Open mike 15/03/2022

102 comments on “Open mike 15/03/2022 ”

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1. Jester 1

   15 March 2022 at 7:03 am

   Yes! Maybe time to go fill up the car today. Good move by Labour reducing the petrol tax. We all know they hate reducing any tax, but it was really needed. I just hope that in a few weeks time the price hasn't risen more than the temporary 25c reduction.

   Public transport move unexpected but also a great move. Hopefully encourage more to use.
2. Dennis Frank 2

   15 March 2022 at 7:40 am

   Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon calls out Government: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/hate-speech-laws-race-relations-commissioner-meng-foon-calls-out-government-over-delays-three-years-after-march-15-attacks/NJCG5HWNUFDBEYELB45LQXHH6Y/

   Last year the Government unveiled its proposals and invited the public to have its say, including creating a new criminal offence with harsher penalties and protections for more minority groups.

   Faafoi had planned to introduce the laws to Parliament early this year but told Newshub this had been delayed. He said much care needed to be taken because "we also don't want to inflame the very issue that we are trying to fix here".

   Foon said he had written to all the ministers involved, with mixed responses and only some replying. "If I, as a Commissioner tasked with following up these matters, cannot get a response, what hope is there for our concerned communities?"

   There's always hope. They ought to keep hoping for the best. For the govt it's just a matter of being engaged with higher priorities. Foon knows the squeaky wheel gets the grease so he squeaks loudly. Trouble is he's drowned out by louder squawks.

   There's an immense design problem with legislative change. It consists of an elephant in the room that law reformers don't want to look at: the lack of prosecutions under the current law. The media has amply reported that hate speech is already illegal – what part of this don't these people understand??

   You can't reasonably expect govt & public service lawyers to fix a problem that doesn't exist. Complainants ought to get real. Launch their own prosecutions against hate speech using the law designed for that purpose. This ain't rocket science. And really, why can't Foon figure it out? I would have thought he's the ideal person to be leading any prosecution on behalf of targeted ethnicities.
3. Dennis Frank 3

   15 March 2022 at 8:06 am

   Robert Habeck is a novelist, philosopher, and the German equivalent of our minister of finance:

   After the Greens agreed to form a traffic light coalition government with the centre-left Social Democrats and liberal Free Democrats, new Chancellor Olaf Scholz named Habeck as Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and Vice Chancellor in December 2021, making him one of the most powerful politicians in Europe.

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Habeck

   And he's part of the hinge between Germany and Russia now.

   In an interview reflecting the moral pressure Germany is under to do more, the country’s Green economics minister, Robert Habeck, admitted Europe in the past had fed Ukraine false promises, but said Germany could not afford “the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs” that a full energy embargo would require. He said Germany at best could be freed of Russian coal by the autumn, of its oil by the end of the year, but could set no date for ending German reliance on gas.

   The impasse is leaving senior allies of Zelenskiy feeling frustrated, and appealing to the UK and the US to use the G7 to try to persuade the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, to sign up to a western timetable to end dependence on Russian energy.

   The frustration with the German position is such that Zelenskiy is willing to turn to one of Scholz’s predecessors, Gerhard Schröder, to act as a mediator with Putin. The former chancellor has accepted the role, possibly to salvage something from the ruins of his reputation, and reportedly had talks with Putin last week.

   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/14/west-putin-sacred-cash-cow-russia-ukraine-gas

   However another dictator is poised to rescue the west:

   In a game of geopolitical chess with Russia, Biden is already working to find alternative oil supplies. For now he is trying to fill the shortfall through drawing on the US reserves, oil from Venezuela, the world largest oil producer, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

   White House officials were in Caracas for the first such talks in 20 years. Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro government has signalled its willingness to cooperate with the White House by releasing two political prisoners in a goodwill gesture. Venezuela’s oil output could rise by at least 400,000 bpd, the country’s petroleum chamber said on Friday.

   All hail the saviour! Biden ought to invite Maduro to the White House & host him with a military parade of goose-steppers. Dictators love that stuff!
   • Blazer 3.1

     15 March 2022 at 8:34 am

     What sort of stuff do unelected Presidents like Guaido,appointed President of Venezuela by the U.S….like?
     • Dennis Frank 3.1.1

       15 March 2022 at 9:21 am

       cloak & dagger stuff… useful idiot theory says you can always find one suitable on either the left or right side of the fence…
   • Adrian Thornton 3.2

     15 March 2022 at 10:35 am

     @ D.Frank..Here is a speech that I can only assume was written especially for you….

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luuXoqtSPuk
     • Dennis Frank 3.2.1

       15 March 2022 at 11:04 am

       So you never get tired of wallowing in a mire of false assumptions? Why? 🙄
4. Ad 4

   15 March 2022 at 8:29 am

   Important to note the scale and impact of all the government's $$ increases to New Zealanders from yesterday:

   – Half price public transport.

   Providing direct benefit to over 1,000,000 regular users

   – 1 April NZSuper increases $52 per fortnight for a single person

   – 1 April NZSuper increases $80 per fortnight for a couple

   That assists 800,000 Kiwis

   – 1 April Working for Families increases $20 per week

   That assists a further 365,000 families with children

   – 1 April Minimum Wage lifts to $21.20

   That assists a further 300,000 people

   Easily 2.5 million New Zealanders getting greater government funding in 16 days time.
   • Barfly 4.1

     15 March 2022 at 8:52 am

     Benefits rates also increase as the second part of the increases announced last year come into force – I think my supported living allowance goes up $23 per week on 1 April
     • Sabine 4.1.1

       15 March 2022 at 9:00 am

       Yes, the 23 NZD that is the last payment to finally pay the increase that the WEAG demanded in 2019.

       All benefit rates will increase by $20 a week from 1 July this year. A second increase will occur on 1 April next year that will see main benefits lifted in line with a key WEAG recommendation. Families and whānau with children will also receive a further $15 per adult per week.20/05/2021

       http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/main-benefit-boost-33000-children-lifted-out-poverty#:~:text=All%20benefit%20rates%20will%20increase,%2415%20per%20adult%20per%20week.

       https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/information-releases/cabinet-papers/2021/welfare-overhaul-work-programme-update/appendix-three.html

       again, this too is nice, but a few years late and now several tens of dollars short. And considering that it will be tacked on the main benefit, fringe benefits will be reduced accordingly to make up for the windfall and chances are benefits are still no better off, in fact my be worse of.

       But an effort has been made, and i really hope that this will be enough for a while to make your life a bit easier.
   • Sabine 4.2

     15 March 2022 at 8:55 am

     – Half price public transport.

     Providing direct benefit to over 1,000,000 regular users

     Starting in Arpil for three month. It is nice, but again, its neither here nor there, just a wee little temporary relieve. By then the 25cnts discount on the tax on gasoline will be nill and voided.

     – 1 April NZSuper increases $52 per fortnight for a single person

     – 1 April NZSuper increases $80 per fortnight for a couple

     needed as rent increases will be announced on April 2

     – 1 April Working for Families increases $20 per week

     nothing for families on the benefit?

     1 April Minimum Wage lifts to $21.20

     needed as rent increases will be announced on April 2

     all of these 'increases' are nice, but too little very much too late, an in fact will do nothing much to change anything, same as te min wage increase last year did not do much, nor the one the year before. Why?

     Because there is no way any government can increase the Min Wage / Benefits / Super enough to make inflation go away, in fact it feeds into inflation, and people still are a few hundred dollar short for food and essentials after paying rent.

     What is missing on your list are the important things.

     • rent control
       • proper tax reform, revisiting of tax brackets.
       • affordable housing for people who are on a fixed to low income
       • affordable food
       • affordable long term public transport so as to build a proper alternative to private transport.

     But, another layer of sugar was applied to the stale cake of 'Non reform' and some like a good sugar rush, never mind the headache afterwards.
     • Ad 4.2.1

       15 March 2022 at 9:13 am

       No other NZ government in 50 years has increased benefits on this scale.

       Rent controls as a maximum rent rarely work.

       No other government in 50 years has built more affordable housing. Not enough and the waiting lines are worse, but the building is happening.

       Public transport use is currently only a substantial share of trips per day in 2 NZ cities: Wellington and Auckland.

       I'll wait for budget to comment on tax bracket changes.
       • Sabine 4.2.1.1

         15 March 2022 at 9:59 am

         That is not the point of my comment Ad.

         The point is that without meaningful reform you can increase the benefits every other month and htey would still not hold up. Case in point hte first 25 NZD i ncrease came curtesy of National, and that too did fuck all.

         Public transport is not used because it is too expensive and always was. I am a public transport user as i never owned a car in NZ. I used to live close to work and walk as that was cheaper then running a car and spending x amount of hours in traffic.

         The half price announcement is good, but made bad by not starting immediately and then only for three month. That is just pretending to do something, that's not even a band aid.

         The budget……lol. Mind there is another poll to come for sure, and that too will reflect the compassionated and considerate movements of this government, it will move compassionately and considerably down. 27.8% is the low of Cunliffe, Little would have been even lower, so lets wait and see. Shall we?

         Can you please list the houses build, vs houses sold and houses demolished. Please, that would be nice if you could actually provide proof for that point.
         • Ed1 4.2.1.1.1

           15 March 2022 at 11:07 am

           Re Housing, the biggest need currently is getting our population into affordable and suitable housing; and social housing needs continue to grow. THe scale of need is such that I believe we need to go back to something like the State Advances Corporation system – issuing loans at say 0.5% above government stock rates, requiring payments of a percentage of earnings which remains fixed for say 20 years, for up to 90% of the cost of a dwelling. Someone is currently paying the $6 billion that banks made last year – perhaps some of that can be reduced by removing difficult clients from seeking bank loans . . .
     • weka 4.2.2

       15 March 2022 at 9:40 am

       Might be a small thing to you, for others it is significant.

       https://twitter.com/A_G_Hawkins/status/1503225624441208837
       • Sabine 4.2.2.1

         15 March 2022 at 10:09 am

         Indeed it is, and that is why i would have preferred that today the prices are already at half price and without a three month expiry date.
         • Molly 4.2.2.1.1

           15 March 2022 at 10:21 am

           The delay is probably to allow systems to change fares and test changes,

           Technology sometimes slows change.

           (Was watching a documentary of London Underground where they had a (temporary) mechanical scheduing system instlled just after the second world war. It was the most reliable part of the whole, even in the early 2000's)
           • Sabine 4.2.2.1.1.1

             15 March 2022 at 10:26 am

             I have been advocating for free public transport for ever. I love public transport as i positively hate driving and owning a car. Eww. Literally. Trams, busses, shuttles, le chemin de fer, trains, and bicycles, are my mode of transportation of choice. Cars are something that i rent when i can't have the other stuff.

             This is the first time they even contemplate it. So i guess i am applauding 'baby steps', while shaking my head at the temprorarinessness of it all.

             Public transport fees need to be looked at, honestly and with affordability in mind, and we are not doing that. And if changing the software is in the too hard basket, the Government could include a tax rebate for those that use it to go to work and ship their kids to school. At the end of the year via the tax return. Maybe that is easier. After all, to some extend it is a business expense for workers and families.

             Edit: And doing it right now does not seem a concentrated push to make public transport more attractive and affordable but just a wee things to shut up noises about high cost of living and being perceived at doing something. Polls and such demand actions, not foresight and anticipation of stuff happening, but polls that trend the wrong way.
             • Molly …

               15 March 2022 at 10:41 am

               "I have been advocating for free public transport for ever. "

               Me, too. I am cynical about this scheme, because it seems an easy move with little cost, and limited benefit.

               I also believe that public transport in Auckland needs to be improved in terms of getting better service and security, particularly in the outer regions. My family did use public transport to get into Auckland for tertiary study (pre Covid) and the cost was high, and the reliability and service mediocre.
         • weka 4.2.2.1.2

           15 March 2022 at 10:21 am

           I'm guessing they are still working on the 2022 budget and will need time to adjust things for a longer term change. In the meantime, we have three months to see what the uptake of PT is, and to lobby for making it permanent. This is how change through parliament can work well.
       • Molly 4.2.2.2

         15 March 2022 at 10:14 am

         Greater Auckland use their influence to argue against free public transport, never once considering how much relief it will possibly give to some of the financially distressed households in Auckland.

         https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/?s=free+public+transport

         As we attempt (unsuccessfully) to raise lower incomes, we need to also design strong policies and strategies to reduce essential costs: housing, transport, food and utilities.
         • weka 4.2.2.2.1

           15 March 2022 at 10:22 am

           have you got a tl'dr precis of their objection to free PT?
           • Molly 4.2.2.2.1.1

             15 March 2022 at 10:33 am

             I attended a few transport public lectures back in the day, with Matt L as a guest speaker. He was consistently dismissive of the topic when it was brought up.

             Given that I come from a perspective that many Auckland households are struggling financially, I never heard that addressed either in person or on their blog posts, which are really well structured in terms of identifying points, which they then dismantle or discuss. However, that also often limits discussion to just those points.

             Today's post seems fairly neutral, but public transport has declined – as you would expect – since the pandemic, and public transport is always championed on GA.

             There are considerable improvements that could be made in terms of service and security though, especially in the farther reaches of Auckland. So, although I would support free public transport, it must be accompanied with addressing regional inequity in terms of access and quality of service.

             I posted the search link because I understand I read their posts through a particular lens, and others may see it differently.
             • weka …

               18 March 2022 at 8:30 am

               sent you an email.
     • SPC 4.2.3

       15 March 2022 at 6:42 pm

       Increases (above and beyond the normal inflation adjustment) to all benefits from 1 April 2022 were announced in the 2021 budget.

       While increases to the MW are inflationary, they still result on those on the MW being better off … unless rent increases (constrained by a limit to one increase a year). Landlords increase rents based on the wider market, and or knowledge of the tenants income.
5. aj 5

   15 March 2022 at 9:03 am

   The lucky country.

   https://twitter.com/QReconstruction/status/1501294218559512580?cxt=HHwWiICziefI1dUpAAAA
   • Ad 5.1

     15 March 2022 at 9:42 am

     Build your third largest city at the base of a major river catchment …
     • aj 5.1.1

       15 March 2022 at 10:28 am

       at the base of a major river catchment …

       Not uncommon around the world. The legacy of rivers being used for transport and ports. New Orleans is a classic example, and man's wrestling to control the Mississippi catchment is a fascinating story.
   • Jimmy 5.2

     15 March 2022 at 9:43 am

     Bloody scary!
6. Sanctuary 6

   15 March 2022 at 9:28 am

   Just saw a photo of Bernard-Henri Lévy on the front lines of Odesa. We live in interesting times when 73 year old French philosophers go into bat for the defense of freedom!
   • Macro 6.1

     15 March 2022 at 11:15 am

     And an equally brave person acting in Russia

     Marina Ovsyannikova ran on to the set of the Channel One transmission shouting: ‘Stop the war. No to war’

     An employee on Russia’s state Channel One television has interrupted the channel’s main news programme with an extraordinary protest against Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

     Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel One, burst on to the set of the live broadcast of the nightly news on Monday evening, shouting: “Stop the war. No to war.”

     She also held a sign saying: “Don’t believe the propaganda. They’re lying to you here.” It was signed in English: “Russians against the war”.

     The news anchor continued to read from her teleprompter speaking louder in an attempt to drown out Ovsyannikova, but her protest could be seen and heard for several seconds before the channel switched to a record segment.
     • Macro 6.1.1

       15 March 2022 at 11:17 am

       oops! see Joe beat me to it
7. Dennis Frank 7

   15 March 2022 at 9:43 am

   Resilience tech can be viable with a simple design:

   Since Energy Vault established its successful prototype in Switzerland in 2020, the company has pivoted from the tower model design, which could reach up to 200 meters in height, to 20-story modular buildings it calls "Energy Vault Resiliency Centers."

   Bricks will move up and down inside the building on trolleys, controlled by an artificial intelligence system that identifies optimal times for charging or discharging energy, depending on supply and demand.

   The centers will vary in footprint, possibly covering between 1.5 and 20 acres depending on the storage capacity, he adds. But they are likely to be installed in places where space isn't an issue, such as near existing wind or solar plants.

   In February, Energy Vault listed on the New York stock exchange, raising approximately $235 million. It recently announced that actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio had joined the company's strategic advisory board.

   This year, Energy Vault will start building resiliency centers for DG fuels, which wants a continuous supply of renewable energy to create green hydrogen fuel for the aviation industry. It has also signed deals worth up to $880 million with companies including Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil producer, metal smelting company Korea Zinc, and mining giant BHP. With this backing, Piconi is confident Energy Vault can help to accelerate the energy transition.

   So far, customers have signed up to projects that equate to 2.5 gigawatt hours of energy storage — a significant addition to the 17 gigawatt hours of battery storage that Wood Mackenzie estimates is currently in operation in the US.

   https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/14/energy/energy-vault-renewable-storage-spc-intl/index.html
   • Joe90 7.1

     15 March 2022 at 9:59 am

     More.

     https://spectrum.ieee.org/gravity-energy-storage-will-show-its-potential-in-2021

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_battery

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_energy_storage_power_plants
   • McFlock 7.2

     15 March 2022 at 2:54 pm

     Interesting. I liked the UK one using old mine shafts, but can see how that would be limited. Might still be useful though.

     But a large open cast pit might be the go for a bigger one – difficult to complain about sightlines if it's at or just below ground level. And give it a roof with solar panels for generation as well as storage.
8. Molly 8

   15 March 2022 at 10:03 am

   Julian Assange refused permission to appeal against US extradition by UK’s top court

   https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/julian-assange-us-extradition-appeal-b2035579.html#comments-area

   A Supreme Court spokesperson said that senior judges had refused Assange’s bid to challenge the decision as his case did not raise “an arguable point of law”.

   The ruling appears to exhaust Assange’s legal avenues in the UK to avoid extradition, however he could still seek to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights.

   Western media and opinion makers detailing censorship in Russia, should perhaps devote 10% of their column inches and screen time to accurately reporting and analysing this situation.
   • Adrian Thornton 8.1

     15 March 2022 at 10:40 am

     Yes it's disgusting…UK govt immoral out in the open..did RNZ even cover this today?
     • Molly 8.1.1

       15 March 2022 at 10:42 am

       Can't find it, if they did.
     • Francesca 8.1.2

       15 March 2022 at 11:32 am

       No Adrian

       And last night TVNZ repeated the lie that a Russian tank had crushed a civilian car in Kiev, as if it was breaking news

       They first aired that , our own TVNZ, on the 26th , 2 days into the invasion when no tanks were anywhere near the inner streets of Kiev , but the footage had been circulated on social media, and TVNZ picked it up from whatever scumbag news aggregate they subscribe to.

       https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/02/26/russian-tank-runs-over-ukrainian-civilian-car-driver-survives/

       The story has long been exposed , by France 24, but the NZ public continues to be subjected to propaganda.

       https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/truth-or-fake/20220303-chimeras-and-the-war-in-ukraine
       • Francesca 8.1.2.1

         15 March 2022 at 11:37 am

         In case the previous link doesnt work this one is much better, text rather than tedious video

         https://observers.france24.com/en/europe/20220301-video-debunked-russian-tank-crush-civilian-car-kyiv
       • Tricledrown 8.1.2.2

         15 March 2022 at 1:54 pm

         France 24 is a Rupert Murdoch channel ie fox news France.
     • weston 8.1.3

       15 March 2022 at 4:17 pm

       Yep wasnt detailed but they did report it
   • Barfly 8.2

     15 March 2022 at 2:47 pm

     That is actually a bonus for Assange – If they had agreed to hear it they would eventually have declined the application while another year or so went by of him being imprisoned . This way he will hopefully have a chance in a fairer Court.
     • Molly 8.2.1

       15 March 2022 at 2:52 pm

       I hope you are proven right.
9. Joe90 9

   15 March 2022 at 10:10 am

   Courageous.

   https://twitter.com/maxseddon/status/1503445657805373446

   https://twitter.com/KevinRothrock/status/1503453014643949576
10. Incognito 10

    15 March 2022 at 10:12 am

    https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/remembering-march-15-three-years

    But tax cuts hog the limelight
    • Ad 10.1

      15 March 2022 at 11:54 am

      The survivor who was shot 9 times and is completing his walk from Dunedin to Christchurch today got good coverage on TV1 Breakfast TV show. He was exceptionally dignified.
      • Incognito 10.1.1

        15 March 2022 at 11:59 am

        Respect!

        https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/03/14/mosque-attack-survivor-on-final-leg-of-360km-peace-walk/
11. roblogic 11

    15 March 2022 at 10:20 am

    Hoping this catches on…

    https://twitter.com/AliceFromQueens/status/1503475138997719044?s=20&t=EGdKlJ-Gu7EKRjRNyfZTkA
    • joe90 11.1

      15 March 2022 at 10:57 am

      Looks like it is.

      https://twitter.com/AlexandruC4/status/1503142677503692803

      google translate

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL8waIBAE_c
      • roblogic 11.1.1

        15 March 2022 at 11:13 am

        Excellent. Oligarchs and billionaires should not exist. Slay the dragons. Give the wealth back to the people.
        • Francesca 11.1.1.1

          15 March 2022 at 11:41 am

          Will you lead the charge against the odious Trump man Peter Thiel please, or perhaps James Cameron ,Graeme Hart, or Richard Chandler who made his fortune at the expense of the Russian people?

          Oh pardon me , his thefts are to be celebrated
          • roblogic 11.1.1.1.1

            15 March 2022 at 11:44 am

            Will do, as soon as I can mobilise my 27 followers on twitter. In the meantime, I will continue to sledge the Government like it’s a piñata
        • Sabine 11.1.1.2

          15 March 2022 at 12:17 pm

          Can't wait for our unhoused people to do the same to empty rich listers houses here in NZ. Liberate all the ghost houses for the homeless.
          • Francesca 11.1.1.2.1

            15 March 2022 at 12:32 pm

            right on Sabine!

            I'm with you,We have morality on our side
            • gsays 11.1.1.2.1.1

              15 March 2022 at 1:16 pm

              Better make sure no-one that has had a facist thought, or dressed as Hitler joins in, because,….
              • McFlock …

                15 March 2022 at 3:03 pm

                … they don't care about the cause, they just want the world to burn so they can rise out of the ashes.
                • Francesca …

                  15 March 2022 at 10:41 pm

                  Oh dear

                  No sense of irony?

                  You get that
                  • McFlock …

                    16 March 2022 at 12:16 am

                    nope, not with fascism and especially not on the 15 March.
            • Incognito 11.1.1.2.1.2

              15 March 2022 at 2:22 pm

              
          • Barfly 11.1.1.2.2

            15 March 2022 at 12:37 pm

            I would have no problem with that
      • Macro 11.1.2

        15 March 2022 at 11:25 am

        The 2.5 million refugees (and climbing) need some place to live! So thoughtful of the benefactors of their counties aggressor to prearrange accommodation for them. 🙂
      • Adrian Thornton 11.1.3

        15 March 2022 at 11:32 am

        One would have thought that after investing so much of yourself into the debunked Trump/Putin conspiracy theory, only to be humiliated right out in public for that unquestioning support, that you might be even just a tiny little more circumspect going forward…but nope, I guess that critical thinking, historical context or any type of nuance at all just isn't your bag…but to be fair, again you are far from being alone in your unquestioning enthusiasm to march in step yet again.
        • Stuart Munro 11.1.3.1

          15 March 2022 at 12:32 pm

          I know that you seem to believe the Trump/Putin conspiracy has been debunked. But outside your small coterie of Putin dupes there has been a shift away from treating Putin like a modern liberal, and a return to seeing him as a recrudescent Stalinist.

          Steele, who you were at pains to rubbish, has proven to have been a rather reliable source, and is much in demand for his expertise. Here he is addressing the Oxford Union.
          • Adrian Thornton 11.1.3.1.1

            15 March 2022 at 12:55 pm

            "I know that you seem to believe the Trump/Putin conspiracy has been debunked"…..yeah I know that some of you have committed yourselves so fully into, and therefore internalized so deeply into yourselves that cult of stuff and nonsense, that you could never turn back….well not without some sort of professional help anyway.
            • Stuart Munro 11.1.3.1.1.1

              15 March 2022 at 1:14 pm

              Fact free diatribe as usual Adrian.

              Some nutritious fact for you: Russian Misinformation Is "A Military Assault” on the West | Amanpour and Company – YouTube

              Just so you know the role you are playing in the dissemination of Putin's disinformatzia.
              • Molly …

                15 March 2022 at 2:34 pm

                We can agree that the war is terrible, and needs to end – while trying to understand how we got to this point.
                • Adrian Thornton …

                  15 March 2022 at 4:38 pm

                  @Molly, "while trying to understand how we got to this point."…I agree completely, unfortunately our friends Munro, Macro, Frank etc have shown no interest in the history, murky origins and devious Geo-Political machinations that underlay this tragic war….though to be fair they only reflect most of the worlds media own lack of interest, and as they only ever regurgitate what they are told too, and have been doing so for years, why should anyone expect anything else from this lot? monkey see, monkey do I guess.

                  I don't believe I have witnessed even one of them have an original thought cross from one side of their cranium to the other in matters of geo politics in the entire time I have been on The Standard.

                  Big-nosed monkeys regurgitate MSM narrative…

                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqN5f7cu8hQ
                  • Stuart Munro …

                    15 March 2022 at 4:59 pm

                    It's fascinating how you dress up your credulity as superior knowledge.
                    • Stuart Munro …

                      15 March 2022 at 5:18 pm

                      Though of course my sources are actual people, not the msm – so you have only proven your ignorance yet again.
                • Stuart Munro …

                  16 March 2022 at 6:26 am

                  The matter in dispute between the Putin dupes and I, is the acceptability of repeating propaganda uncritically. The most aggressive Putin trolls on this site, routinely attack any occurrence the western press dare to report, as well as the ones that maintain the highest standards themselves, like Reuters. This process is designed to create a false equivalence – if all media lie, propaganda is suddenly on an equal footing with fact based journalism.

                  Understanding how we got to this point is not complex – with the collapse of the Soviet Union, western powers assumed the cold war was over – and it was, briefly, under Gorbachev. Once the old party cadres regained power however, they immediately turned isolationist, and the cold war resumed – while the West naively extended trade and friendship to the Stalinist Putin.

                  You will never see anything verifiable or explicatory from the wretched refuse of Putin's NZ propaganda team – their game is a spoiling game – dividing and confusing responses to allow Putin to get away with his atrocities. They have no friends in eastern Europe to use as touchstones for the veracity of the fake news sites they prefer, and though long on insults, they make unsupported and indeed unsupportable assertions about every fact that crops up. They have nothing that will increase our understanding of the causes or possible end points of the conflict – They are noise, not signal.

                  If you're interested in the causes of the war, this interview is at least informed: Professor David Marples: Putin’s true motives for invading Ukraine | RNZ

                  Or, make your own contact with expat Russian journalists – a surprising number have been obliged to flee, and they will give Putin’s propagandists short shrift.
            • Macro 11.1.3.1.1.2

              15 March 2022 at 1:53 pm

              Sometimes Adrian one needs to look at oneself in the mirror. Have you ever read the Mueller Report? This is a fair summary of its findings:

              The report concludes that the investigation "did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities".[4][5][6] Investigators had an incomplete picture of what happened due in part to some communications that were encrypted, deleted, or not saved, as well as testimony that was false, incomplete, or declined.[7][8][9] However, the report states that Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was illegal and occurred "in sweeping and systematic fashion"[10][11][12] but was welcomed by the Trump campaign as it expected to benefit from such efforts.[13][14][15] It also identifies links between Trump campaign officials and individuals with ties to the Russian government,[16] about which several persons connected to the campaign made false statements and obstructed investigations.[4] Mueller later stated that his investigation's conclusion on Russian interference "deserves the attention of every American".[17]

              my bold

              It's all well and good to focus purely on the first statement in that summary – as did Trump, his Repugnant supporters, Faux news, and of course the Russian propogandists, but there was ample circumstantial evidence to show that there was significant interference by Russian "influencers" in Facebook and other social media to attack, and upset, the democratic process and a fair vote, not just for the wealthy, but for all.

              And a more recent independent investigation by MIT found Troll farms reached 140 million Americans a month on Facebook before the 2020 election

              • As of October 2019, around 15,000 Facebook pages with a majority US audience were being run out of Kosovo and Macedonia, known bad actors during the 2016 election.
              • Collectively, those troll-farm pages—which the report treats as a single page for comparison purposes—reached 140 million US users monthly and 360 million global users weekly. Walmart’s page reached the second-largest US audience at 100 million.
              • The troll farm pages also combined to form:
                • the largest Christian American page on Facebook, 20 times larger than the next largest—reaching 75 million US users monthly, 95% of whom had never followed any of the pages.
                • the largest African-American page on Facebook, three times larger than the next largest—reaching 30 million US users monthly, 85% of whom had never followed any of the pages.
                • the second-largest Native American page on Facebook, reaching 400,000 users monthly, 90% of whom had never followed any of the pages.
                • the fifth-largest women’s page on Facebook, reaching 60 million US users monthly, 90% of whom had never followed any of the pages.
              • Troll farms primarily affect the US but also target the UK, Australia, India, and Central and South American countries.
              • Facebook has conducted multiple studies confirming that content more likely to receive user engagement (likes, comments, and shares) is more likely of a type known to be bad. Still, the company has continued to rank content in user’s newsfeeds according to what will receive the highest engagement.
12. joe90 12

    15 March 2022 at 11:18 am

    This would give the butmuhfreedumb mob something to complain about.

    https://twitter.com/lauriechenwords/status/1502920100193914881
    • joe90 12.1

      15 March 2022 at 1:43 pm

      Life in a real totalitarian state.

      Days after buying over-the-counter medicine from a pharmacy in Beijing, university student Yu was stunned to find her prized green health code — the essential rating needed to enter the city’s shops, offices and public transport — was gone.

      In a scene being repeated across the Chinese capital, a pop-up window now warned the app could no longer ascertain her coronavirus risk status.

      […]

      Yu was one of thousands who showed up to Beijing workplaces or shopping malls this week only to find they were barred entry due to their health code status, as already-strict virus controls were ramped up ahead of the Winter Olympics.

      Overnight, the city had quietly rolled out a new rule requiring everyone who had bought medication for anything that might be a Covid symptom — including fever, cough and throat dryness — to take a virus test before their health app status could be restored to green.

      https://hongkongfp.com/2022/01/30/not-easy-being-green-chinas-health-codes-define-covid-era-life/
    • joe90 12.2

      15 March 2022 at 3:07 pm

      Whatever it takes to stop this getting away on them.

      https://twitter.com/yaling_jiang/status/1503034729209032706
      • Poission 12.2.1

        15 March 2022 at 3:15 pm

        we should have that here.

        https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/463342/green-party-mp-elizabeth-kerekere-breaks-self-isolation-rules
        • joe90 12.2.1.1

          15 March 2022 at 4:04 pm

          It seems even well educated people with good, well paying jobs just don’t fucking get it.

          My SO's filthy that after all the planning and effort that went into systems to avoid incidents and maintain continuity, a halfwit knowingly exposed to a positive case on the job during the weekend turned up to work yesterday and swanned around un-masked.

          Exasperated is not the word.
          • Poission 12.2.1.1.1

            15 March 2022 at 4:14 pm

            Yep,lots of wilful negligence.
13. Stephen D 13

    15 March 2022 at 12:08 pm

    Say what!!

    https://thespinoff.co.nz/live-updates/15-03-2022/simon-bridges-to-quit-politics-and-leave-parliament-in-the-coming-weeks
    • Blade 13.1

      15 March 2022 at 12:18 pm

      A big loss for National. I would suggest Jacinda thinks about doing likewise, if she wants to set herself up overseas before the possibility of WW3 starting.
      • Sabine 13.1.1

        15 March 2022 at 12:23 pm

        Well some say that the speechifying at Harvard is the PM going to Job interviews. WW3 started the day, WW2 ended it was called the Cold War. Which we have now started in earnest and with actual bullets and as always the little people do the dying, and the rich suits do the grand standing.
        Mind, if we survive this war will we finally build a monument to the unknown Mother and child.
        (Mother – adult human female having given birth to a child)
        • Whispering Kate 13.1.1.1

          15 March 2022 at 3:51 pm

          Expressed so well Sabine – my respect
14. Bazza64 14

    15 March 2022 at 12:36 pm

    Great article in the Herald today about 3 waters by Shane Jones. Sorry behind a paywall.

    At last the mainstream media are allowing a sensible rebuttal to the co-governance issue this government have tried to deceptively sneak in. I suspect the co-governance debacle will quietly disappear.
15. Peter 15

    15 March 2022 at 12:41 pm

    I wondered who the man in the high vis vest was, throwing stuff at police in Wellington. A number of feeds and photographers got the action shots.

    Turns out he's from the Far North where there seem to be quite a few with weird ideas. A teacher no less.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/abundant-life-school-staff-spotted-at-parliament-protest/UULLUZDA75Q2UGU4IJ32VL2JWY/

    Recent publicity hinted at something unusual going on at the guy's school. The principal, said to be on leave, was a would be National election candidate. That he was beaten by Matt King might say something.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/abundant-life-school-seniors-in-limbo-after-closure-of-senior-school/EQV4SIBUEO2QBQOBHHB6U4ZSKI/

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/nationals-five-enter-final-battle-for-northland-electorate/GZ3HGSQT74WFUHAE4PXQV5RZSY/
16. Molly 16

    15 March 2022 at 2:26 pm

    Surely they got the date wrong, and this article belongs to April 1st:

    https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/controversial-womens-network-logo-taken-down-after-twitter-backlash/news-story/fd5e2d01baa384d2d5b4e20fe86fe0e1

    The logo for the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s (PM&C) “Women’s Network” has been taken down, after it was mocked on social media for its phallic appearance.

    Rather than draw focus to the purpose of the Network – which, according to a description, ”promotes gender equality and supports members to succeed in their personal professional lives” – the logo ignited controversy when it was shared to Twitter on Sunday.

    Many at first assumed the logo was a fake because of its overt resemblance to male genitalia, while others were furious that it detracted from the actual purpose of the Network.

    
    • Molly 16.1

      15 March 2022 at 2:30 pm

      Apologies. Tried saving to smaller size, but was unsuccessful.

      I'm not going to say anything more about size, as I would likely incriminate myself…

      
      • Incognito 16.1.1

        15 March 2022 at 2:36 pm

        Better now, after I've resized it? Size matters
        • Molly 16.1.1.1

          15 March 2022 at 2:44 pm

          Thanks, Incognito.

          (I deleted a couple of comments before posting, along the lines you mention )
          • Incognito 16.1.1.1.1

            15 March 2022 at 2:51 pm

            A dirty mind is a joy forever.
            • roblogic 16.1.1.1.1.1

              15 March 2022 at 4:24 pm

              They even chose the same colour as the euphemistic emoji 🍆
      • joe90 16.1.2

        15 March 2022 at 2:40 pm

        Save the image, select it and pick your size

        http://www.simpleimageresizer.com/
        • Molly 16.1.2.1

          15 March 2022 at 2:45 pm

          Thanks.
    • Peter 16.2

      15 March 2022 at 3:25 pm

      I'm pleased there was some sort of explanation of what the objection was. Graphic design and logos are something I've been involved in.

      I briefly glimpsed the article, saw there was controversy and looked at the graphic without reading any of the text and seeing the words 'phallic' and 'male genitalia.' My first thought was about symbolic breasts and that depicting women through that was the issue.

      What would please me would be hearing that a woman was responsible for the design and it was approved by a team with female leadership.
      • Molly 16.2.1

        15 March 2022 at 5:59 pm

        There is an explanation of sorts, due to the design proforma (which I found later).

        https://twitter.com/samanthamaiden/status/1503466149639786496
    • Puckish Rogue 16.3

      15 March 2022 at 5:17 pm

      
17. Blade 17

    15 March 2022 at 4:10 pm

    Greens deal to one of their own. If only Labour would do the same with Trev.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-green-mp-elizabeth-kerekere-quits-portfolio-after-covid-19-breach/EYDHYPP46GW2JWVQZTFLW
    • Jimmy 17.1

      15 March 2022 at 4:40 pm

      Yes Jacinda is no Helen Clark or John key when it comes to disciplining party members who are out of line. We all remember David Clark over lockdown.

      I'm sure Robert Guyton will be along to defend this Green party member shortly.

      Green Party MP Elizabeth Kerekere breaks self-isolation rules (msn.com)
    • Dennis Frank 17.2

      15 March 2022 at 4:40 pm

      That link didn't work – somehow got truncated… https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-green-mp-elizabeth-kerekere-quits-portfolio-after-covid-19-breach/EYDHYPP46GW2JWVQZTFLWASF3Y/

      Green Party co-leaders say they reported MP Dr Elizabeth Kerekere to health authorities after they discovered she had breached pandemic restrictions.

      In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, Kerekere said she had travelled from her home in Tairāwhiti to Wellington by plane despite being a household contact of a Covid-infected person. She had been at Parliament yesterday.

      Today she resigned from her Covid-19 Response portfolio, and would not hold the Health portfolio nor sit on the Health Select Committee until further notice.
18. roblogic 18

    15 March 2022 at 4:22 pm

    Remembering one of the worst massacres in NZ history. 15 March, 2019, 51 precious Kiwis were cruelly murdered by a sick and twisted white supremacist.

    https://twitter.com/sammyhill78/status/1503459735215173632?s=20&t=EGdKlJ-Gu7EKRjRNyfZTkA

    https://twitter.com/AyaUmari/status/1503495950261981186?s=20&t=EGdKlJ-Gu7EKRjRNyfZTkA

    https://twitter.com/TamathaPaul/status/1503465566623141888?s=20&t=EGdKlJ-Gu7EKRjRNyfZTkA
19. Anne 19

    15 March 2022 at 5:43 pm

    Wonderful news! Now… how to get them out of Ukraine safely:

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/463338/visas-for-ukrainian-new-zealanders-families-as-government-increases-aid
20. Jenny how to get there 20

    15 March 2022 at 10:46 pm

    Even during the Vietnam war I can't recall a protest like this.

    The sheer courage, not only has Marina Ovsyannikova sacrificed her job and career, she is also facing a possible 15 year jail term

    This war can only end in one way. A humiliating defeat for Putin.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMkzNFa6jyU&ab_channel=SatyenK.Bordoloi
21. Jenny how to get there 21

    16 March 2022 at 5:57 am

    Deliberately withholding life saving medical attention from someone who needs it is a crime.

    It looks likely that the person who died at the Peka Peka farm anti-mandate camp, was infected with Covid-19. The death is being investigated by the coroner. Whether this person's covid infection was the cause of their death has yet to be determined.

    ….A spokesman for the Office of the Chief Coroner said the death was an active case with Coroner Brigitte Windley and police were investigating.

    Coroner: Person who died at anti-mandate camp site suspected to have Covid-19

    Sophie Cornish 15:17, Mar 15 2022

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cg-j0X09Ag&ab_channel=JanisJoplinVEVO

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