Open mike 11/03/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 11th, 2013 - 65 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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Step right up to the mike…

65 comments on “Open mike 11/03/2013 ”

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  1. Jenny 1
    11 March 2013 at 6:41 am

    ‘

    http://www.thetorturewatch.com/index.html

    Did you know that the New Zealand secret police force, the SIS have an office in Suva?

    Did you know that the NZSIS have a working relationship with the security services of this regime?

    Did you know that the racist Fijian regime has just banned most political parties?

    Did you know that the racist Fijian regime has harsh anti-union laws?

    Do you know that New Zealanders are benefiting from the fascist terror visited on the Fijian people by the regime by enjoying cheap holidays there?

    So what can I do about it?

    If you need a holiday, ‘DON’T VISIT FASCIST FIJI’

    • millsy 1.1
      11 March 2013 at 9:03 pm

      Its also worth mentioning that Commodore Banimarama was trained by the Pinochet regime as well, on the infamous Esmeralda….

  2. Jenny 2
    11 March 2013 at 6:47 am

    Still feeling outraged and powerless?

    Buy some chalk from your local $2 shop.

    In capital letters…..

    Write on the curb outside your nearest travel agent.

    “DON’T VISIT FASCIST FIJI”

  3. Morrissey 3
    11 March 2013 at 6:59 am

    http://venezuelanalysis.com/video/8132
    Death of a ‘Dictator’: Hugo Chavez and the Media
    by AL JAZEERA, March 9th 2013

    As Venezuelans mourn the death of President Hugo Chavez, there has been an understandable rush to deliver the final verdict on his record and legacy.

    As far as most mainstream western media outlets are concerned, the judgment is clear. His death marks the end of a revolution; he leaves behind a dangerously divided country and an economy in shambles. 

But how accurate is this picture?

    Joining Inside Story Americas, with presenter Shihab Rattansi, are guests: Charles Hardy,who has lived in Caracas for 28 years working with the country’s poorest residents as a Catholic priest; Rory Carroll, the author of Comandante: Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela, and a correspondent with The Guardian newspaper; Steve Rendall, a senior analyst with Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting; and Alex Main, a senior associate at the centre for economic and policy research and a former consultant to the Venezuelan government.

    http://venezuelanalysis.com/video/8132

    • Bill 3.1
      11 March 2013 at 10:59 am

      Did Rory Carroll just get a bit of a kicking? I do believe he did…and deservedly so. What he and others of his ilk consistently overlook (and this is obviously aside from their more blatent bias and outright lying) is that corruption in Venezuela has and remains largely the preserve of the old reactionary bureaucracies and structures of power – structures that Chavez could have (some would argue should have) dismantled – but that he decided to counter by developing parallel institutions. The record is rife with manufactured crises coming off the back of the machinations of these actors (bureaucrats and business leaders who, it has to be said have an influence that penetrates the structures of law enforcement) who persist from the pre-Chavez era and who are in a position to disrupt production chains and distribution chains and stymie the democratic will of people whether those people be located in cooperatives or on re-distributed land.

      • Morrissey 3.1.1
        11 March 2013 at 8:21 pm

        Did Rory Carroll just get a bit of a kicking?

        He certainly did. He was exposed as a fraud and a shill for the extreme right wing, a task he has assiduously carried out for seven long years.

        He has also been repeatedly used as the “South American correspondent?” on the otherwise excellent National Radio show This Way Up. A couple of years, I remonstrated with host Simon Morton about this; he did not even bother to reply.

    • Ugly Truth 3.2
      11 March 2013 at 8:24 pm

      In their ‘look back’ at the life of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the BBC have been quick to rewrite the events of the 2002 coup.

      James Robbins summarised:

      In 2002 the whole country was embroiled in a general strike and Chavez was briefly pushed from office. But just two days later, after his supporters, mainly the poor, took to the streets, President Chavez was back in the palace.

      The events during which Hugo Chavez was ‘pushed from office’ were, contrary to Robbins’s claims, not the result of a general strike. Rather, the footage shown by the BBC was filmed during a violent coup attempted by opposition parties. The general strike occurred in December 2002, 7 months after the coup attempt, during which Chavez remained in office.

      http://www.newsunspun.org/eotn/bbc-misinforms-about-venezuelas-2002-opposition-coup

      The 2002 coup was arguably driven by US oil interests, as it occurred within days of the US oil supply being threatened by other countries.

      http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/apr/21/usa.venezuela

  4. Ad 4
    11 March 2013 at 7:06 am

    Brownlee’s commentary on Auckland’s Central City Future Access should be out very soon. Expect something like:

    Agree with the concept, things are getting bad, but erm, need a different route, oh it all seems to expensive and too hard, call for another study, let’s keep thinking. (And so goes the history of Auckland, again).

  5. felixviper 5
    11 March 2013 at 7:14 am

    Interesting choice of words from Corin Dann at about 1:20

    There’s no doubt about it, David Cunliffe has been weakened by that debacle at the end of the year, at the end of last year where he pushed for the coup – didn’t really happen

    http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/political-week-video-5364513

    I for one commend Mr Dann for making it clear when he’s reporting on a fictional story. 😉

    • Socialist Paddy 5.1
      11 March 2013 at 7:51 am

      But … but … but

      Trevor said it was happening and he was tweeting about it even before it occurred so it must be true.

    • tc 5.2
      11 March 2013 at 8:05 am

      The hollowmen smile everytime this does the rounds by their media muppetts.

      Speaking of muppetts ‘media watch’ on RNZ yesterday dissected the TV3 Anna Guy love in nicely with one Patrick Gower playing his part in carping on about something else that never happened when he tweeted that she’d be stating who she thought Scotts killer was.

      Gower’s getting really good at making stuff up.

      Ratings fodder using the death of someone for your own promotional ends…classy.

    • Rogue Trooper 5.3
      11 March 2013 at 2:10 pm

      more premature ejaculation

    • Morrissey 5.4
      11 March 2013 at 8:23 pm

      Corin Dann is just not up to the job he is supposed to be doing. Am I the only one who thinks he lacks the wherewithal to report coherently and intelligently on politics?

      • muzza 5.4.1
        11 March 2013 at 8:26 pm

        Come on Mozza, you know full well why those seen and heard in the media, are there!

        Like a puppet on a string – Its the editors and producers who really need to be worked over!

  6. Skinny 6
    11 March 2013 at 7:58 am

    Listening to RNZ this morning angered me to hear Kiwi Rail’s General Manager appear to lie about the Kaimai tunnel near gassing of workers. I’ve copied the link from the Union spokesperson which gives a better idea of what happened. How the hell can the Manager involved ‘do the investigation.’ talk about a cover up!  When will these Bosses take Health & Safety seriously? 

    Link; http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/130123/union-slates-kiwirail-over-worker-safety
     

    • joe90 6.1
      11 March 2013 at 8:38 am

      Talking to a union member during the weekend and was told that the contractors were engaged by management despite an agreement that where in house staff are available no outside labour will be employed.

      • Skinny 6.1.1
        11 March 2013 at 9:18 am

        Sounds about right- get in non union contract labour not use to tunnel working conditions, unlike the rail workers that usually do the work and would be fully trained and experienced in tunnel work. Probably find that Manager got in the contractors trying to save money?

        • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1
          11 March 2013 at 2:43 pm

          Save the organisation money, load costs and risks on to the wider community.

  7. johnm 7
    11 March 2013 at 8:01 am

    The NeoLiberal scourge affecting Western Australia now.

    “Social crisis to intensify after Western Australian election”

    “As Western Australians vote in today’s state election, the corporate elite has made it plain that the next government, whether Liberal or Labor, must move far more ruthlessly to cut social spending and drive down wages and conditions.

    During the election campaign two global rating agencies, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s, put WA’s AAA credit rating on a “negative outlook,” warning of downgrades unless public spending was slashed. In other words, austerity has been placed at the top of the agenda in the so-called mining boom state.”

    http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/03/09/wain-m09.html

  8. geoff 8
    11 March 2013 at 8:26 am

    It’s not only Labour rank & file that have been let down by their caucus, National’s core isn’t happy with the direction their party has gone:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/8404797/How-well-is-New-Zealand-working

    So we have National abandoning the principles of its primary supporters so it can maintain a centrist, populist appearance. They can afford to do this because their party faithful really don’t have an alternative party to vote for (ACT is dead). Labour, like cargo-cultists, blindly mimic what National has done in the vain hope that centrist popularity must surely come their way soon. In reality, they’re just losing votes to the Greens, Mana, Maori & NZF and even National.

    Labour hasn’t realised that centrist voters are mostly politically ignorant followers of trends. If Labour had a leader who could articulate a convincing political vision then their popularity would rise and the centrist voters (let’s call them what they are, sheep) would flood across to Labour.

    David Shearer and his advisors are not the poeple to do this. For all his good qualities, he is not, and never will be, a politician. I think I could forgive his poor public speaking skills if he had politicial vision, but he does not. He is not the person for the job.

    • tc 8.1
      11 March 2013 at 8:41 am

      Yes I think you’ll find in looking after the 1% NACT are effectively leaving the bulk of NZ out of their carve up.

      If only we had an effective opposition, it’s litlle wonder apathy was the biggest non turnout in 2011.

      a.k.a. the death of the middle class, climb up quickly or get sucked down.

    • Draco T Bastard 8.2
      11 March 2013 at 11:53 am

      In reality, they’re just losing votes to the Greens, Mana, Maori & NZF and even National.

      All good except the latter two parties. As I’ve said before, the faster that Labour becomes a minor party the batter.

    • RedBaronCV 8.3
      11 March 2013 at 8:44 pm

      And Stevie Joyce’s response is to say that the PM is in Mexico working on theTPP as if that is going to help the economy. Should we distract Key with another sombrero to wear.

  9. Adrian 9
    11 March 2013 at 9:20 am

    Clare Trevett has at last nailed Key, in Chile she has called him ” all gumboots and no cow”. Brilliant, even if it’s stolen from Texas.

    • bad12 9.1
      11 March 2013 at 9:37 am

      Things might get a little frosty round the Cabinet table for the Slippery little Shyster upon His return to NZ,

      Egotistically bagging the whole National Government Cabinet should have gone down really well among His colleagues in Wellington, although the allusion to the serious lack of intellect the present Cabinet are as a group inflicted with is in my opinion one of Slippery’s more truthful public utterances which are few and far between…

      • fenderviper 9.1.1
        11 March 2013 at 11:51 am

        For the first time ever I actually felt a smidgen of respect for Keys new-found honesty when he admitted that the dropkick MP for Otaki Nathan Guy was an example of the talent in his Govt., as the dropkick Guy put his hand on an electric fence.

        They sure as hell need an intellectual boost but I doubt electric shock treatment will make much difference, but it’s worth a try, just crank up the voltage I say!

        • Rogue Trooper 9.1.1.1
          11 March 2013 at 4:20 pm

          couldn’t have happened to a more apt Guy (have you ever listened to him talk, Wow, just Wow!)

    • tc 9.2
      11 March 2013 at 10:27 am

      Watch her go straight back to fawning mode, predictable as night follows day otherwise she misses out on the junkets.

      • rosy 9.2.1
        11 March 2013 at 11:48 pm

        hmmm Maybe that explains this piece:

        The promise was a cornerstone of National’s election platform but Mr Key was clearly close to losing his rag when it seemed his insistence that the pledge would be honoured wasn’t enough to stop the questions.

        After accusing reporters of playing games, he flew out to South America and seemed much happier trying on sombreros and drumming up support for New Zealand’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.

        Meanwhile, ministers’ offices – with some notable exceptions, including Bill English, Steven Joyce and Paula Bennett – increasingly hide behind press releases, as the bunker mentality takes root. Even Mr Key’s chief press secretary, Kevin Taylor, circled the wagons some time ago. Mr Taylor’s main contact with major media outlets these days is to fire off missives from deep within the Beehive when he takes criticism of the Government personally.

        Did Tracy Watkins miss out on the South America trip? Key might have some making up to do.

  10. joe90 10
    11 March 2013 at 10:13 am

    A former Massey Energy operating officer has dumped on his boss so I wonder what the odds are on Whittall fingering John Dow for his role in the Pike River deaths.

    .http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/03/08/don-blankenship-dark-lord-coal-country-implicated-upper-big-branch-mine-explosion-deaths

    • Rogue Trooper 10.1
      11 March 2013 at 4:44 pm

      Pr 13:7 One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. 😉

  12. captain hook 12
    11 March 2013 at 12:21 pm

    nearly fell off the floor when I read the dom post saturday supplement about farrar and slater whining about trolls.
    the writer obviously came down in the last shower from j-skool or had orders to whitewash them.
    those two used to be the biggest trolls on trade me opinions when the morgans were in control and they seemed to have free reign to malign curse and swear at anyone they disagreed with and to have their opposition removed.
    farrar called himself ‘feeder’ and slater used several non de plumes.
    now they seem to think they have some sort of status that elevates them above the crap that they are engaged in still and neither of them mentioned that anyone that disagrees on their own for want of a better word publications is removed asap.
    fair is foul and in this case foul is fair.
    dont let them get away with it.

    • blue leopard 12.1
      11 March 2013 at 1:18 pm

      @ Captain Hook
      +1

    • fenderviper 12.2
      11 March 2013 at 1:34 pm

      +1 Captain Hook.

      Yes I too nearly collapsed in laughter when I saw that while visiting the folks on Sat. Nowadays I avoid the Dom Post but always have a flick through when visiting them, often just to point out the propaganda being employed in an attempt to get the old boy to end his subscription, but the silly old fella loves his paper and doesn’t seem to care what rubbish is dished up to him, sad really.

  13. The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 13
    11 March 2013 at 1:48 pm

    McCoskerie doing that annoying thing people on the left usually do:

    http://bobmccoskrie.com/?p=7298

    Step 1: Claim something (anything, in this case, the right to a mother and a father) to be a right.

    Step 2: Complain that your rights are being taken from you.

  14. prism 14
    11 March 2013 at 1:58 pm

    GF.. Seems like your biscuits have gone soft if you think Bob McWhatsname has anything to do with the left.

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 14.1
      11 March 2013 at 2:16 pm

      Where did I claim that?

      PS: see how the reply function works?

      • Arfamo 14.1.1
        11 March 2013 at 9:35 pm

        That’s true. You didn’t claim that McCoskrie is a lefty. You just made a statement about what you reckon people on the left do. Then in the next couple of sentences you made two more statements about what McCoskrie said that did not actually follow the first statement, but it looked like they did. So it conveyed a completely misleading impression. Something that Winston Peters and people on the right often do.

      • blue leopard 14.1.2
        12 March 2013 at 12:11 am

        “seems like your biscuits have gone soft”
        LOL

  15. Rogue Trooper 15
    11 March 2013 at 2:43 pm

    It was 4300 people tested positive for drugs at work in 2012 (mainly pot yet opiates appear to be on the up)

    re the CC (ropata) read that the contribution of voluntary time and effort by their members is down.
    (did you know that a pelican scoops up 10 litres of water when in a feeding dive?; watching the coordination of flocks of birds flying in protective harmony from bald eagles promotes lamentation for our species, however, a misanthropist no more… 😉 )

    another Weil, Simone
    -pupil of radical individualist philosopher Alain
    -platonic (yuck) mystical anarcho-syndicalist ideals
    -converted
    -eccentric
    -Interpreted Catholic forms / main themes, God, creation, death, Redemption… through the concepts of ancient Greek phil., emphasizing the impersonal and contemplative. However, first, and foremost,
    a Political Activist

    RNZ- Car Parks in Auck and Well. to receive a $1500 / year carpark tax increase.

    40 more years to decommission Fukishima (pray there are no more Large seismic events) ; 300 000 people still in temporary shelter.

    Abelard- a”nominalist”; universals are utterances (voces)
    -on freedom and divine providence? not merely our acts, but our free acts, which we are free to avoid.

    abandonment (absence of any sources of ethical authority, ie, our freakin govt.) is only a prelude to the recognition that ethical values can be grounded from within a reflective understanding of the conditions under which individuals can attain authenticity in their lives. Thus, the conception of abandonment is essentially an existentialist dramatization of Kant’s rejection of heteronomous conceptions of value in favour of the autonomy of good will.

    For a Kantian moralist, moral maturity crucially involves the recognition of autonomy. Heteronomy, in any form, entails that we are passive under some command or impulsion which we do not, can not initiate.

    UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination concerns over NZ / Aotearoa
    -absence of a strategy to address racial hatred on the internet Cam
    -over-representation of Maori and pasifika communities in the criminal justice system

    Joris de Bres- ” Treaty process has a long way to go… (racism based on fear and ignorance)

    FIANZ president, Dr. Anwar-ul Ghani- “RADIO TALKBACK reveals the ugly side of kiwi society in terms of racial prejudice.” Good on ya’ Jocks, keep up the valuable work!

    B http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pataphysics oops, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baudrillard
    B http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourdieu

    (not a cloud in the sky O’Hare today)

  16. Jenny 16
    11 March 2013 at 7:01 pm

    ‘

    Very good news. For the first time, in a very long time, the two words climate change are mentioned on the Green Party home page.

    In a headline that reads almost as an admission of their own behaviour:

    Frog writes:

    Climate change – two dirty little words nobody wants to mention…..

    As well as the condemnatory headline, the post by frog ends with this quote:

    ……The country needs to start preparing for climate change, the effects are hitting now and we’re not ready because this National Government has its head in the sand.

    There’s going to be plenty of that around at this rate.

    http://www.greens.org.nz/node/30811

    Let us pray that frog is wrong. And that the Green Party becomes the one leading the charge to pull their head out of the sand of climate change ignoring.
    May the Green Party be the first major political party to pull their head out of the sand on climate change. May the Green Party vow to make climate change an electoral issue in 2014. Becoming outspoken on this global menace, the Green Party by bringing this issue into the public arena will force the rest of the parliamentary parties to break their silence and have to state their position on this global menace.

  17. Jenny 17
    11 March 2013 at 7:13 pm

    ‘

    Very good news. For the first time, in a very long time, the two words climate change are mentioned on the Green Party home page.

    In a headline that reads almost as an admission of their own behaviour:

    Frog writes:

    Climate change – two dirty little words nobody wants to mention…..

    As well as the condemnatory headline, the post by frog ends with this quote:

    ……The country needs to start preparing for climate change, the effects are hitting now and we’re not ready because this National Government has its head in the sand.

    There’s going to be plenty of that around at this rate.

    The last sentence by frog “There’s going to be plenty of this around”, by not omitting the Green Party from this accusation, is an almost open admission that the Green Party along with all the others has its head in the sand over climate change.

    Let us pray that frog is wrong. And that there is not “going to be plenty of this around”, ANYMORE. Let us hope that we will witness the Green Party become the political party leading the charge to pull their head out of the sand of climate change ignoring.

    May the Green Party be the first major political party to pull their head out of the sand on climate change.
    May the Green Party vow to make climate change an electoral issue in 2014.
    May the Green party by being outspoken on this global menace bring this issue into the public arena.
    May the Green Party by being openly outspoken on climate change, challenge the rest of the parliamentary parties to break their silence on this global menace and state their relative positions on climate change so that they are judged by the voting public.

    • muzza 17.1
      11 March 2013 at 7:28 pm

      Geo-Engineering,

      Maybe stop playing with the environment first, then it might be possible to understand what its actually doing.

      Where do the greens stand on that issue Jenny?

      • Jenny 17.1.1
        11 March 2013 at 8:30 pm

        I don’t understand your question, muzza. And maybe you should address it to the Green Party.

        But I would try and be a bit clearer first.

      • muzza 17.2.1
        12 March 2013 at 8:49 am

        The only trails were left by jets which did not show up as civilian, commercial or private traffic. This conclusion isn’t open to debate, and it isn’t a theory – it is a fact which can be verified by anyone with an iPhone and at least one eye, and the ability to tilt the head skyward

        Basically this – There are a few different plane finder type apps, flight radar24 being another. The same commercial planes show up on all the software I use, but the same plane also do NOT show up when I am watching, and filming them over AKL, 5 times sice May 2011. Living on the flight paths helps check the function of the apps, they work just as well in NZ, as they do in Europe and the USA.

        People want to get up in arms about CC, well you same people should be looking very closely into what is going on with geo-engineering, because the two will be linked, and if you want to fight for your family, friends etc futures I would advise getting very interested in whats going on over your heads!

        • muzza 17.2.1.1
          12 March 2013 at 8:50 am

          No edit function – Should read 5 times since May 2012.

        • One Tāne Huna 17.2.1.2
          12 March 2013 at 9:22 am

          Do you wear your anorak when you go plane-spotting, Muzza?

          • muzza 17.2.1.2.1
            12 March 2013 at 10:41 am

            Hello Bloke, how you doing today…

            Would it reassure you in being able to dismiss the topic, if I answered yes?

            • One Tāne Huna 17.2.1.2.1.1
              12 March 2013 at 11:14 am

              Dismiss the topic? Nope.

              Reject the notion that your amateur plane spotting is somehow relevant or useful? Yep.

              • muzza …
                12 March 2013 at 2:25 pm

                Reject the notion that your amateur plane spotting is somehow relevant or useful? Yep.

                Whatever helps you feel you have a grip is your choice Bloke, just remember that I’m one person of many, and that number is steadily increasing, along with the admissions of what is going on, as the covering up becomes increasingly absurd!

                Also, as a personal tip to assist you, with what is no doubt a difficult navigation of lifes journey, try accepting there are people who know/understand/experienced more than your have in some aspects of life, the same way that you will know/understand/experience more on some matters, than others.

                Obvious, but important, you can do it.

                • bad12 …
                  12 March 2013 at 2:37 pm

                  Whatever these ‘trails’ are they are certainly not your average garden variety jet exhaust trails,

                  i live above Wellington airport and the difference between the two forms of ‘trail’ is stark,

                  ‘Normal’ jet exhaust trails stay ‘up’ in the sky for a while befor dissipating, the ‘other’ form of trail i have witnessed from high flying jets,( 2 at once over Wellington a couple of summers ago), quite rapidly sink down through any clouds around toward the Earth…

    • bad12 17.3
      12 March 2013 at 9:10 am

      But, but, but, you got the Emissions Trading Scheme from the last Labour Government supported by the Greens,

      The voting public were lead to believe that the ETS would fix ‘climate change’…

  18. McFlock 18
    11 March 2013 at 10:47 pm

    Somewhat intrigued by this carpark tax. Does that mean cabinet ministers will pay tax on their protection details, govt limos and whatever the rate is when their driver illegally parks the limo while the minister gets a haircut?

  19. Colonial Viper 19
    11 March 2013 at 11:05 pm

    Oil production after Hugo Chavez

    http://www.theoildrum.com/node/9880

    He said that there are 150 different clusters of oil wells in the Belt, but the goal in the next six years is to increase that number to 500. Before the nationalization of the Belt, there were just 37 clusters.

    The clusters are comprised of 24 separate oil wells, each of which extract around 1,200 barrels per day. At these facilities, hydrocarbons are extracted using 45-meter drills purchased in Venezuela and assembled in Venezuela.

    “All this has been nationalized, which before was the property of multinationals, and production has also been increased,” the president said. He recalled that before the government took control of the Belt, there were just 2,800 wells, while now there are more than 4,000.</blockquote.