army on the cusp of victory, and that has tasked itself with evacuating civilians to safety while giving terrorists the option of surrender or free passage would deploy chemical weapons on civilians, and thus prevent themselves from making any kind of rapid advance on the ground.
Oh. And obviously they are feeling six foot tall and bulletproof and positively relishing the prospect of being treated as monstrous pariahs down through the coming years – what with all the additional sanctions that will no doubt be landed (such fun!) and the continued illegal presence by armed forces of the countries they are guaranteed to piss off should they deploy chemical weapons….
Yup. Them’s is just belligerent and mad. No accounting for that ME mind set. No siree.
Far be it from me to discern the motivations of those three tyrants from Iran, Russia, and Syria. It’s not an easy mental space for me to get into.
From their last five years of evidence , I don’t think they give a flying fig about their international reputation or their historical Wikipedia profiles. Trump, not they, are subject to the power of a free media, so once they have neutralised him into his own whirlpool of rage-media cycle, and show that the United States has everything to gain by retreating and withdrawing, the ground is theirs again, unimpeded.
That is now what they have done.
Trump has signalled full withdrawal.
Ghouta’s ceasefire and rebel withdrawal is confirmed.
And the signal that US withdrawal gives Assad, Putin, and Khamenei is that they and Turkey can now go after the entire Kurdish territory and people unimpeded.
The result will be as big as the Armenian genocide of a century ago, and it will occur within this year. Now there is no level of international outrage to stop them.
So those three tyrants care about nothing except eradicating Syrian opposition, and inciting terror without measure is the fastest way they have of ensuring submission.
With Saudi Arabia and the United States retreating fully to the Gulf, Syria is now in the control of Russia and Iran, and they don’t care if it is rubble and choking on chlorine gas.
At least the region can look forward to a period without thousands of hooded murderers in Toyotas freely roaming the country cutting people’s heads off.
Can’t believe Bolton’s first day as National Security Advisor will be to objectively assess whether Assad used chemical weapons in Douma as alleged and to recommend an appropriate response
He came to my office and said: ‘You have to resign and I give you 24 hours, this is what we want. You have to leave, you have to resign from your organization, director-general.'”
Bustani said he “owed nothing” to the US, pointing out that he was appointed by all OPCW member states. Striking a more sinister tone, Bolton said: “OK, so there will be retaliation. Prepare to accept the consequences. We know where your kids are.”
Yup I’m hearing you there One Two. And while news networks are arguing the politics of the matter, the public doesn’t even know what or who to believe anymore and on the ground, people are dying, who is helping them?
Where’s the truth and where’s the freaking teleporter? I’d be there in a heartbeat.
I’d suggest believing the people who report from Syria, those who have reported from Syria from the beginning of the war. Those who talk to citizens, army officers and politicians and those who actually live in Syria.
People such as Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, Tim Hayward, Fares Shehabi, Janice Kortkamp, Ahmad Al-Issa, Tom Duggan there are many others
In Ahmad Al-Issa ‘s twitter feed he reports on the recent evacuation of Ghouta.
Tom Duggan has been in Ghouta recently and reports via facebook.
Assuming there was use of chemical weapons as detailed by the reports out of the hospitals in the area where do you believe they came from and what do you believe is being covered up ?
None of which will be of any interest to the Syrian citizens who are being slaughtered of course.
Assumption is the mother of all wars ‘Stunned mullet’;
Remember the assumptions we all made after those allegations against Saddam were made by these same media ‘reports we heard over and over that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction?
All made clear according to President Bush and UK PM Tony Blair duo, so don’t assume anything sunshine if you don’t want World War three as some appear to be begging for.
Nowhere in that article is there any mention of anyone threatening WWIII for criticising “the Kremlin”. In fact, the fear expressed in the article is that with Trump’s election “Germans advocating strategic neutrality will gain credibility”.
And I love the kicker you swiped from your quote. In full, it reads –
Similarly apocalyptic rhetoric, evocative of the 1980s anti-nuclear movement (itself heavily influenced by the KGB and East German secret police) inculcates the idea that confronting Russia is dangerous.
I mean, I dunno. Have you ever thought of sending a wee CV off to the NSA or some such to see if you can get paid for this warping of discussion and pushing of thinly veiled propaganda that seems to be your “thing” these days?
this notion of “peace” permits Russia to act as it likes in its “near abroad” without consequence.
I’m not convinced that the KGB and Stasi had that much of an influence on the anti-war movement of the 1980s. The argument outside the parentheses stands on its own.
Again, you rip away context in your partial quoting and present a bullshit statement.
The full quote.
As was the case during the Cold War, when Western “peace” movements urged unilateral disarmament, this notion of “peace” permits Russia to act as it likes in its “near abroad” without consequence.
Apart from Afghanistan I’m struggling to think of any invasion by the USSR during the Cold War.
It’s pretty rabid liberal interventionism that would position peace as the enemy and suggest peace has a track record on that front – as that article does.
Apart from Afghanistan I’m struggling to think of any invasion by the USSR during the Cold War.
The statement (about the Kremlin acting as it likes) could just as easily refer to the consequences for countries or citizens who disagreed with the status quo in the USSR. Prague Spring, gulags and so-forth. All that Orwellian stuff.
“Liberal interventionism” is a good comparison. I don’t recall anyone ever suggesting that if I criticised the USA’s nuclear missile proliferation, their dirty wars in Central or South America, their wars of aggression in Asia, or any of the other things I’ve observed about their foreign policy, that doing so made me a warmonger.
Amnesty International also stands up to bullies, including the ones in the Kremlin, sometimes at great personal cost to its employees. That doesn’t make them warmongers either.
Embrace notions of peace and you’ll soon find yourself exposed to subversive ideas such as “no justice, no peace”, and then the idea that “confronting [the Kremlin] is dangerous” might not seem quite so palatable.
So lets all tool up, be fearful and suspicious, and knock seven shades of shit out anyone and everyone who just might knock seven shades of shit out of us…which by that mind set is absolutely every one.
Where do you get these ideas from? Certainly not me.
[And gone. One month. I warned you many, many times between your last ban and now. But I’ve indulged your various varieties of bullshit for long enough now – it just got too tedious.] – Bill
Are you asking whether I criticised them? Have a bleedin’ guess.
When I called them war criminals, I don’t recall you saying that meant I wanted WWII, but now I criticise the Kremlin and that’s exactly the accusation you’re levelling.
Was it really your intention to portray Putin et al as so thin-skinned?
I asked a simple question – if there has been yet another instance of the use of chemicals as weapons which certainly appears to be the case with now multiple reports, where did the weapons come from and what is being covered up as alluded to by OneTwo.
It’s a stretch to assign sarin manufacturing capacity to ISIS (or any of the other ragtag semi-islamist groups). Not everyone could make it in their basement even if they had the precursors. And the US would have become a target – it wasn’t Assad that moved them out of Mosul.
Assad’s forces did possess substantial stocks however – and didn’t acquire them by accident. The irregular forces have not been proven to possess them at all. A decent rule of thumb might be to look at the victims – if it were Syrian armed forces the irregulars would be plausible assailants. The convenience of claiming multiple labs wherever Syrian forces kill ‘rebels’ however, is stretching plausibility to breaking point. Only uncritical swallowers of Russian and Syrian propaganda will continue to swallow such self-serving nonsense.
Chlorine is still available. It’s used to make water potable. It was also used in WWI in trench warfare. Creates respiratory problems. I’m sure the necessary inventiveness to produce such a bane would easily be in the repertoire of urban fighters with much to avenge. And a career to develop.
Civilian population is not in prime health after months of restricted diet, prolonged fear, and aerial attacks.
It doesn’t have to have been Assad. There are enough crazies in the area to create a large list of possible villains for the deed.
And Assad would never do anything like that – the tonnes of nerve gas he had acquired by 2014 in no way indicate a willingness to use them. He must’ve been a collector eh.
I wonder at what point Assad supporters will repent their increasingly desperate rationalizations.
Thing is Stuart, I’ve explained it to you more than once now, and you continue to ignore what I’ve said…
You’ve taken a side based on whatever twisted variables contruct the narratives in your own mind….and can’t seem to comtemplate making adjustments despite decade after decade of naked propganda…
I’ve not taken a side, and because I don’t take sides, I can evaluate extended periods of time lapsed propaganda exposures aligned against events and outcomes without prejudice…
Meanwhile you keep repeating ad nauseum your bias, while convincing yourself that I’ve on-boarded a view counter to yours…
Come on man…you need a long hard look in the mirror…it’s not good enough in this day and age to be at such a low level..
I assume you’re an adult…
I’ll leave you to it for good from now on, as I strongly suspect you have some other issues going on…
Unpleasant as it is, Syria in line with many other non-nuclear states, manufactured and stockpiled the “poor man’s” nuclear deterrent – chemical and/or biological agents.
So yes. A “collector” in much the same way as nuclear nations “collect” nuclear weapons.
Israel’s next door, y’know?
As for why (I’ll use the term beloved by western media outlets) rebels would have chemical weapons factories in Ghouta (as reported by fairly reliable non-mainstream media), well….
And why would terrorists who are getting huge amounts of support from the west, target the west with chemicals designed to aid in the overthrow of the Syrian government? (By encouraging military intervention to stop the country’s army that’s on the cusp of victory deploying chemicals in order to delay and possibly jeapordise its own imminent victory over terrorists in the country)
You’ve still got a problem explaining why Syria, which is known to have them, and which UN bodies at least are persuaded have used them, aren’t using them, while irregular forces who don’t have them are supposed to have so many labs that the ‘poor’ Russians can’t seem to drop a bomb without supposedly hitting one.
Syria destroyed its chemical weapons stockpile during Obama’s presidency.
And I’m only aware of one occasion when Russia claimed it had hit a chemical weapons factory operated by the terrorists.
Meanwhile, in Ghouta, Beeley claims CNN reporters were with her on the ground at the site of a chemical factory formerly operated by terrorists, but that they didn’t report on it.
(I linked her article somewhere on the thread and someone else did too)
You do have to wonder at all those allegations being leveled at the Syrian government by governments with no presence in the area, aye?
I mean, even if there were chemical attacks, how would the US, UK, France and the other complainants, who funnily enough all want the Syrian government overthrown and replaced, know about them?
Maybe the rebels tell them, except, as is becoming ever more clear, there are no rebels – just terrorists.
So the terrorists tell them. And that opens its own can of worms for “our” governments irrespective of who launched what chemical attack (assuming they all actually took place).
There seem to be several claims: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39500947
Russia, which has carried out air strikes in support of President Assad since 2015, said the Syrian air force had struck Khan Sheikhoun “between 11:30am and 12:30pm local time” on 4 April, but that the target had been “a large terrorist ammunition depot” on its eastern outskirts. http://21stcenturywire.com/2018/04/08/syria-the-egregious-western-media-chemical-weapon-fraud-in-eastern-ghouta/
Terrorist Chemical Weapon Capability in Eastern Ghouta.
Journalist and geopolitical analyst, Sharmine Narwani, was in liberated Eastern Ghouta a few weeks ago when a Chemical Weapons laboratory was discovered in the farmlands between between Shifouniyeh and Douma. Narwani comments on the western media “disinterest” in this discovery: https://www.rt.com/op-ed/421515-ghouta-syria-chemical-weapons/
Terrorist capabilities laid bare in an Eastern Ghouta chemical lab
I’m not for a second suggesting there have been no chemical weapons deployed in Syria
.
Strange how the oppositionterrorists only ever seem to gas themselves with their super secret stockpiles of chemical weapons, yet never use them against the regime or Russian and Iranian forces.
Well, no. That’s not correct. There have been allegations of chemicals being used against SAA soldiers.
And no terrorist uses chemicals against themselves. But they do have large captive civilian populations, many of who don’t or wont “convert” and willingly acquiesce to Sharia Law.
And no terrorist uses chemicals against themselves
.
Apparently this mob spent weeks negotiating terms acceptable to them and their families, softened themselves up with an alleged gas attack and then threw in the towel and accepted the opposition’s terms.
.
AMMAN: Fighters in the last opposition-controlled city in East Ghouta reached a deal with Russian negotiators on Sunday to evacuate with their families, one rebel official told Syria Direct, after intense bombardment and a reported chemical attack killed at least 225 civilians over the weekend.
Under the reported agreement, all rebel fighters with the Jaish al-Islam faction in Douma city and any civilians wishing to leave are to evacuate the eastern Damascus suburbs for opposition-held northwestern Syria in coming days, a member of the faction’s media office told Syria Direct on Sunday.
The media official requested that his name not be published, as he spoke to Syria Direct without authorization from Jaish al-Islam, which has not officially announced an evacuation deal.
Syrian and Russian state media both reported that a deal was reached on Sunday for rebels to evacuate Douma. Russia is a longtime backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and was a party to recent negotiations with rebel factions in East Ghouta.
For weeks, Jaish al-Islam has maintained that it would not accept any agreement with Russia or the Syrian government that included the evacuation of fighters from Douma.
According to a site called “Syria Direct” from Yale University. That’s slightly unfair perhaps – it’s coming out of Jordan. But the Managing Director, Justin Schuster, is from Yale.
I don;t know the site Joe. But a very quick look and I see headlines about “rebels” and mention of government reprisals for anyone moving to government areas.
And for now, I’m just going to say that flies in the face of what on the ground independent journalists are saying.
But I do like to see sources – which your ‘heroes’ don’t seem to like to use. And I’m quite familiar with disinformatsia, which you either don’t know about, or don’t care about.
Uncritically embracing sites like MOOA, RT, Globalresearch, and folk like Murray or Beeley, won’t get you much closer to the truth – it just gives you a different set of lies.
Which you seem to swallow like an eight year old. Which leaves you some way short of being convincing.
There are reports of chemical weapons manufacturing ‘factories’ being found in Ghouta. Apparently one journalist present worked for CNN, (Frederick Pleitgen, his camerawoman and a translator) but well, they omitted that detail from the live report for the network.
In tandem with that Vanessa Beeley (whose first hand reports from Syria have been pretty well on the mark even if her overarching political philosophy is questionable) reports that an estimated 3 500 civilians have been incarcerated by Jaish Al Islam in Ghouta.
Here’s the link to her piece that includes the reference to CNN.
Makes sense to me that ISIS remnants would perpetrate this atrocity as a last-ditch propaganda attack on Damascus. The problem is I can also see Assad doing it again, too.
Anyone who would do it once, or even plan for it in the first place (cf: the “Syrian Center of Environmental Protection Problems”) is already beyond the bounds of sense or decency, so expecting them to start behaving reasonably is a stretch.
ISIS are no better. Either party could be responsible for an attack like this.
“Obama was given a nobel peace prize moments after taking office”
A slight exaggeration One Two. It was actually about eight and a half months. It certainly felt like the way you describe it though. I can only think of one reason they gave him the award. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html
He wasn’t George W Bush and the Norwegian Nobel Committee really hated George. Obama certainly hadn’t done anything, at least at that stage, to deserve it.
Trevvy reporting”new fuel tax” as an apocalypse. Can’t bring myself to read the article yet. Can’t wait for her to write a real news column. New revelations on Pike River Mine for one. Middlebrow Hospital for another. Camp Burnham as well. Umm, EQC debacle. Shame on you Brownies. Should go and read it now, it might be a truly unbiased revelation.
Poor old Mike is going to have to pay more for his coffee so workers on minimum wages have a better chance of feeding themselves and their kids.
Poor Mike.
The government is a huge market force. The ability to make laws and regulations is very influential. In NZ (iirc) they’re also the largest employer in the country.
Hosking’s saying “you can’t dip your toe in the water” to someone who’s already in the bath.
You’re probably right. So, we have to get rid of the failed experiment called capitalism as it obviously can’t support society at all as an economic system is supposed to do.
Have to say I’d think twice about getting in the way of “a half a ton of angry pot-roast”. Not saying he did the right thing, more like I might well make the same mistake. Mind you I haven’t got bull-bars.
Farmer should have had people there so ultimately it’s on them. But it does sound like a bunch of people who had no idea how to be in/around cattle, doing stupid shit*. We share the road with farmers. Would the cyclists have done that in a paddock of cattle? Then why do it on the road?
I’ve seen a farmer come up behind me when I’ve slowed for cattle on the road, pass me, and then use his vehicle to push the cattle out of the way faster. I wasn’t in a hurry, he was an arsehole who thought he was doing his job. The cattle behaved exactly as you would expect and got agitated, jumping around.
Not an issue with cars (although I can see the potential for damage to the vehicle or the animal there if someone driving didn’t know what to do), but a really bad idea when you have people in that situation who are smaller than the cattle.
*also possible is the person who drove his vehicle into the actual animal was a farmer.
He drove into the steer and it then attacked another cyclist. Understandably (by the steer).
We don’t know what happened, but on the face of it, in the story in the article, what I would have done is gotten out of my vehicle and told the cyclist to get off his bike, cross to the other side of the road and stop and wait for the steer to figure out what to do. It’s not going to attack people randomly, but it will if it’s stressed or scared. The person who drove into the steer aggravated the situation.
Dude in the comment section is adamant cones were in place and farmers at each end, cyclists bowled through, if that’s the case they only have themselves to blame.
The other take home is how shit the reporting is – they have repeatedly confused a bull with a steer (obviously different temperament/handling) and didn’t establish the facts around the animal movement.
I am not a Green voter but I am impressed of what I saw of Marama Davidson on the AM show this morning.
She was NOT going to let Garner talk over her and wasn’t he pissed off.
So pissed off, he and that other odious character Ricardson along with the female on the show who does not impress me one bit, had a deep and meaningful discussion on Marama Davidson’s comment on benefit fraud. something like ” I am not going to discuss that” not sure of exact words.
It is a pity they do not have a similarly deep and meaningful discussion on tax fraud and the state of Middlemore Hospital, that no bridges Bridges says it is nothing to do with the National party.
We need more like Marama Davidson to start to put these arseoles in their place, and I think Garner was so desperate to get something on her, he had to scrape the bottom of the barrel so hard to find that snippet he must have put a hole it.
She also owned the interview with Espiner on RNZ on Morning Report this morning, my partner said “way to go Marama” – she controlled the narrative and what a breath of fresh air that was. Interesting times ahead for her and her political career.
Last time I was a supporter of the green party was in 2002 and we split off to start our own Environmental advocacy centre because the green party were not supporting our actions using the green party.
But now we see a glimmer of hope that the greens may push Labour back left again to it’s ‘true left side’ (as Simon Bridges suggested would happen if Marama was elected co-leader),on this morning on The AM Show.
So we live in hope that the labour party will turn left again as all expected it to do.
Good on her.
Alternatively she might have said she was happy to discuss benefit fraud so long as Garner allocated 33x as much time to discussing tax avoidance as that ratio correctly reflects their relative economic impact according to Lisa Marriot’s research.
Say, 3 seconds on benefit fraud and 1min 40 sec on tax avoidance?
Well said Tony, after witnessing his attempts on both TV networks this morning I’m predicting that he will lead national to their biggest loss ever come 2020.
Wish Clark would start telling people about the clusterf#$k that Ryall/Key/Blinglish and Coleman created just in health.
A Comprehensive year by year listing of all the services cut back or removed including a grim reaper to show where Mental Health keeled over because not having a reasonable mental health system is asking for trouble in this modern world.
Then move on to Education, the environment, transport, housing etc in a format that’s easily understood so sheeple get the look and feel.
Sheeple don’t think so with the nact msm giving these unchallenged soapboxes the Govt runs a risk by not countering the BS.
Probably loik you, at toims I foind it difficult to unnastearn the bugger. Not unloik John Key going forwid.
But then I’VE JUSS BEEN LUSSNING ta Jearssie Mullgin – lissning bearnt Kriss Lewisand the nurryda .
I’l have to listen again because all I could hair was “ear ear ear” (going forward).
En oim a mouldabull genrayshull Nu Zullna liviing, and deeply embedded amongst the Mount Victoria Urban Liberal – even to the extent I’ve sampled most of the lower Marjoribank Street’s eateries.
Bugger me tho’…… I really will have to revisit and listen.
“Though they’ll never admit it, the logical consequence of the Taxpayers’ Union’s policies is indistinguishable from that of every other “taxation is theft” outfit: expanding the domain of public pain by deliberately reducing the opportunities for its concerted public amelioration. Like the far-Right American lobbyist, Grover Norquist, they are determined to get the state down to “the size where we can drown it in the bathtub”
I wouldnt phrase it so simplistically but agree with the general direction….the problem however is that too many comparatively well off see it as a personal attack whether or not their personal circumstances would be adversely affected or not…a case of ‘better the devil you know’ rather than ‘nothing to lose’ all wrapped up with fear.
Holland use discipline far more than we do but temper it with a much higher level of humanity towards incarcerated and use rehabilitation and training to give hope to those who have faulted.
The most recent article from Craig Murray.
Brilliant satire.
“Despite this story being one of the most improbably wild conspiracy theories in human history, it is those who express any doubt at all as to its veracity who are smeared as “conspiracy theorists” or even “traitors”.”
If you favour sanctions for Russia, then have a read of this. Working people inside Russia are suffering. The last election was a joke, as mass protest against Putin suggest. “What protest in Russia” I hear you say, Christian Anarchists have been helping organising them, 300,000 people at one protest alone. All is not well in the oligarchic regime, what with them bleeding working Russians dry.
Do I need to mention a friend of mine is still in Prison, awaiting charges. Almost three years, now. Another guy I know has been given 5 years for Sedition, he was handing out fliers in support gay rights. His church is constantly being monitored, because they let LGBT members into the congregation.
Here’s a link to the article Simon Wilson wrote based on an interview with Johnathan Coleman. He claims to have known nothing about Middlemore (surprise, surprise!). Perhaps a bigger surprise – says he argued against tax cuts and for more funding for Health and Education” Wasn’t he the minister of health who presided over that?
“I can tell you right now I had no knowledge of that at all,” he said. “Absolutely none. And,” he added, speaking each word carefully, “I don’t lie.”
He said the Counties-Manukau district health board chair Lester Levy told a parliamentary select committee in February this year that they had two problems. “One was increased demand and the other was management of ageing infrastructure.” But he said Levy had not gone into any detail.
“It was never raised with us,” Coleman said. “Look. If I had known, this would have gone to the top of my list.”
Coleman cast himself as the champion of health. He told me that as health minister he battled inside Cabinet and caucus for more resources for his sector. “I asked for more money for health in each budget. It’s no secret that I advocated for more spending on health and education, instead of tax cuts.”
No secret, eh, Johnathan? I sure don’t recall hearing this from you in the past. What about all the “Labour is the party of tax” and “tax is theft” bullshit your party has spouted in recent times?
I read that article and reflected on his claims. He did have leadership ambitions up until recently which is probably the reason he kept silent about his opposition to tax cuts.
It shows that in the Nat Party ambition trumps everything.
Coleman, Levy and Mathias have show lack of commitment to our public health system while occupying positions of power within it.
Mathias, the Birthcare and Labtests entrepreneur. Levy the seemingly conflicted director of Tonkin and Taylor and Coleman groomed to become CEO of Acurity Healthcare.
Looks to me like they entered and left the public sector to suit their private sector agendas.
Perhaps we should defer to @Wayne’s expertise and impartial opinion on the matter.
He should be along soon (when he gets time to indulge in a little conversation with a hard-left Labour Party blog site like TS.
From my recollection I am pretty sure the other country is Afghanistan. I recall various discussions with NZDF and MFAT officials on this particular point.
When forces are deployed in another country which has a legally constituted government (which Afghanistan had from about 2002/2003) naturally that country has a say in the scope of the ROE.
And as Exkiwiforces says there is also a status of forces agreement. Most of the legal jurisdiction over our forces remained with the New Zealand government.
Having read that post during my lunch and IMO it’s Afghanistan Government via what’s called a SOFA ( Status Of Forces Agreement) which covers everything from ROE, OFOF, LOAC, Size of the Military Force in the host nation, Religious stuff, respect of Local customs/ culture and use of locally employed contractors doing building, cleaning the dunnies etc etc as list is almost endless on the do’s and don’ts in the host nation.
The Iraq SOFA is very strict and this largely due to some of the muppet PMC’s aka Blackwater and the shit that went on during the last shit fight post invasion.
With the SOFA in place, and any information regarding how troops engaged or behaved under these agreements, and subject to classification – how would you see any unethical or out of scope behaviour by the NZ Army (most notably the decision makers) being able to be discovered, and verified?
I don’t know the full mechanics of how the SOFA works, but from what I do know that the host nation particularly those within the MER are very sensitive at gets released to the general public.
Some of the confronting shit I’ve/ We’ve have seen in MER which went against my/ our values and morals we had to sand back or turn our back as I/ we couldn’t intervene due to the SOFA. BTW it’s not to do with Combat or the POWs as the they came under LOAC, but it was cultural and Religious stuff.
Yes – but surely they’ll remain loyal to Shanan Halbert who did pretty well last year?
Happy to see the contagion of Croaker Coleman lifted no matter what the result tbh
Newshub congratulations to our sports stars for there win . Duncan New Zealand is as raciest as Taika Waititi is right with his statement .If I was brought up by my white father I would not be going through this Total harassment By the NEW ZEALAND POLICE they are using all the dirty tactics they can I read and see all the people whom the police have used to try and take me out . Can you justifie that . I am as proud as of my MAORI heritage and nothing is going to change that.
Jacinda you handled Dancan well I treat everyone with respect I try my best not to be raciest because in my eyes we are all one race the humans race. Race should be banded to the history books we have to ALL COME together to mitigate against climate change to survive look at the other ancient cultures that have collapse around Papatuanuku .
The Aucland Council should close that native forest track to save OUR ancient Kauri till they find a solution that stops the spread of that Kauri die back virus now.
As for jonathan coleman watch him bend his neck while he lies his—— off Ana to kai. P.S shonky was a master at suppressing information and minuplating information
Ka kite ano
The AM Show I agree with old Michele Barnett that OUR nurses deserve a pay rise they are just as important to OUR society as any the police . Paddy that’s the way ehoa tell it like you see it on Taika Waititi statement is correct P.S I am multi tasking on my computa .
Ana to kai Ka kite ano
The AM Show I detest bullies as I was bullied since my Greatgrandmother died . The New Zealand police are bulling me now and bulling everyone that I associate with
The thing is that I have a thick skin and it does not affect me as it does others Ana to kai Ka kite ano
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
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Here we go again. Goebbels would have been proud of the propaganda effort.
Chemical attack witnessed by the ‘heroic’ White Helmets, whose word is accepted unequivocally by the lapdog western media, prompting Trump to say there is going to be a big price to pay.
More rushing to judgement over Russia.
The western public has already been softened up with lies about spies. They’ve been primed to blame Russia and its dastardly leader Putin.
Looks like the western establishment including its propaganda arm of the media is gunning for war.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/08/trump-big-price-to-pay-suspected-syria-chemical-weapons-attack
That’s one way of looking at it: don’t criticise Pauli Walnuts or he’ll give you the bash.
Francesca was bullied off this site by your aggressive treatment of her.
I know you do not share my opinion on this and other matters.
I do not think this gives you the right to stalk every post I write with insults and aggression.
I am wearying of your constant bully boy approach.
False accusations Ed.
I don’t accept your logic:
1: The Kremlin does something.
2: People criticise them.
3. Nuclear war!
I think appeasing them will embolden them which is a far riskier approach.
I’ve no doubt OABs commenting behaviour ‘helped’ Francesca decide to take to the garden and what not for a time. And there was Lynn’s unnecessarily rude moderating comment to her.
Lynn does that.
But OAB is hanging by the tenderest of threads. He knows this, but oddly just carries on with the same derailing, snarking and bullying – which I find interesting to observe.
Maybe today’s the day the boredom sets in and the 1 month ban lands. Could be tomorrow or the next day. Might be one comment away.
Or then again, OAB might just cut the crap. Who knows?
I agree Ed,
OAB is not my idea of a “bloke” as an ordinary bloke is depicted as in Sir Robert Muldoon’s often used “the average bloke” terms.
OAB is a product of the right wingers argument most times.
OAB has been shredding his own credibility in an obnoxious way for a while now.
I to used to be a real aggressive arsehole on the internet …. before I wised up a bit.
Going back and reading old arguments I’d had …. made me realise I came across as much the same prick as those pricks I was arguing with.
So I started making changes ….. and I’m still evolving my techniques against trolls and others.
Now when I make a post / point of view, I log out, and perhaps write the next piece of information I want to put up.
This stops me getting involved with the ‘snarks’., …. which is a derail from the point of view I’m trying to put across. They are ego baiting. I try to leave my ego off the table .
I write for the people I’m not arguing with.
I also find it helps to view trolls as Dick Picks …. which allows me to treat them with the seriousness which they deserve,… as even a pack attack by a bunch of penises is laughable to me …. bunt away boys.
I’m not saying OAB is a troll ….. but he’s starting to display a few to many of their symptoms and he’s letting himself down.
He’s obviously quite intelligent …. but imparts so little information … and is obsessed over some things ….. Ed being one of them.
Evaluating your ownself…breaking it down…making adjustments….
That’s beautiful…
Yo Assad, you just secured 90% of E. Ghouta. You’ve surrounded the last town, you have overwhelming military force and are negotiating surrender. What’s next ? Assad: launch a chemical attack of no tactical significance to provoke international outrage & military intervention against me.
https://twitter.com/Zinvor/status/982746616284286978
I think this latest attack holds to a pretty consistent pattern from that tyrant Assad. It goes: warn everyone on the ground that the rebels will raise a false flag operation about a chemical warfare attack. Do the attack. Then before enough good evidence has been raised by the incoherent international community, strike somewhere else.
The outrage economy moves on to another town.
Makes perfect sense in the calculus of Assad, Vladimir Putin, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They want first and foremost to subdue the remaining rebels in Syria, specifically several million people remaining in rebel-held Idlib province. Give them all fear enough to dissuade any later opposition once the war is over. And second, outflank Trump and the outrage machine, just as they did with Obama.
Obama was humiliated in August 2013 when he changed his mind about his “red line”. Box America and you neutralise Saudi Arabia, and then the entire floor is yours to lay waste with.
Bold tactic – then and now – from the leading three countries, and its still working.
So the chemical weapons factories in Ghouta (replete with instructions for manufacturing various compounds and delivery mechanisms) are just for show?Or the first hand reports are lies, and the accompanying photographs false? Or (perhaps) the entire set up is a hastily cobbled together stage set that the SAA constructed for the benefit of gullible journalists?
I’ll have to go with that (or similar).
Because the only sensible explanation is that an army on the cusp of victory, and that has tasked itself with evacuating civilians to safety while giving terrorists the option of surrender or free passage would deploy chemical weapons on civilians, and thus prevent themselves from making any kind of rapid advance on the ground.
Oh. And obviously they are feeling six foot tall and bulletproof and positively relishing the prospect of being treated as monstrous pariahs down through the coming years – what with all the additional sanctions that will no doubt be landed (such fun!) and the continued illegal presence by armed forces of the countries they are guaranteed to piss off should they deploy chemical weapons….
Yup. Them’s is just belligerent and mad. No accounting for that ME mind set. No siree.
Far be it from me to discern the motivations of those three tyrants from Iran, Russia, and Syria. It’s not an easy mental space for me to get into.
From their last five years of evidence , I don’t think they give a flying fig about their international reputation or their historical Wikipedia profiles. Trump, not they, are subject to the power of a free media, so once they have neutralised him into his own whirlpool of rage-media cycle, and show that the United States has everything to gain by retreating and withdrawing, the ground is theirs again, unimpeded.
That is now what they have done.
Trump has signalled full withdrawal.
Ghouta’s ceasefire and rebel withdrawal is confirmed.
And the signal that US withdrawal gives Assad, Putin, and Khamenei is that they and Turkey can now go after the entire Kurdish territory and people unimpeded.
The result will be as big as the Armenian genocide of a century ago, and it will occur within this year. Now there is no level of international outrage to stop them.
So those three tyrants care about nothing except eradicating Syrian opposition, and inciting terror without measure is the fastest way they have of ensuring submission.
With Saudi Arabia and the United States retreating fully to the Gulf, Syria is now in the control of Russia and Iran, and they don’t care if it is rubble and choking on chlorine gas.
At least the region can look forward to a period without thousands of hooded murderers in Toyotas freely roaming the country cutting people’s heads off.
That signal from Trump ? Just another case of his saying shit.
Official spokesman has retracted any idea of a withdrawal. Big Donny has to follow the rules, Mattis probably threatened a resignation.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/04/analysis-white-house-clarifies-president-donald-trumps-blunt-remarks-syria/485510002/
A false false flag attack. That’s a new one. You have quite an imagination!
The mental gymnastics required to support these fantastical conspiracies.
Must be very tiring…
Indeed – what regimen are you following ?
Can’t believe Bolton’s first day as National Security Advisor will be to objectively assess whether Assad used chemical weapons in Douma as alleged and to recommend an appropriate response
https://twitter.com/MaxAbrahms
He came to my office and said: ‘You have to resign and I give you 24 hours, this is what we want. You have to leave, you have to resign from your organization, director-general.'”
Bustani said he “owed nothing” to the US, pointing out that he was appointed by all OPCW member states. Striking a more sinister tone, Bolton said: “OK, so there will be retaliation. Prepare to accept the consequences. We know where your kids are.”
https://www.rt.com/usa/423477-bolton-threat-opcw-iraq/
Scary
Bolton is fucking nuts.
I guess this time it will be Trump who will telling someone as an aside ‘hes a Moron”
Ad the hammer man by proxy … holds to a pretty consistent pattern
Yes, Ed
Obama was given a nobel peace prize moments after taking office, before expanding ‘peace efforts’ globally..
The White Helmets received an oscar nomination…
The cries of chemical weapons use serve only to highlight further the depth ‘the west’ with their Saudi/Israeli partners, will plumb…
What are ‘they’ covering up for this time…is the question…
Yup I’m hearing you there One Two. And while news networks are arguing the politics of the matter, the public doesn’t even know what or who to believe anymore and on the ground, people are dying, who is helping them?
Where’s the truth and where’s the freaking teleporter? I’d be there in a heartbeat.
I’d suggest believing the people who report from Syria, those who have reported from Syria from the beginning of the war. Those who talk to citizens, army officers and politicians and those who actually live in Syria.
People such as Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, Tim Hayward, Fares Shehabi, Janice Kortkamp, Ahmad Al-Issa, Tom Duggan there are many others
In Ahmad Al-Issa ‘s twitter feed he reports on the recent evacuation of Ghouta.
Tom Duggan has been in Ghouta recently and reports via facebook.
Yes totally agree .
Here is Vanessa Beeley on the most recent western propaganda.
http://21stcenturywire.com/2018/04/08/syria-the-egregious-western-media-chemical-weapon-fraud-in-eastern-ghouta/
Thanks Brigid for that info, much appreciated.
Hi Cinny,
Agree with you it’s a complete mess…
The only way to get a clearer view would be for the foreign invaders to pull out…
So long as they’re inside boarders where they don’t belong it becomes increasingly murky…
I can’t see the war machine pulling back or out…
Begs the question…whose driving and to what end…
Assuming there was use of chemical weapons as detailed by the reports out of the hospitals in the area where do you believe they came from and what do you believe is being covered up ?
None of which will be of any interest to the Syrian citizens who are being slaughtered of course.
Be suspicious:
https://gowans.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/eight-reasons-why-the-latest-syria-chemical-weapons-attack-allegations-are-almost-certainly-complete-nonsense/
Assumption is the mother of all wars ‘Stunned mullet’;
Remember the assumptions we all made after those allegations against Saddam were made by these same media ‘reports we heard over and over that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction?
All made clear according to President Bush and UK PM Tony Blair duo, so don’t assume anything sunshine if you don’t want World War three as some appear to be begging for.
Threatening people with World War 3 because they criticise the Kremlin sounds like the sort of thing bullies do if you ask me.
And I’m not the only one:
h/t to Chris Trotter for piquing my interest in “Russlandversteher”.
Nowhere in that article is there any mention of anyone threatening WWIII for criticising “the Kremlin”. In fact, the fear expressed in the article is that with Trump’s election “Germans advocating strategic neutrality will gain credibility”.
And I love the kicker you swiped from your quote. In full, it reads –
Similarly apocalyptic rhetoric, evocative of the 1980s anti-nuclear movement (itself heavily influenced by the KGB and East German secret police) inculcates the idea that confronting Russia is dangerous.
I mean, I dunno. Have you ever thought of sending a wee CV off to the NSA or some such to see if you can get paid for this warping of discussion and pushing of thinly veiled propaganda that seems to be your “thing” these days?
It’s the sort of thing bullies do:
this notion of “peace” permits Russia to act as it likes in its “near abroad” without consequence.
I’m not convinced that the KGB and Stasi had that much of an influence on the anti-war movement of the 1980s. The argument outside the parentheses stands on its own.
Is character assassination your best rebuttal?
Again, you rip away context in your partial quoting and present a bullshit statement.
The full quote.
As was the case during the Cold War, when Western “peace” movements urged unilateral disarmament, this notion of “peace” permits Russia to act as it likes in its “near abroad” without consequence.
Apart from Afghanistan I’m struggling to think of any invasion by the USSR during the Cold War.
It’s pretty rabid liberal interventionism that would position peace as the enemy and suggest peace has a track record on that front – as that article does.
But if that’s your bag…..
Apart from Afghanistan I’m struggling to think of any invasion by the USSR during the Cold War.
The statement (about the Kremlin acting as it likes) could just as easily refer to the consequences for countries or citizens who disagreed with the status quo in the USSR. Prague Spring, gulags and so-forth. All that Orwellian stuff.
“Liberal interventionism” is a good comparison. I don’t recall anyone ever suggesting that if I criticised the USA’s nuclear missile proliferation, their dirty wars in Central or South America, their wars of aggression in Asia, or any of the other things I’ve observed about their foreign policy, that doing so made me a warmonger.
Amnesty International also stands up to bullies, including the ones in the Kremlin, sometimes at great personal cost to its employees. That doesn’t make them warmongers either.
That piece isn’t standing up to a damned thing, bar the possible ghastly prospect of people embracing notions of peace.
Embrace notions of peace and you’ll soon find yourself exposed to subversive ideas such as “no justice, no peace”, and then the idea that “confronting [the Kremlin] is dangerous” might not seem quite so palatable.
Right.
So lets all tool up, be fearful and suspicious, and knock seven shades of shit out anyone and everyone who just might knock seven shades of shit out of us…which by that mind set is absolutely every one.
lets all tool up, be fearful and suspicious
Where do you get these ideas from? Certainly not me.
[And gone. One month. I warned you many, many times between your last ban and now. But I’ve indulged your various varieties of bullshit for long enough now – it just got too tedious.] – Bill
“Threatening people with World War 3 because they criticise the Kremlin sounds like the sort of thing bullies do”
Well who criticised Bush and Blair for their lies about saddam having weapons of mass destruction OAB and were they not advocating war too when lying?
Are you asking whether I criticised them? Have a bleedin’ guess.
When I called them war criminals, I don’t recall you saying that meant I wanted WWII, but now I criticise the Kremlin and that’s exactly the accusation you’re levelling.
Was it really your intention to portray Putin et al as so thin-skinned?
Um what …?
I asked a simple question – if there has been yet another instance of the use of chemicals as weapons which certainly appears to be the case with now multiple reports, where did the weapons come from and what is being covered up as alluded to by OneTwo.
It’s a stretch to assign sarin manufacturing capacity to ISIS (or any of the other ragtag semi-islamist groups). Not everyone could make it in their basement even if they had the precursors. And the US would have become a target – it wasn’t Assad that moved them out of Mosul.
Assad’s forces did possess substantial stocks however – and didn’t acquire them by accident. The irregular forces have not been proven to possess them at all. A decent rule of thumb might be to look at the victims – if it were Syrian armed forces the irregulars would be plausible assailants. The convenience of claiming multiple labs wherever Syrian forces kill ‘rebels’ however, is stretching plausibility to breaking point. Only uncritical swallowers of Russian and Syrian propaganda will continue to swallow such self-serving nonsense.
Chlorine is still available. It’s used to make water potable. It was also used in WWI in trench warfare. Creates respiratory problems. I’m sure the necessary inventiveness to produce such a bane would easily be in the repertoire of urban fighters with much to avenge. And a career to develop.
Civilian population is not in prime health after months of restricted diet, prolonged fear, and aerial attacks.
It doesn’t have to have been Assad. There are enough crazies in the area to create a large list of possible villains for the deed.
And Assad would never do anything like that – the tonnes of nerve gas he had acquired by 2014 in no way indicate a willingness to use them. He must’ve been a collector eh.
I wonder at what point Assad supporters will repent their increasingly desperate rationalizations.
I wonder at what point western propaganda enthusiasts will stop believing the increasingly desperate rationalizations
How many times will you fall for the same line, Stuart….
Approximately…
Of course you’d never ask yourself that question – being so “clever” that you’ve made like a gannet and swallowed the version from the other side.
Thing is Stuart, I’ve explained it to you more than once now, and you continue to ignore what I’ve said…
You’ve taken a side based on whatever twisted variables contruct the narratives in your own mind….and can’t seem to comtemplate making adjustments despite decade after decade of naked propganda…
I’ve not taken a side, and because I don’t take sides, I can evaluate extended periods of time lapsed propaganda exposures aligned against events and outcomes without prejudice…
Meanwhile you keep repeating ad nauseum your bias, while convincing yourself that I’ve on-boarded a view counter to yours…
Come on man…you need a long hard look in the mirror…it’s not good enough in this day and age to be at such a low level..
I assume you’re an adult…
I’ll leave you to it for good from now on, as I strongly suspect you have some other issues going on…
Be well…
“I’ve not taken a side, and because I don’t take sides,”
Piffle.
You’ve been a constant member of the RT cheer team. You’re a Putin troll – Own it.
Unpleasant as it is, Syria in line with many other non-nuclear states, manufactured and stockpiled the “poor man’s” nuclear deterrent – chemical and/or biological agents.
So yes. A “collector” in much the same way as nuclear nations “collect” nuclear weapons.
Israel’s next door, y’know?
As for why (I’ll use the term beloved by western media outlets) rebels would have chemical weapons factories in Ghouta (as reported by fairly reliable non-mainstream media), well….
And why would terrorists who are getting huge amounts of support from the west, target the west with chemicals designed to aid in the overthrow of the Syrian government? (By encouraging military intervention to stop the country’s army that’s on the cusp of victory deploying chemicals in order to delay and possibly jeapordise its own imminent victory over terrorists in the country)
You’ve still got a problem explaining why Syria, which is known to have them, and which UN bodies at least are persuaded have used them, aren’t using them, while irregular forces who don’t have them are supposed to have so many labs that the ‘poor’ Russians can’t seem to drop a bomb without supposedly hitting one.
Syria destroyed its chemical weapons stockpile during Obama’s presidency.
And I’m only aware of one occasion when Russia claimed it had hit a chemical weapons factory operated by the terrorists.
Meanwhile, in Ghouta, Beeley claims CNN reporters were with her on the ground at the site of a chemical factory formerly operated by terrorists, but that they didn’t report on it.
(I linked her article somewhere on the thread and someone else did too)
Depends who you ask.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_of_chemical_weapons_in_the_Syrian_Civil_War#Reported_chemical_weapons_attacks
@Joe90.
You do have to wonder at all those allegations being leveled at the Syrian government by governments with no presence in the area, aye?
I mean, even if there were chemical attacks, how would the US, UK, France and the other complainants, who funnily enough all want the Syrian government overthrown and replaced, know about them?
Maybe the rebels tell them, except, as is becoming ever more clear, there are no rebels – just terrorists.
So the terrorists tell them. And that opens its own can of worms for “our” governments irrespective of who launched what chemical attack (assuming they all actually took place).
There seem to be several claims:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39500947
Russia, which has carried out air strikes in support of President Assad since 2015, said the Syrian air force had struck Khan Sheikhoun “between 11:30am and 12:30pm local time” on 4 April, but that the target had been “a large terrorist ammunition depot” on its eastern outskirts.
http://21stcenturywire.com/2018/04/08/syria-the-egregious-western-media-chemical-weapon-fraud-in-eastern-ghouta/
Terrorist Chemical Weapon Capability in Eastern Ghouta.
Journalist and geopolitical analyst, Sharmine Narwani, was in liberated Eastern Ghouta a few weeks ago when a Chemical Weapons laboratory was discovered in the farmlands between between Shifouniyeh and Douma. Narwani comments on the western media “disinterest” in this discovery:
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/421515-ghouta-syria-chemical-weapons/
Terrorist capabilities laid bare in an Eastern Ghouta chemical lab
Assuming that was a response to my comment to Joe90…
I think you misunderstand my comment. I’m not for a second suggesting there have been no chemical weapons deployed in Syria.
In fact it was a reply to
“I’m only aware of one occasion when Russia claimed it had hit a chemical weapons factory operated by the terrorists.”
.
Strange how the
oppositionterrorists only ever seem to gas themselves with their super secret stockpiles of chemical weapons, yet never use them against the regime or Russian and Iranian forces.Well, no. That’s not correct. There have been allegations of chemicals being used against SAA soldiers.
And no terrorist uses chemicals against themselves. But they do have large captive civilian populations, many of who don’t or wont “convert” and willingly acquiesce to Sharia Law.
.
Apparently this mob spent weeks negotiating terms acceptable to them and their families, softened themselves up with an alleged gas attack and then threw in the towel and accepted the opposition’s terms.
.
AMMAN: Fighters in the last opposition-controlled city in East Ghouta reached a deal with Russian negotiators on Sunday to evacuate with their families, one rebel official told Syria Direct, after intense bombardment and a reported chemical attack killed at least 225 civilians over the weekend.
Under the reported agreement, all rebel fighters with the Jaish al-Islam faction in Douma city and any civilians wishing to leave are to evacuate the eastern Damascus suburbs for opposition-held northwestern Syria in coming days, a member of the faction’s media office told Syria Direct on Sunday.
The media official requested that his name not be published, as he spoke to Syria Direct without authorization from Jaish al-Islam, which has not officially announced an evacuation deal.
Syrian and Russian state media both reported that a deal was reached on Sunday for rebels to evacuate Douma. Russia is a longtime backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and was a party to recent negotiations with rebel factions in East Ghouta.
For weeks, Jaish al-Islam has maintained that it would not accept any agreement with Russia or the Syrian government that included the evacuation of fighters from Douma.
http://syriadirect.org/news/%E2%80%98deal-reached%E2%80%99-for-rebels-to-leave-douma-after-bloody-weekend-suspected-chemical-attack/
Uh-huh.
According to a site called “Syria Direct” from Yale University. That’s slightly unfair perhaps – it’s coming out of Jordan. But the Managing Director, Justin Schuster, is from Yale.
I don;t know the site Joe. But a very quick look and I see headlines about “rebels” and mention of government reprisals for anyone moving to government areas.
And for now, I’m just going to say that flies in the face of what on the ground independent journalists are saying.
Do you believe every word the western propaganda machine tells you Stuart ?
No.
But I do like to see sources – which your ‘heroes’ don’t seem to like to use. And I’m quite familiar with disinformatsia, which you either don’t know about, or don’t care about.
Uncritically embracing sites like MOOA, RT, Globalresearch, and folk like Murray or Beeley, won’t get you much closer to the truth – it just gives you a different set of lies.
Which you seem to swallow like an eight year old. Which leaves you some way short of being convincing.
Belief isn’t good enough to make a decision upon. We need evidence and that is almost always missing from these discussions.
The problem is that so many make vital decisions based upon belief and ideology rather than the facts.
Draco;
Both Stunned mullet and QAB always wildly ‘assume’ or use “belief” as they are right wing terms to widen the focus that it has been proven already.
We now live in a deep state world of propandana activities and not the true factual world any more.
‘Propanda’ …sounds cuddly.
Nah mate. You’re getting it all confused with Poppa Panda.
Propanda is the “Save the Bamboo” crowd.
And propandana that cleangreen was referring to is just this years, vaguely militantly themed fashionable panda headwear.
Ah good oh, thanks for the clarification.
For I second I thought he was riffing like good old Randal and his Hardly Davisons.
It’s not fair to call OAB right wing. An intelligent poster with sometimes differing views to whoever. Hope the month goes quick.
There are reports of chemical weapons manufacturing ‘factories’ being found in Ghouta. Apparently one journalist present worked for CNN, (Frederick Pleitgen, his camerawoman and a translator) but well, they omitted that detail from the live report for the network.
In tandem with that Vanessa Beeley (whose first hand reports from Syria have been pretty well on the mark even if her overarching political philosophy is questionable) reports that an estimated 3 500 civilians have been incarcerated by Jaish Al Islam in Ghouta.
Here’s the link to her piece that includes the reference to CNN.
http://21stcenturywire.com/2018/04/08/syria-the-egregious-western-media-chemical-weapon-fraud-in-eastern-ghouta/
Makes sense to me that ISIS remnants would perpetrate this atrocity as a last-ditch propaganda attack on Damascus. The problem is I can also see Assad doing it again, too.
Anyone who would do it once, or even plan for it in the first place (cf: the “Syrian Center of Environmental Protection Problems”) is already beyond the bounds of sense or decency, so expecting them to start behaving reasonably is a stretch.
ISIS are no better. Either party could be responsible for an attack like this.
Not according to “our” governments and the howls (more muted than on previous occasions) from the liberal/corporate media.
Their take seems very much to be that if chemicals were used it was Assad; it was Russia….and Iran will also pay, because “Iran”.
What you can ‘see’ counts for nothing when the OPCW, in every investigation, has not proved Assad’s government gassed Syrians.
And we know the white helmets have tried to frame the government before.
People who stockpile 1,300 tonnes of the stuff (not including the chlorine) don’t do so by accident. Nor do they do so with good intentions.
As you can see, I have a low opinion of Bashar Al-Assad. You’re going to have to find a way to accept that.
I don’t write stuff on here for your eyes only.
You’re going to have to find a way to accept that.
However, when you’re merchandising your doubt at me, you can expect a response.
“Obama was given a nobel peace prize moments after taking office”
A slight exaggeration One Two. It was actually about eight and a half months. It certainly felt like the way you describe it though. I can only think of one reason they gave him the award.
https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html
He wasn’t George W Bush and the Norwegian Nobel Committee really hated George. Obama certainly hadn’t done anything, at least at that stage, to deserve it.
POTUS for 8 years, peace prize after 8 months…
11% of the total time of the presidency…
It was announced sometime prior to the award…
Moments!
Trevvy reporting”new fuel tax” as an apocalypse. Can’t bring myself to read the article yet. Can’t wait for her to write a real news column. New revelations on Pike River Mine for one. Middlebrow Hospital for another. Camp Burnham as well. Umm, EQC debacle. Shame on you Brownies. Should go and read it now, it might be a truly unbiased revelation.
Poor old Mike is going to have to pay more for his coffee so workers on minimum wages have a better chance of feeding themselves and their kids.
Poor Mike.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12028762i
try
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12028762
Hosking doesn’t understand that the government is one of the market forces he purports to worship.
Ha ha ha.
Yes you may be correct there as it stands presently OAB.
The government is a huge market force. The ability to make laws and regulations is very influential. In NZ (iirc) they’re also the largest employer in the country.
Hosking’s saying “you can’t dip your toe in the water” to someone who’s already in the bath.
Minimum wage nor a living wage will save workers. Mike will find a cheaper alternative.
Robot baristas, here they come!
https://youtu.be/UYcTG7YLTQw
You’re probably right. So, we have to get rid of the failed experiment called capitalism as it obviously can’t support society at all as an economic system is supposed to do.
Spot on, Draco.
Economic systems are philosophical ideas designed to serve us all.
Excellent – perhaps a rogue robot will remove Mike’s head and steam it for 20 seconds before dropping it in a latte bowl?
Blame the cyclists. Blame the cattle.
Personal responsibility? Missing in action.
Dude shunting the animal with his ute needs to have a think about what he did too.
Have to say I’d think twice about getting in the way of “a half a ton of angry pot-roast”. Not saying he did the right thing, more like I might well make the same mistake. Mind you I haven’t got bull-bars.
Farmer should have had people there so ultimately it’s on them. But it does sound like a bunch of people who had no idea how to be in/around cattle, doing stupid shit*. We share the road with farmers. Would the cyclists have done that in a paddock of cattle? Then why do it on the road?
I’ve seen a farmer come up behind me when I’ve slowed for cattle on the road, pass me, and then use his vehicle to push the cattle out of the way faster. I wasn’t in a hurry, he was an arsehole who thought he was doing his job. The cattle behaved exactly as you would expect and got agitated, jumping around.
Not an issue with cars (although I can see the potential for damage to the vehicle or the animal there if someone driving didn’t know what to do), but a really bad idea when you have people in that situation who are smaller than the cattle.
*also possible is the person who drove his vehicle into the actual animal was a farmer.
Do you have a farm as I do, and we treat our animals as we would treat you, so are you up for this?
We treat our animals humanly with respect so should everyone as they have no other voice of reason than us.
I don’t even eat them: I reckon that’s pretty “humane”.
Not really, save the person whoever’s fault it was.
He drove into the steer and it then attacked another cyclist. Understandably (by the steer).
We don’t know what happened, but on the face of it, in the story in the article, what I would have done is gotten out of my vehicle and told the cyclist to get off his bike, cross to the other side of the road and stop and wait for the steer to figure out what to do. It’s not going to attack people randomly, but it will if it’s stressed or scared. The person who drove into the steer aggravated the situation.
Missed that but, yes quite probably wound it up more- if true, the story has already changed from yesterday!
Dude in the comment section is adamant cones were in place and farmers at each end, cyclists bowled through, if that’s the case they only have themselves to blame.
The other take home is how shit the reporting is – they have repeatedly confused a bull with a steer (obviously different temperament/handling) and didn’t establish the facts around the animal movement.
media reporting sound about right.
Only ten of us installed the Big Brother app.
Can the other sixty-three thousand of us claim ACC or something? I feel a sense of paranoia coming on.
So ten people used an app connected to FB and FB enabled CA to access the data of 60,000 people?
Probably not all their (Our? My?) data, but still.
FB enabled CA to access the data of friends, and friends of friends of those 10 people – sure mounts up if each had 250 friends!
100% weka.
I am not a Green voter but I am impressed of what I saw of Marama Davidson on the AM show this morning.
She was NOT going to let Garner talk over her and wasn’t he pissed off.
So pissed off, he and that other odious character Ricardson along with the female on the show who does not impress me one bit, had a deep and meaningful discussion on Marama Davidson’s comment on benefit fraud. something like ” I am not going to discuss that” not sure of exact words.
It is a pity they do not have a similarly deep and meaningful discussion on tax fraud and the state of Middlemore Hospital, that no bridges Bridges says it is nothing to do with the National party.
We need more like Marama Davidson to start to put these arseoles in their place, and I think Garner was so desperate to get something on her, he had to scrape the bottom of the barrel so hard to find that snippet he must have put a hole it.
She also owned the interview with Espiner on RNZ on Morning Report this morning, my partner said “way to go Marama” – she controlled the narrative and what a breath of fresh air that was. Interesting times ahead for her and her political career.
half crown you hit the nail squarely on the head.
Last time I was a supporter of the green party was in 2002 and we split off to start our own Environmental advocacy centre because the green party were not supporting our actions using the green party.
But now we see a glimmer of hope that the greens may push Labour back left again to it’s ‘true left side’ (as Simon Bridges suggested would happen if Marama was elected co-leader),on this morning on The AM Show.
So we live in hope that the labour party will turn left again as all expected it to do.
Good on her.
Alternatively she might have said she was happy to discuss benefit fraud so long as Garner allocated 33x as much time to discussing tax avoidance as that ratio correctly reflects their relative economic impact according to Lisa Marriot’s research.
Say, 3 seconds on benefit fraud and 1min 40 sec on tax avoidance?
Correction: “evasion’ not avoidance
Great news.
Catherine Delahunty of the Greens also found out that Amanda Gillies ( like Richardson and Garner) does not deserve our respect.
Soimon is UNfuckingBELIEVABLE!
On the news -” the Government should stop whining and get on with fixing the mess in the health system!” or words to that effect.
Well said Tony, after witnessing his attempts on both TV networks this morning I’m predicting that he will lead national to their biggest loss ever come 2020.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/04/national-government-didn-t-know-about-shocking-state-of-middlemore-hospital-simon-bridges.html
Wish Clark would start telling people about the clusterf#$k that Ryall/Key/Blinglish and Coleman created just in health.
A Comprehensive year by year listing of all the services cut back or removed including a grim reaper to show where Mental Health keeled over because not having a reasonable mental health system is asking for trouble in this modern world.
Then move on to Education, the environment, transport, housing etc in a format that’s easily understood so sheeple get the look and feel.
Sheeple don’t think so with the nact msm giving these unchallenged soapboxes the Govt runs a risk by not countering the BS.
Probably loik you, at toims I foind it difficult to unnastearn the bugger. Not unloik John Key going forwid.
But then I’VE JUSS BEEN LUSSNING ta Jearssie Mullgin – lissning bearnt Kriss Lewisand the nurryda .
I’l have to listen again because all I could hair was “ear ear ear” (going forward).
En oim a mouldabull genrayshull Nu Zullna liviing, and deeply embedded amongst the Mount Victoria Urban Liberal – even to the extent I’ve sampled most of the lower Marjoribank Street’s eateries.
Bugger me tho’…… I really will have to revisit and listen.
‘World leaders urged to act as anger over inequality reaches a ‘tipping point’
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/07/global-inequality-tipping-point-2030
same clowns.
In a similar vein….must be contagious
https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2018/04/should-we-mourn-our-cancelled-tax-cuts.html
“Though they’ll never admit it, the logical consequence of the Taxpayers’ Union’s policies is indistinguishable from that of every other “taxation is theft” outfit: expanding the domain of public pain by deliberately reducing the opportunities for its concerted public amelioration. Like the far-Right American lobbyist, Grover Norquist, they are determined to get the state down to “the size where we can drown it in the bathtub”
The rich are the problem – time to get rid of them.
I wouldnt phrase it so simplistically but agree with the general direction….the problem however is that too many comparatively well off see it as a personal attack whether or not their personal circumstances would be adversely affected or not…a case of ‘better the devil you know’ rather than ‘nothing to lose’ all wrapped up with fear.
There comes a tipping point.
Well, we can use legislation to get rid of them or that tipping point arrives and people in dire straights do dire things.
100%, Draco;
Vote for the only option left to us all now is socialism as capitalism is dead now because of human greed.
Yup
Clearly we are doing something wrong in NZ….
“New Zealand’s prison population is skyrocketing, and our jails are at breaking point.
The Netherlands has the opposite problem – they’re closing down prisons because inmate numbers have plummeted.”
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2018/04/dutch-prison-system-offers-inspiration-to-new-zealand.html
Yes savenz;
Holland use discipline far more than we do but temper it with a much higher level of humanity towards incarcerated and use rehabilitation and training to give hope to those who have faulted.
Like these people?
http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/26/13-vegan-athletes-smashing-it-on-a-meat-free-diet-5349835/
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
The most recent article from Craig Murray.
Brilliant satire.
“Despite this story being one of the most improbably wild conspiracy theories in human history, it is those who express any doubt at all as to its veracity who are smeared as “conspiracy theorists” or even “traitors”.”
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2018/04/portonblimp-down-episode-2-a-tale-by-boris-johnson/
If you favour sanctions for Russia, then have a read of this. Working people inside Russia are suffering. The last election was a joke, as mass protest against Putin suggest. “What protest in Russia” I hear you say, Christian Anarchists have been helping organising them, 300,000 people at one protest alone. All is not well in the oligarchic regime, what with them bleeding working Russians dry.
https://libcom.org/blog/tragic-events-russia-08042018
Do I need to mention a friend of mine is still in Prison, awaiting charges. Almost three years, now. Another guy I know has been given 5 years for Sedition, he was handing out fliers in support gay rights. His church is constantly being monitored, because they let LGBT members into the congregation.
Here’s a link to the article Simon Wilson wrote based on an interview with Johnathan Coleman. He claims to have known nothing about Middlemore (surprise, surprise!). Perhaps a bigger surprise – says he argued against tax cuts and for more funding for Health and Education” Wasn’t he the minister of health who presided over that?
“I can tell you right now I had no knowledge of that at all,” he said. “Absolutely none. And,” he added, speaking each word carefully, “I don’t lie.”
He said the Counties-Manukau district health board chair Lester Levy told a parliamentary select committee in February this year that they had two problems. “One was increased demand and the other was management of ageing infrastructure.” But he said Levy had not gone into any detail.
“It was never raised with us,” Coleman said. “Look. If I had known, this would have gone to the top of my list.”
Coleman cast himself as the champion of health. He told me that as health minister he battled inside Cabinet and caucus for more resources for his sector. “I asked for more money for health in each budget. It’s no secret that I advocated for more spending on health and education, instead of tax cuts.”
No secret, eh, Johnathan? I sure don’t recall hearing this from you in the past. What about all the “Labour is the party of tax” and “tax is theft” bullshit your party has spouted in recent times?
Probably one of the best kept National Party secrets (i.e. his advocacy in Cabinet for increased funding in the health sector).
I read that article and reflected on his claims. He did have leadership ambitions up until recently which is probably the reason he kept silent about his opposition to tax cuts.
It shows that in the Nat Party ambition trumps everything.
A bit harsh on Dr Death 🙂
He would have been sacked or have had to quit if he’d publicly gone against Key’s and Bingles’ desire for
tax cutsbribes the public didn’t even want.But then again he didn’t quit, did he.
Can imagine ponytail boy and bingles being too happy reading that Wilson interview…lol.
Just shows he was weak in Cabinet.
Continually got rolled.
Coleman, Levy and Mathias have show lack of commitment to our public health system while occupying positions of power within it.
Mathias, the Birthcare and Labtests entrepreneur. Levy the seemingly conflicted director of Tonkin and Taylor and Coleman groomed to become CEO of Acurity Healthcare.
Looks to me like they entered and left the public sector to suit their private sector agendas.
Lester Levy would have had his speech vetted by Colemans staff. Thats how these things work.
They certainly ‘managed ‘the Waikato DHB CEO scandal to push it out till after the election.
You can bet your bottom dollar the foreign country in question was the United States.
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2018/04/why-is-foreign-power-deciding-who-nz.html
Perhaps we should defer to @Wayne’s expertise and impartial opinion on the matter.
He should be along soon (when he gets time to indulge in a little conversation with a hard-left Labour Party blog site like TS.
You will be in trouble with lprent. It’s not a Labour Party blog-site.
I forgot the /sarc
From my recollection I am pretty sure the other country is Afghanistan. I recall various discussions with NZDF and MFAT officials on this particular point.
When forces are deployed in another country which has a legally constituted government (which Afghanistan had from about 2002/2003) naturally that country has a say in the scope of the ROE.
And as Exkiwiforces says there is also a status of forces agreement. Most of the legal jurisdiction over our forces remained with the New Zealand government.
Having read that post during my lunch and IMO it’s Afghanistan Government via what’s called a SOFA ( Status Of Forces Agreement) which covers everything from ROE, OFOF, LOAC, Size of the Military Force in the host nation, Religious stuff, respect of Local customs/ culture and use of locally employed contractors doing building, cleaning the dunnies etc etc as list is almost endless on the do’s and don’ts in the host nation.
Yes I think that would be the case as well.
The Iraq SOFA is very strict and this largely due to some of the muppet PMC’s aka Blackwater and the shit that went on during the last shit fight post invasion.
With the SOFA in place, and any information regarding how troops engaged or behaved under these agreements, and subject to classification – how would you see any unethical or out of scope behaviour by the NZ Army (most notably the decision makers) being able to be discovered, and verified?
I don’t know the full mechanics of how the SOFA works, but from what I do know that the host nation particularly those within the MER are very sensitive at gets released to the general public.
Some of the confronting shit I’ve/ We’ve have seen in MER which went against my/ our values and morals we had to sand back or turn our back as I/ we couldn’t intervene due to the SOFA. BTW it’s not to do with Combat or the POWs as the they came under LOAC, but it was cultural and Religious stuff.
Anyone want to have a go at Northcote on June 9th?
My personal pick would be Richard Hills the local Labour Councillor.
He would have as good a shot as any against a fairly significant National majority.
He would be the ideal candidate and – bless his cotton socks – he might even pull off a shock win.
Yes – but surely they’ll remain loyal to Shanan Halbert who did pretty well last year?
Happy to see the contagion of Croaker Coleman lifted no matter what the result tbh
Newshub congratulations to our sports stars for there win . Duncan New Zealand is as raciest as Taika Waititi is right with his statement .If I was brought up by my white father I would not be going through this Total harassment By the NEW ZEALAND POLICE they are using all the dirty tactics they can I read and see all the people whom the police have used to try and take me out . Can you justifie that . I am as proud as of my MAORI heritage and nothing is going to change that.
Jacinda you handled Dancan well I treat everyone with respect I try my best not to be raciest because in my eyes we are all one race the humans race. Race should be banded to the history books we have to ALL COME together to mitigate against climate change to survive look at the other ancient cultures that have collapse around Papatuanuku .
The Aucland Council should close that native forest track to save OUR ancient Kauri till they find a solution that stops the spread of that Kauri die back virus now.
As for jonathan coleman watch him bend his neck while he lies his—— off Ana to kai. P.S shonky was a master at suppressing information and minuplating information
Ka kite ano
The AM Show I agree with old Michele Barnett that OUR nurses deserve a pay rise they are just as important to OUR society as any the police . Paddy that’s the way ehoa tell it like you see it on Taika Waititi statement is correct P.S I am multi tasking on my computa .
Ana to kai Ka kite ano
The AM Show I detest bullies as I was bullied since my Greatgrandmother died . The New Zealand police are bulling me now and bulling everyone that I associate with
The thing is that I have a thick skin and it does not affect me as it does others Ana to kai Ka kite ano