Open Mike 12/10/2017

69 comments on “Open Mike 12/10/2017 ”

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1. Patricia Bremner 1

   12 October 2017 at 6:47 am

   Here we are then. Awaiting the outcome of the negotiations. May fairness prevail.
   • ScottGN 1.1

     12 October 2017 at 7:06 am

     I’ve given up reading or watching anything from the political commentariat. It’s all just so much rubbish.
   • cleangreen 1.2

     12 October 2017 at 9:12 am

     Agreed Patricia,

     I am confident that Winston has NZ future in his heart as he goes forward today.

     he cares passonately about our beautiful country as we all do, and he wants to return NZ to a solid future where we can again feel as we all some say into how our future is planned and not just exclusively by large vested corporate interests as we now see happening now.

     This is Winston’s most compeling message he sends us all when we attend any public meetings he speaks at.

     We are in good hands with Winston & NZF.
     • Cinny 1.2.1

       12 October 2017 at 12:08 pm

       +1 CleanGreen, I feel the same
     • Grantoc 1.2.2

       12 October 2017 at 1:11 pm

       Really; you’re in la la land if you think we’re in “good hands with Winston and NZF”.
2. Ad 2

   12 October 2017 at 8:23 am

   How to avoid sexually harassing someone.
   A quick hack, approved on Twitter by The Rock himself:

   https://medium.com/@annevictoriaclark/the-rock-test-a-hack-for-men-who-dont-want-to-be-accused-of-sexual-harassment-73c45e0b49af
3. Richard Christie 3

   12 October 2017 at 10:03 am

   .
   For the life of me I cannot understand why intelligent people take any notice of Twitter at all. It’s a forum for intellectually crippled discourse.

   Worse, the practise of filing “news” stories padded out with Twitter comments, often anonymous, is the ultimate in lazy journalism.

   [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.]
   
   • Draco T Bastard 3.1

     12 October 2017 at 10:12 am

     It’s a forum for intellectually crippled discourse.

     Not really. I don’t read every tweet but many Twitter conversations are quite enlightening.
   • Ad 3.2

     12 October 2017 at 10:20 am

     The best are treatable as Zen Koans. Or something as concise as William Carlos Wiliams.

     It sure teaches concision.

     Think of The Standard as a good-sized regional road through a city with lots of side streets. Think of Twitter as one stretch of highway where you get on fast into brutal traffic and get off at the next exit.
4. Draco T Bastard 4

   12 October 2017 at 10:08 am

   Why Were Police Tapping the Phones of NZ Human Rights Activists?

   But trespassing in New Zealand carries a maximum sentence of just three months. Police could not lawfully get a surveillance warrant to investigate such a minor charge.
   When repeatedly asked for comment by VICE, Police wouldn’t state what justified the surveillance.
   A Police spokesperson told VICE, “for operational reasons Police are not able to respond to requests which seek to confirm or deny if a person or organisation is under investigation.”

   One wonders how the police even managed to get a warrant for this spying and if they even followed the law to do so.
   • greywarshark 4.1

     12 October 2017 at 10:26 am

     DTB
     But, but, but it was needed for homeland security! There is so much to be afraid of, particularly people who express ideas.

     Ideas that are different from those established by conformists are obviously dangerous, and are a threat that the police, charged with prevention of crime must become aware of. Listening into conversations provides useful information to the point of establishing when the originating thought might be first uttered, or picked up as code by experienced snoopers, or be seen as starting possible behaviours that would lead to some criminal act, violence or subversion. /sarc

     (Likely to be found in some possible police manual that might have been written, is in the process of, or is just in the mind of some officious official at present.)
   • marty mars 4.2

     12 October 2017 at 10:34 am

     +1 this is an abuse of power. Prison rights activists ffs. The police have learned nothing since their terror raids 10 years ago.
5. RedLogix 5

   12 October 2017 at 10:12 am

   Interesting information from Australia.

   1. Foreign buyers account for an estimated 26 per cent of new property purchases in NSW

   2. Citizens of China (including Macau and Hong Kong) and Taiwan account for 87 per cent of overseas buyers

   3.Foreign buyers spent about $10 billion over the past year on NSW, Victorian and Queensland real estate

   http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-11/foreign-buyers-not-deterred-by-rising-stamp-duty/9038014

   Which is probably why our local front for the CCCP (aka National) doesn’t want to collect any data.
   • Draco T Bastard 5.1

     12 October 2017 at 10:16 am

     And puts some perspective on Labour’s ‘Chinese sounding names’. In fact, all the evidence from around the world where these types of studies have been done are showing that Chinese buyers are a large part of the problem. It’s naive to think that NZ is any different – especially when we have even less restrictions than those countries and no CGT.
     • marty mars 5.1.1

       12 October 2017 at 10:30 am

       Think about it – Chinese sounding names – what about Lee, is that Chinese sounding? What about if they changed their names to Harris or Smith – would the situation improve? Chinese sounding names is a euphemism for straight racism imo. And it actually hides the real issues around foreign ownership and citizenship. So it fails on many levels and does nothing to improve the situation for non Chinese sounding named people. Sad.
       • Stuart Munro 5.1.1.1

         12 October 2017 at 10:41 am

         It was probably more correct to say Chinese names. It is perfectly possible to extract ethnicity data from a list of names. Names like Lee in a population have a consistent and predictable percentage of European origin and another of Asian origin.

         The “Chinese sounding names” was a successful Gnat communications dirty trick. It diverted attention from foreign buyers and from Gnat complicity. It also turned a lot of activist comment against them. Had Twyford’s intention been racist it would be reasonable to expect some other evidence of this personality flaw. None exists of course.
         • marty mars 5.1.1.1.1

           12 October 2017 at 10:46 am

           Twyford did base his initial and subsequent efforts on Chinese sounding names not Chinese names (if there is such a beastie) I thought. The underlining debate is important and valid, the framing not so much imo. Maybe Chinese looking people might have worked…
           • Stuart Munro 5.1.1.1.1.1

             12 October 2017 at 11:04 am

             He couldn’t have done ‘Chinese looking’ because the sales data didn’t come with photos.

             There are of course Chinese names – though some of them occur in other countries too – Lee for example is one of the four most common surnames in Korea. It’s quite possible to divide English names between southern and northern origins or frequency in those areas. It is much easier to distinguish names with other language origins. I know something about this, having done a bit of corpus linguistics.

             Twyford’s data was good – not perfect, but it cast some light on the void the Gnats created to hide their misdeeds. And all subsequent data has tended to confirm it.
             • marty mars …

               12 October 2017 at 11:36 am

               Well we’ll never know if a different push would have yielded better results. I spose all the Canadians and us college pension funds and ukians must be quaking in their boots. First they came for the wongs and we did nothing, then the wilsons but because that wasn’t my name I let it go…

               Quite a history of this in this country. Even now better to be a Jones than Parata when trying to get a flat for some reason…
               • joe90 …

                 12 October 2017 at 11:42 am

                 when trying to get a flat for some reason…

                 Which is why an Irish immigrant family I knew when I was a kid changed their name from Kehoe to Keogh.
                 • marty mars …

                   12 October 2017 at 11:48 am

                   Lot of germans did too after the war – seems to have happened a lot.
                   • joe90 …

                     12 October 2017 at 11:57 am

                     This was in the mid-sixties and it was the first time I realised that discrimination and racial bias was a thing,
                   • marty mars …

                     12 October 2017 at 12:02 pm

                     So sad the Irish persecuted there and here. Not acceptable imo
                   • joe90 …

                     12 October 2017 at 12:11 pm

                     Marty, because of the way they spelt their name it was assumed they were Māori, and they were denied rental accommodation.
                   • marty mars …

                     12 October 2017 at 12:49 pm

                     Wow i finally get it. Thanks Joe.
               • Stuart Munro …

                 12 October 2017 at 12:08 pm

                 All good of course except they never did come for the Wongs. And NZ land is still being sold offshore by this execrable pack of traitors – not Twyford.
                 • marty mars …

                   12 October 2017 at 3:50 pm

                   So the twyford approach didn’t work? Has it made it better or worse for kiwis? What about for the 5th generation kiwi Wongs?
                   • Stuart Munro …

                     12 October 2017 at 4:12 pm

                     Oh there may be some hurt feelings among 5th generation Chinese kiwis. There are hurt feelings among people struggling for housing too. Of the two I’m more concerned about those with housing stress.

                     All the parallel data from offshore, and qualitative data from onshore indicates that Chinese investment has been a significant driver of NZ house price inflation. And the government got a free pass on enabling that because they sold Twyford’s critique as ‘racism’.
                   • marty mars …

                     12 October 2017 at 4:54 pm

                     Funny they are both the same in my book although I spose as 5th generation they could feel even more aggrieved because they can’t buy a house and less generation euros think they are to blame because of the way they may look.
           • McFlock 5.1.1.1.1.2

             12 October 2017 at 3:14 pm

             Actually, no, he didn’t.

             The original analysis took the list of names from the property sales, the list of names from the census ethnicity data, and identified a massive discrepancy between the two. Purchaser names like “Lee” were weighted according to the proportion of census respondents called “Lee” who were e.g. ethnically Chinese vs ethnically Scottish.

             Labour never said the methodology was perfect, just that there seemed to be a discrepancy and that this crude attempt was the best data available under the National government, and we should have better data on overseas buyers.

             The “Chinese sounding names” soundbite was a tory shill construction to dodge the issue Labour raised, and it worked.
             • marty mars …

               12 October 2017 at 3:46 pm

               Good clarification – couldn’t really remember. As I said I don’t disagree with the discussion or even the conclusions but it was a crude attempt that just gave the racists and xenophobes ammo. I find it hard to imagine the pointy heads within labour didn’t think that through but then again that was then and this is now. Can’t see Jacinda allowing that approach now.
         • mary_a 5.1.1.1.2

           12 October 2017 at 12:53 pm

           @ Stuart (5.1.1.1) … “Names like Lee in a population have a consistent and predictable percentage of European origin and another of Asian origin.”

           That’s true.

           And for some reason or other, the name Lee appears frequently throughout the British Romany population also.

           Proves name alone cannot be used to confirm ethnicity.
           • Stuart Munro 5.1.1.1.2.1

             12 October 2017 at 1:43 pm

             Lee would cause a few problems – but first names would go some way to sorting out the continent. There’s probably a whole project in that name for an enterprising onomastician – but if it were too complex to sort it could be safely put to one side without compromising the overall data significantly.
       • greywarshark 5.1.1.2

         12 October 2017 at 11:04 am

         Think further about it. The reason for talking about ‘Chinese sounding names’ is because the Government of National Party NZ had no wish to know or reveal to others the extent of foreign buyers ‘investing’ in NZ infrastructure, namely no-risk housing. So they didn’t keep close records, were loose about it, and evasive when questioned.

         Twyford was reduced to trawling through all the names to get some approximate idea of extent and get some stats as a basis for discussion. He wanted the sort of information that shows up in RedLogix at 10.12am. Don’t cuss Phil Twyford, save your spittle for the National Party of the World (formerly NZ).
         • marty mars 5.1.1.2.1

           12 October 2017 at 11:30 am

           I will cuss those I deem deserve a cussing. Sorry if you disagree.
   • Ad 5.2

     12 October 2017 at 10:28 am

     There has been plenty of negative commentary at Bloomberg about Australia recently. It covers real estate of course, but also brittle government, commodity cycle reliance, and even their massive superannuation funds under management.

     I view Chinese property and business purchasing with the same kind of threat as British purchasing and ownership for our first 150 years. It formed us, sucked a lot of profit out of us, and did both good and bad. IMHO Bruce Jesson gets the balance right in his book “To Build a Nation: collected writings 1975-1999”. He traces and graphs many of the British ownership networks.

     The most interesting part of a new government is where Winston and the new government land on foreign land ownership .
6. Cinny 6

   12 October 2017 at 12:06 pm

   Dear Jetstar

   After what we experienced at the airport today, my family and friends have decided to never ever fly with your airline again. I will be advising others not to use your airline either.

   Dear Public, if you wish to fly Nelson to Wellington, don’t fly Jetstar, instead there is the national airline AirNZ or another awesome awesome service that we have never had problems with is Sounds Air. We’ve travelled back and forth to Welly numerous times, but this will be the first and last time we will ever fly Jetstar.

   I felt so sorry for the manager who had to follow rules and options on the computer instead of being able to use her own common sense, you did your best lovely lady, you did your best, it wasn’t your fault.

   Needed to vent, that is all. It’s a beautiful day in Motueka.
   • Once was Tim 6.1

     12 October 2017 at 1:00 pm

     You’re not alone! But then they’re part of Qantas. Famous for misreading baggage labels
     What is it about Joyces? Alan….. Barnaby…..Steven. 3 I’ve had the misfortune to cross paths with
   • Ed 6.2

     12 October 2017 at 1:44 pm

     So what happened?
     • Cinny 6.2.1

       12 October 2017 at 5:41 pm

       LMFAO.. seeing you asked.. way to much drama lolz.

       A child was accidently booked on as an adult, said child had no ID on her, go home and get some ID they say (home is up to 2hrs return on the open road lolz), why dosen’t she have a cell phone they ask, you could use that (far out lady not every kid has a phone), but look she has an IPad, oh sorry only a cellphone will do, her passport would have be fine, but her passport photo was when she was a toddler, yes that would be fine they say.
       Umm the school sports top she is wearing has her name on it, she is accompanied by her grandmother, grandfather and lil sister, but still they don’t believe miss twelve is who she says she is. Does she have school ID, umm she isn’t at high school yet, would a public library card do, no sorry, wait what… she had to bring in her birth cert to get a public library card in the first place.

       Ummm sorry she has too much carry on… bag, sleeping bag and a birthday gift in a box, we will have to check in that luggage, and that will cost you an extra $70, but don’t worry, it will only cost an extra $13.50 for the trip back if you pay for it now.

       Sheez I felt bad for my folks, it was so nice of them to take her there as I had to work. And it was so generous of the person who shouted her the flight, I felt bad for them too, they would not have wanted anyone to go through all the drama

       If we change her ticket from an adult to a child that will cost you an extra (insert large ammount here), are you serious? It wasn’t a cheap flight to start with, but if she is booked as a child she won’t need ID…. far out unreals.

       Apparently the manager was great, but you have to make your decisions in accordance to the options on the screen. In the end they let her on, but what a freakin circus. A nice lady in the queue offered to accompany her on the plane so she wouldn’t be travelling alone, and that was acceptable to the airline.

       The werid thing is neither of my kids have been asked for personal ID before when flying alone, the adult dropping them off/picking them up is required to have ID, and just fill in the form. But then again they’ve never been on Jetstar and never will again lolololz

       Miss 12 has since arrived safe and sound in fabulous Wellywood, and as long as I scan and email her some ID she should be able to get home again. She’s going to have the best time.

       Meanwhile in stark contrast… the day prior we went to book her bus ticket, and the lady at our local info centre, asked her if she would like to go behind the counter and she would talk her through doing the booking herself, miss twelve buzzed out about that, no ID required. Love Motueka.

       Once were Tim, sounds like Joyces aren’t so joyful lololz

       Ed, that looks like a great clip thank you 😀 Will check it out
       • Ed 6.2.1.1

         12 October 2017 at 5:47 pm

         Thank you for sharing.
         Jetstar is just another symptom of neoliberalism.
   • Ed 6.3

     12 October 2017 at 1:45 pm

     Are they as bad as this bunch of clowns?
7. UncookedSelachimorpha 7

   12 October 2017 at 1:17 pm

   Important story on RNZ today, a community law lawyer is pointing out that the WINZ review system entirely lacks independence and the process is a crock from any reasonable legal perspective. The “review” is by WINZ staff and tends to just rubber stamp whatever outcome WINZ is already seeking. Questioning of “witnesses” hectors and badgers and uses leading questions, that would never be allowed in any fair court or tribunal.

   More abuse of process, in NZ’s continuing abuse of the vulnerable.

   http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/341404/lawyer-urges-independent-benefit-reviews
   • Ed 7.1

     12 October 2017 at 1:43 pm

     As Chris Trotter says, Winston Peters should support a de- neoliberalisation of all NZ’s institutions, in the same way de Nazification was completed post WW2.
8. adam 8

   12 October 2017 at 1:22 pm

   Big ups to Peace Action Wellington – these wonderful people did a fine job yesterday of blockaded the entrance to the Westpac Stadium, and stopping the Hawks from there purchases of death.

   Love how the NZ police react with violence to peaceful protest, must make them feel like real men.

   They even got to beat up a disabled man, did our bully boys in blue.

   https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/97713861/peace-action-blockades-westpac-stadium-arms-industry-forum

   Love the spin at the end of the stuff piece, it will make all the soft libs here happy, as they will not have to think hard about their continued support of the death machine.
   • Ed 8.1

     12 October 2017 at 1:41 pm

     Andrew Ford, how do you sleep at night?
     Is your pay packet enough to salve your conscience for being a spin merchant for crimes against humanity?
     Do you dream of Yemenis, Iraqis, Syrians, Afghani being bombed in their beds?
     There are words for people like Ford.

     ‘NZDIA deputy chairman Andrew Ford said labelling the forum a “weapons expo” was “stretching the truth” and the event was mainly about bringing together suppliers of services and products to support the defence and national security sectors, not weapons.

     Most people would support New Zealand’s defence forces being properly equipped to defend themselves and fulfil their peacekeeping duties, he said.’
9. Draco T Bastard 9

   12 October 2017 at 1:55 pm

   Talking about Qantas:

   Emirates plans to end most of its flights between Australia and New Zealand as part of a renegotiated joint venture with Qantas Airways Ltd that will also see the Australian carrier quit flying to Dubai, the airlines said on Wednesday.

   That, I believe, is cartel behaviour but it also highlights the failure of competition and the added costs it brings.
   • tc 9.1

     12 October 2017 at 2:26 pm

     Bugger ! Personally I always preferred Emirates to the ‘budget in everything but price’ services Air NZ and Qantas run.
10. Whispering Kate 10

    12 October 2017 at 2:28 pm

    I have just been reading the latest edition of “Air Force News” – it seems the RNZAF is about to begin “Exercise Southern Katipo and the West Coast is being transformed into the fictional Pacific Island of Becara. The exercise is based on the premise that armed militia groups have sparked the breakdown of public order and a New Zealand-led coalition has been invited to restore law and order.” It then goes on further in the article to say “another task would be to take care of the island’s trouble-makers, which might require an armed response”.

    Why on earth are they needing to train our military to supress civilian dissent – is this the future of our military – to squash any uprising because of the many injustices that our citizens in the future may want to fight against – do our governments expect this sort of event in the future – if so shouldn’t they be making our society a fairer place for all of us so this sort of expensive exercise isn’t ever needed.

    It smacks of the police tapping into human rights activists phones – what has happened to our usual robberies and murder and conventional wars that our police and military were needed for.
    • Ed 10.1

      12 October 2017 at 2:39 pm

      Neoliberalism is not at its core a democratic idea or cult.
      It needs to be enforced.
      • Draco T Bastard 10.1.1

        12 October 2017 at 3:28 pm

        Neoliberalism is not at its core a democratic idea or cult.
        It needs to be enforced.

        QFT
    • Ad 10.2

      12 October 2017 at 2:51 pm

      – East Timor
      – Fiji
      – Tonga riots
      – Bouganville
      – Solomon Islands
      Sometimes we get asked to help, the rest of the time it’s good to be ready.
      • Draco T Bastard 10.2.1

        12 October 2017 at 3:29 pm

        East Timor is an interesting one because before we went in to help them become independent we helped the dictator oppress them.
        • Exkiwiforces 10.2.1.1

          12 October 2017 at 7:52 pm

          Actually DTB, I remember reading somewhere that Bill Rowling put the NZ Armed Forces on standing by to stop the the TNI from invading ET and restore law and order. But Gough Witham wasn’t up for it and the Poms were pulling out of SE Asia, so the order was finally cancelled. It was like a re-run of what happen during West Papua where the Dutch asked for assistance from Commonwealth at the time the Poms and NZ government were prepared to assist the Dutch but old Meng (Menzies) pull out at the last minute and no doubt the JFK had a hand in it as it was trying to persuade the then Ino government to turn from a leftist government to a pro west government at the time.

          Come to think about it may have been in the Official History of Australian involvement in South East Asia. Which was Six or seven, eight part volume which were all first edition before lost them a defence removal.

          Had some interesting stuff about Kiwi Keith dragging his heels in regards to New Zealand’s involvement in South Vietnam. Which there was two part volume with regards to the political issues from Oz government POV.
          • Draco T Bastard 10.2.1.1.1

            12 October 2017 at 8:14 pm

            http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0209/S00107/new-zealand-ought-to-say-sorry-to-east-timorese.htm
            • Exkiwiforces 10.2.1.1.1.1

              13 October 2017 at 12:31 am

              DTB, thanks for the link and it was good read as will.

              Sentiment among us INTERTFET vets and those on UN mission after us (note I lost a good mate from NZBATT 2, the first Kiwi to KIA since Vietnam. Pvte Lenny Manning B Coy 2/1st Battalion). Is why did our pollies allow this to happen especially amongst some of the Aussie Army All Arms Corps (My neighbor at my bush block as Ex 2RAR and did a UN tour as well) as the people of Timor help members of the Aussie Army during WW2 and only to kick down the road like a coke can or as a sacrificial sheep after the TNI invasion. As us vets know what the TNI is doing to the people of West Papua as we seen the same thing at what happening to the people ET.

              And really piss’s me is that most of the left supported the then leftist Ino government annexation of West Papua from the Dutch and now these assholes are supporting West Papua freedom!
    • greywarshark 10.3

      12 October 2017 at 3:03 pm

      The last scenario the military forces (international) operated under had uncomfortable similarities with the fall of the Muldoon government and the time between that and Labour taking over. It is on google somewhere but it makes my skin creep, like a cold breeze passing by.
    • Exkiwiforces 10.4

      12 October 2017 at 6:33 pm

      The current SK17 scenario appears to be base around what happen in East Timor back in 2006 and some other scenarios are also similar to what we face during INTERFET 99-00. The TNI Forces and the TNI backed militia push the our boundaries in terms of our ROE/ OFOF to the limit weather it was on the sea (even under the Sea), in the Air harassing the Naval Task Group incl the Air Bridge between Oz and ET and on the land around Dili and down towards the main centres around the border provinces of ET incl the onclave. You don’t know just how close it came to a all out war with the TNI. Once our section was outnumbered by 3to1 at abandoned police/ TNI barracks and it was only when shook out into a attacking formation, (I) loaded the M79’s/ prep the M72’s for firing etc and for a few mins we were about to meet our making, then other side backed down rather quickly once they saw that we meant business.

      Then there is the handling of dead bodies, documented the voting fraud, the illegal abuse detainees by the TNI/ police and the human rights abuse aka rape, torture, shooting detainees etc. But another story to tell one day.

      SK ex’s are a good foundation stone for the NZDF, foreign forces, other agencies both Government and NGO’s to prepare for such events for the future. Because Peacekeeping operations can be very fast and dynamic with a lot of thinking on your feet, be it the humble private/ trooper or PC etc to very to top of the decision making progress at inter government level?

      To some on the left Peacekeeping may sound sexy to you, but as follow lefty who has done Peacekeeping I’ve seen the best of human kind and the bloody worst of human kind.

      A well prepared, well equipped and trained Defence Force for UN peacekeeping for Chapter 1 to Chapter 7 missions comes with a big price tag than most people here realise.
      • Philj 10.4.1

        12 October 2017 at 8:59 pm

        Thank you ExKF, for your analysis and setting the context.
        • Exkiwiforces 10.4.1.1

          12 October 2017 at 11:58 pm

          No worries Philj,

          I had a deal with my CO at the start of the yr after I was sent home from the Middle East late yr when I went down the rabbit hole the choice between SK17 or go back to Middle East if I was back to full health by June. Alas I’m not as I would back in NZ right now, but facing a Med discharge sometime next yr.
11. Ed 11

    12 October 2017 at 2:58 pm

    ‘IMF: higher taxes for rich will cut inequality without hitting growth
    Analysis supports tax strategy of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour in UK – and undermines that of Donald Trump in US’

    New Zealand Labour and New Zealand First please note.

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/11/imf-higher-taxes-rich-inequality-jeremy-corbyn-labour-donald-trump
12. Ed 12

    12 October 2017 at 3:26 pm

    Brilliant article by Rachel Stewart.
    Worthy of a thread in its own right.
    I share her outlook.

    ‘What are the signs that the world’s resources are running out?

    ‘What are the things we need to face? It’s a ruddy great neon sign and if you can’t see it flashing, you’re either obtuse, changing nappies, and/or too busy arguing the toss on.’

    ‘Climate change is here. The race between human survival and the melting ice sheets is on…… The storms will be more frequent and deadly; the diseases will come thick and fast; the crops will fail and, if humans are still standing at the end of that, the heat will shut our bodies down and we will die.’

    ‘Population. The number of people on the planet will rise from 7.6 billion today to 9.7 billion in 2050, according to UN projections. Is that number the problem, or is it over-consumption? It’s both. One leads to the other, and both are killing us.’

    ‘Water. The new oil. Without it, humanity is condemned. Climate change is affecting water quality, and the risks are incalculable. Rising temperatures; increased levels of sediments, nutrients, and pollutants triggered by more frequent and heavy rainfall; industrial agriculture. The world faces an imminent water crisis that is affecting every part of the planet. Are we ready for the massive influx of refugees from Australia and Asia?’

    ‘Poverty and inequality are massive, unstoppable forces. Electing new governments, and new faces, is unlikely to meaningfully alter anything. No politician has the capacity to change what’s coming. The pendulum is in motion; counting down the beats to our demise.’

    ‘Depressed yet? You should be. And when you’re bored with that, maybe stop blaming others for their point of view, and start blaming the real culprits. Picking off fundamentally decent – and basically planetarily powerless – others is a waste of your time. Anger, sadness and fear is best expressed by doing, rather than talking into a vacuum (which, ironically, I’m likely doing here).’

    ‘The culprits? Oil companies, industrial agriculture, the 1 per cent, over-fishing, neoliberalism, capitalism, Monsanto, Trump, the “free” market (an oxymoron if ever there was one). You know who they are.’

    Get off the cyber treadmill of judgment and virtue signalling, and dismount your fat donkey and make a change in the world. Maybe there’s still time?

    I doubt it, but at least you’ll go down trying.’

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11931445
    • Philj 12.1

      12 October 2017 at 9:18 pm

      Whoa Rachel! You hit a few nails on the head there. Now wait for the response….. Our small interest group in Wellington has been saying this for years! So it’s not news. It’s just becoming news now! Lol
13. Ed 13

    12 October 2017 at 4:24 pm

    Some people know powerful people who can pull strings for them.

    David Farrar (National propagandist – not that this is ever acknowledged by RNZ) gets airtime the day the coalition talks end.

    Mr Griffin, I presume, acting on behalf of the people who actually control New Zealand.

    Amazing – no ACT spokesperson on the panel today!
14. Ed 14

    12 October 2017 at 4:26 pm

    ‘NZ kids can’t escape alcohol marketing next to bread and milk’

    http://www.otago.ac.nz/news/news/otago665655.html
    • Ed 14.1

      12 October 2017 at 4:27 pm

      David Farrar of course defends the Alcohol Industry.
      There are words for people like him.

      ‘Lead researcher Tim Chambers says the study provides further evidence of the need to ban alcohol sales in supermarkets. This is feasible given we have prohibited alcohol sales in supermarkets in the past and other countries, such as Australia, currently do. Moreover, supermarkets make up only three per cent of alcohol retailers but sell 30 per cent of all beer and 60 per cent of all wine.

      “Children in the study were exposed to alcohol marketing almost every time they entered a supermarket, often the exposure occurred near everyday products, like bread and milk,” says Tim Chambers, research fellow at Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington.

      In New Zealand, alcohol contributes to 800 deaths and costs the country over $5 billion per year. Moreover, alcohol is linked to over 200 medical conditions and causes a number of cancers. World Health Organization (WHO) Global Alcohol Strategy recommends restrictions on alcohol marketing as a ‘best buy’ for reducing alcohol-related harm. New Zealand supermarkets have some responsibility for the burden of alcohol-related harm due to their provision of convenient, low-cost alcohol as well as their market share of alcohol sales.

      In New Zealand, supermarkets were not permitted to sell alcohol until the liberalisation of the alcohol laws in 1989. The researchers say that improving the supermarket promotional environment, by repealing the section of the 2012 Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act that permits supermarket alcohol sales, would both significantly reduce children’s overall exposure to alcohol marketing, and reduce the prevalence of other supermarket related infractions such as underage sales, loss-leading alcohol sales and cross-promotional activity. Further, it would save councils millions of dollars from the judicial challenges by supermarkets against Local Alcohol Policies.’

      Yet Farrar – with no evidence – spins for big liquor.

      And the miserable host giggles at his ridiculous defence of these multinational drug peddlers.
      • Ed 14.1.1

        12 October 2017 at 4:39 pm

        Farrar of course will know that Katherine Rich, is another pimp for big liquor.
        No doubt his pr activities and involvement in Dirty Politics ( another fact not mentioned by RNZ in its introduction) assisted her defence of the food and liquor industries.
        And we are the 3rd most obese in the world.

        Thanks David and Katherine for caring about our health.

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/66427410/ties-to-liquor-industry-hamstring-health-promotion-agency-say-critics
        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11448711
        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10853482
15. Ed 15

    12 October 2017 at 4:47 pm

    Awkward moment on the Panel as Catherine Robertson describes the traits of psychopaths,
    And David Farrar remains a bit silent as he thinks of his National masters.
16. Philip Ferguson 16

    12 October 2017 at 8:46 pm

    The past week marks the 40th and 50th anniversaries of the killings of two of the 20th century’s outstanding socialist figures, Che Guevara (executed without trial in Bolivia on October 9, 1967) and Seamus Costello (assassinated in Dublin on October 5, 1977).

    There is a number of articles about them – and links to some stuff by them – here: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/che-guevara-and-seamus-costello/

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