Open mike 13/03/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 13th, 2024 - 11 comments
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For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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11 comments on “Open mike 13/03/2024 ”

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  2. joe90 2
    13 March 2024 at 12:31 pm

    Hamas wants Palestinians to starve.

    /

    GAZA, March 11 (Reuters) – A Hamas-linked website on Monday warned Palestinian individuals or groups against co-operating with Israel to provide security for aid convoys amid the five-month-old war in the Gaza Strip.

    Those who did would be treated as collaborators and be handled with an iron fist, the Hamas Al-Majd security website said, quoting a security official in Palestinian militant forces.

    The warning came in response to Israeli media reports that Israel was considering arming some Palestinian individuals or clans in Gaza to provide security protection for aid convoys into the besieged enclave as part of wider planning for humanitarian supplies after the fighting ends.

    https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-linked-website-warns-palestinians-not-work-with-israel-2024-03-11/

    • Phillip ure 2.1
      13 March 2024 at 12:54 pm

      Would not 'israel' and 'arming' be the key words/explainers in that piece..?

      And do not those words make the contention in your opening sentence a bit of a nonsense..?

      • joe90 2.1.1
        13 March 2024 at 1:21 pm

        Netanyahu's Hamas allies summarily executed Gaza's Palestinian Authority leadership.

        Hamas would rather Palestinians starve than chance a revival of their political opponents.

        • Phillip ure 2.1.1.1
          13 March 2024 at 4:23 pm

          Still think you are drawing a bit of a long bow with that second paragraph..

          Given that hamas are negotiating for ceasefire…and the corresponding influx of aid..

          How does that fit with your 'starve' contention..?

  3. weka 3
    13 March 2024 at 1:11 pm

    this is why the left will face a backlash and loss of power over gender identity ideology until it comes to its senses and starts to rebuild class politics.

    Because this kind of superficial neoliberal gain is bonkers, but also because most people aren't partisan left and they understand the unfairness of this hypocrisy. Many people also have an instinct against this kind of authoritarianism: 'lesbians are ok so long as they adopt and adhere to the Rainbow'

    One of us is at @ScotParl just now, and has been asked to remove her Scottish Lesbians badge, as it gives a 'partisan message'. She was then checked in by someone wearing a rainbow lanyard. Is being a lesbian in Scotland now wrong in a way that being LGBT+ is not?

    https://twitter.com/ScotLesbians/status/1767605714271285379

  4. Drowsy M. Kram 4
    13 March 2024 at 1:20 pm

    Some links to reports on man-made global warming and the future of 'our' spaceship.

    John Kerry: ‘I Feel Deeply Frustrated’ [6 March 2024]
    At the time, the U.S. didn’t really have a global strategy, and so we laid out “keep 1.5 alive.”

    Do you think the goal is still alive today?
    If we did the things we could do — that we know how to do, and that we have the technologies for — we could actually do it. We’re just not. We’re not doing it on a global basis. Emissions are going up in too many countries. Oil and gas are still on a binge and their profits are obscene. I mean they’re just shocking. And everybody seems to be locked into a place of indifference.

    Not Shane Jones though, with his vision of a flourishing NZ mining sector in 2040, despite the future of mining looking a little shakey in Australia (hat tip to Belladonna).

    Dig this [Richard Harman, Politik, 16 Feb 2024]
    “In 2040, if I have anything to do with it, there will be a flourishing mining sector employing all my nephews who are currently going to the figurative Kalgoolies of the world, and I will have served my penance for having acquiesced in the closure of oil and gas off the coast of Taranaki.”

    In three weeks, RMA Minister Chris Bishop will introduce legislation which will enable Jones’ promises to be realised.

    That legislation will reach back to the Muldoon 1981-84 government for its inspiration in that it will reserve the right for the final approval of resource consent for Ministers rather than independent tribunals.

    Media Release: The government’s war on nature goes nuclear [7 March 2024]
    “We have never seen anything remotely like this since the days of the National Development Act. The new legislation allows Ministers and Developers to ride roughshod over all of this country’s environmental protections with no effective checks and balances.

    “Under the Bill, Ministers can make decisions on individual projects; there are no meaningful environmental criteria; participation rights by local communities and environmental groups are limited; local government may be shut out of the process; and appeal rights are severely constrained.

    “The Bill’s scope is very wide. It overrides the Resource Management Act, Conservation Act, Wildlife Act, Reserves Act, the EEZ Act and others.

    Concerns as new oil well operator rises from ashes of liquidated Tamarind [Jonathan Milne, Newsroom, 12 March 2024]
    The same executives who ran Malaysian-owned firm Tamarind Resources into the ground, leaving the government with a half-billion dollar clean-up, are back operating its oil and gas permits in Taranaki again – just under a new company name.

    It’s a terribly stupid time to be pursuing a journalism career, but there’s a need for investigating disinformation like the campaign I’ve written about:

    A disinformation campaign, the 2023 election and new government policy [Byron C Clark, The Spinoff, 12 March 2024]

    And a couple of interesting new items in the feeds panel this morning.

    Funding hole for tax cuts growing by the day – Bernard Hickey
    Climate Commission tells Govt to cut ETS credits by 20m, which would cut $1.4b from funds for tax cuts; Adds to $2.9b missing from foreign buyers tax and $800m extra cost of deductibility

    Christopher's Wopper – Nick Rockel
    Sadly the situation with people like Luxon and Willis seems to be – I’m not responsible for my lies, the onus is on you to catch them.

    Lies? What lies? It's all coming together rather nicely, actually!

    Renters 'very grateful' for incoming landlord tax breaks – Luxon
    [13 March 2024]
    Luxon, who owns rental properties himself, was asked if he intended to lower rents on those properties.

    “It’s not about me. It’s actually about a policy and I don’t benefit from this policy.”

    • Ad 4.1
      13 March 2024 at 5:05 pm

      EPA may as well pack up.

      A Labour-Green government would certainly have a bit of fun with such unrestrained power.

    • SPC 4.2
      13 March 2024 at 5:24 pm

      Renters 'very grateful' for incoming landlord tax breaks – Luxon
      [13 March 2024]
      Luxon, who owns rental properties himself, was asked if he intended to lower rents on those properties.

      “It’s not about me. It’s actually about a policy and I don’t benefit from this policy.”

      Taking away the incentive to invest in new builds, would presumably reduce the capital available for such investment.

      Less new supply, with rising demand – see migration figures, would lead to a rise in the cost of rent and thus revenue to Luxon and other landlords without any mortgage debt.

      Such would increase the cost of AS to government and thus reduce the chance of Willis being able to balance the budget this decade. Thus more money to Luxon and a poorer government.

  5. Ad 5
    13 March 2024 at 5:02 pm

    Great to see Buck shanking Boebert in the Colorado 3rd and 4th, using his resignation end of March.

    Dems have a real shot at holding the Senate even, and squeaking a House majority.