Open mike 15/04/2020

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 15th, 2020 - 91 comments
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91 comments on “Open mike 15/04/2020 ”

  1. KJT 1

    Caught a Bridges interview this morning.

    We really dodged a bullet, avoiding having that degree of cognitive ignorance, in charge.

    Sickening, watching the interveiwer treating him with deference and agreement, rather than the hostile way interviewers treat Government MP's.

    We really do have a biased media.

    • I Feel Love 1.1

      Imagine if Bridges/ Nats were leading this, lockdown, then lift early, then lockdown, lift early etc … would have been chaos.

    • Morrissey 1.2

      One of his henchmen, Paul Goldsmith, was on Kathryn Ryan's show this morning. Embarrassingly bad.

  2. I Feel Love 2

    This ain't no "standard seasonal flu", they also may find the high death rate is because hospitals have been underfunded, as simple as that. And considering the UK aren't counting the residential home deaths, unlike us here. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/14/we-are-all-resigned-to-getting-it-nhs-staff-reveal-fears-from-the-frontlines-of-covid-19

  3. Janet 3

    The basic math goes like this: If NZ could attract 2000 people to invest $50m, that would raise $100b.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12324752

    NO THANKYOU.!

    Lets start again the way modern NZ started in the beginning – with honest hard working people looking for opportunity to succeed that was no longer reachable in Britian in the 1800,s.

    • BArely Here, or There 3.1

      Make NZ Great Again!

      I well remember all those swindled English and German migrants sold land that wasn't owned, having to live in tents for years on end, sometimes as solo mums, as their children died. It was great. Not too many turned up with the equivalent of $50m in their pocket, and most towns were violent hell holes. Maori might have something to say about being shot at again, and having anything stolen off them. But your basic maths is right, if it weren't for the reality of how much it would cost to get that money here.

      Can I get a hip hooray for the capitalists?

      • Janet 3.1.1

        You must be very old to remember all that!. My pioneering ancestors didn,t mention that they met such horror in 1842 and 1852. They arrived to basic ( but expected ) primitive beginnings ( Nelson ) and successfully worked steadily to comfortable old ages.

    • Ad 3.2

      It's a good idea – so long as this is their only citizenship and they renounce all others. And that $50m+ needs to be domiciled here.

      We are about to lose the shirts off our backs economically, and we don't have enough millionaires either absolutely or proportionately to start up this country again.

      I'm sure it goes against the egalitarian spirit of the left – but without some serious fresh injection of capital, the workers of New Zealand could toil away for decades and still have to rely on the state for most things in their lives.

      • RedLogix 3.2.1

        Don't fret, it will happen anyway.

        Europe is in for a very unsettling decade or two, there will be many well qualified people with both money and talent looking to escape.

      • Janet 3.2.2

        "the workers of New Zealand could toil away for decades and still have to rely on the state for most things in their lives."

        So UBI might as well start now and their toil and initiative over the next decades will quickly be constructive .

  4. Koff 4

    The international (English language) media have been lauding the NZ response to the COVID-19 crisis, but looking at the worldometer stats (must admit I’ve been alternatively mesmerised and horrified over the last few weeks by the figures), there are some standout countries that have hardly been mentioned: Taiwan, Vietnam and Hong Kong, in particular.

    It’s hard to make sense of all thefigures and not easy to make easy comparisons because of so many different variables that you don’t know about: size of population, testing rate, amountof contact tracing, quarantining strategy etc., but it’s also hard to ignore Vietnam with no deaths and hardly any cases yet it’s right next to China. Taiwan similar with only 6 deaths and a population similar to Australia, Hong Kong with only 4 deaths and again hardly any cases. All 3 countries were badly affected by the SARS epidemic in 2003 and seemed to have learned from the experience. All shut down their borders in early January, 2 months before NZ, and had well thought out pandemic strategies already in place just in case another nasty zoonotic virus (one that jumps from another species) turned up, which of course it did.

    Lessons to be learned by the rest of the world. Links below to articles about Taiwan and Vietnam.

    https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/asia/population-the-same-as-australia-s-but-a-fraction-of-the-coronavirus-cases-20200412-p54j67.html

    https://www.dailysabah.com/world/with-no-deaths-reported-vietnams-response-to-coronavirus-pandemic-earns-praise/news

      • Peter chch 4.1.1

        For those who flunked Chinese 101, this basically says that Taiwan is part of China, and we are all ignorant and no doubt racist if we think otherwise as there is one and only one China.

        Hmm, wonder how they reconcile their empire including Xinjiang and Xizang (Tibet) then. Hardly comprised of Han Tzu or historically part of China.

        2021 is a dangerous year, and Xi has already stated repeatedly that within one year China will seize Taiwan back.

        I just wish more Kiwis would read the local Chinese press. Racist and imperialist in the extreme. I honestly think many of our Chinese immigrants consider NZ to be just an overseas outpost of the Chinese Empire.

        • RedLogix 4.1.1.1

          I just wish more Kiwis would read the local Chinese press. Racist and imperialist in the extreme.

          Agreed. I cannot read the language, but I have trusted sources who do. And they tell me much the same things.

          If people here think I'm stridently anti-CCP it's mainly for this reason.

          I honestly think many of our Chinese immigrants consider NZ to be just an overseas outpost of the Chinese Empire.

          The reality is a lot more nuanced. The overseas Chinese diaspora is deeply divided on the CCP. Many of those who oppose them fear a backlash in the West that would could scarcely help but to fail to discriminate between the various groups.

          • I Feel Love 4.1.1.1.1

            A good doco American Factory, about a Chinese business man buying a factory in USA, the way they describe the Americans is quite revealing, some quite truthful, but clearly quite racist.

        • Bruce 4.1.1.2

          Sorry I should have pointed out ,scroll down for English.

    • Gabby 4.2

      Well 3 guesses why Taiwan might not get mentioned.

  5. Cinny 5

    Trumps presser yesterday was the most bizarre yet. Let's dim the lights, says trump as a little film starts up lamenting agent orange. It was weird. I've never seen him so defensive, he was off the hook raging at journalists who tried their best to hold him to account yesterday.

    Today it looks like the presser is in the rose garden, thank goodness, can't dim the lights there, so no promotional film from POTUS.

    • Anne 5.1

      Can you supply a link Cinny? I have trouble finding them – lack of knowledge and know how.

      I saw part of yesterday's presser and it was like something out of A in Wonderland. Un…. believable!

      • Cinny 5.1.2

        Anne, I'll post a live link for tomorrow.

        Today's was even more unreal, he spent the longest time reading out names of big corporations. Can't even remember why now lololz, because he went on for so long. But he deliberately didn't mention microsoft, he must have beef with them.

        He also spent most of the time blaming other people. It's all China's fault and the WHO because they didn't tell trump to take action and weren't transparent. It's got nothing to do with trump calling the virus a hoax or his lack of listening ability, nope, apparently everything is someone elses fault.

        As well he talked up how the USA has more ICU rooms than Italy or France etc. Love to fact check on that. And he spent ages bragging about how many ventilators the USA has. Because it's a competition lolz.

        Fauci was MIA, I hope he's ok.

        Here's a link for a replay of today's bizarre presser in the Rose Garden.

        • Anne 5.1.2.1

          Thanks Cinny. I got it through the Guardian link but couldn't stomach all of it. It was like listening to a drug addled nut-bar. Just awful.

          Yes, I heard the latest installment of the blame game. The lies are so blatant that his followers must have the lowest IQ in the entire country to not know he is the fake.

          Did you see the clip of Dr Fauci yesterday explaining what he meant by his comments the previous day concerning Trump 's original denial of the virus? He was in front of the microphone looking so small and vulnerable while two stony faced thugs stood over him just to his left. Trump and Pence. Poor man. Not surprised he didn't turn up today. He is being bullied behind the scenes. That is obvious.

          • Drowsy M. Kram 5.1.2.1.1

            Dr Fauci turns 80 this year – he has been a senior figure in US public health for a loooong time. Not sure how susceptible he is to bullying – at some point he may be forced to ‘stand down’, but I'm guessing he won’t be keen to go as long as he believes that continuing to advise Trump can do some public health good.

            "He has turned down several offers to lead his agency's parent, the NIH [National Institutes of Health], and has been at the forefront of US efforts to contend with viral diseases like HIV, SARS, the 2009 swine flu pandemic, MERS, Ebola and COVID-19."
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Fauci

            • Anne 5.1.2.1.1.1

              Hi DMK, I didn't mean to infer Fauci was 'afraid' of Trump but rather he was being undermined behind the scenes – a better word than bullying.

              Its a measure of the a*****e that – despite his [false] words to the contrary – Trump thinks he can push around an 80 year old with knowledge and experience he is incapable of ever attaining, and without any empathy or respect for the age of the gentleman.

              Lets not forget he tweeted only a few days ago he wanted to fire Fauci because he said something Trump did not like.

              • Drowsy M. Kram

                Agree with all you've written Anne, just thought that Dr Fauci's age, medical expertise and record of public service were interesting. Being in their seventies would seem to be about the only thing Fauci and Trump have in common.

  6. Peter 6

    The media highlight of the day? When such a beauty comes up early you know Trump or anyone else is going to have to go really hard to compete.

    Man on radio talking about Obama endorsing Biden. (That's news? You're so bereft that it's the only thing in the world to talk about? etc, etc.)

    Obama's thing is a 10 minute speech, well, 'monologue' and according to the guru "There's a man who likes the sound of his own voice." !!!!!!

    Mirror, mirror on the wall ….

    • Bearded Git 6.1

      If Michelle Obama goes around publicly endorsing Biden his lead (already good) will stretch into the far distance.

    • The Al1en 7.1

      Identify, and if any of them catch covid and/or pass it on, hold them liable for treatment costs and consider criminal negligence or wilful endangerment charges.

      • Peter 7.1.1

        Vancouver is a good size bigger than Auckland. The guy in the clip said there was a massive crowd. I think he is exaggerating.

        • Koff 7.1.1.1

          Accordingto B.C. media it was a small group of about 20, mostly anti-vaxxers and other local right wing nut jobs.

      • Sabine 7.1.2

        Germany has drive by testing and done fairly well so far as a transit country to boot,

        and in the US if you don't work you starve – and also right wing, and Donald wants a march and the Trumpists march.

        Maybe the idiots are the ones pretending that they can stay home for month on end with the government sending care packages until the virus is eradicated and then they go back to live as it was before.
        maybe the actual solution is somewhere inbetween.

        • The Al1en 7.1.2.1

          Without knowing if any of those protesters aren't spreading covid, they're just being sour krauts and maple strops, and should heed the advice on social distancing and mass gatherings. I mean it would be really stupid to end a lock down as they want, only to have thousands more catch it because money and bau.

          Though their self righteous reaction is a bit of an ah, now I get it moment.

        • weka 7.1.2.2

          Maybe the idiots are the ones pretending that they can stay home for month on end with the government sending care packages until the virus is eradicated and then they go back to live as it was before.

          Who thinks that? Most people I'm seeing who understand the need for lock down also understand we're not going back to BAU.

      • weka 7.1.3

        unfortunately it would be hard to establish who caught cv from who, so presumably endangerment or manslaughter wouldn't be a go.

        Am curious what penalties Canada (or NZ) has for such behaviour in a pandemic or under a civil emergency.

        • The Al1en 7.1.3.1

          Sure, though wilful breaching lock down orders are not only frustrating but ultimately dangerous to a lot of people. I hope none of them bought a surprise home to their bubbles.

          • weka 7.1.3.1.1

            I totally think the state should deal to that. If it were NZ I would expect arrests.

            • The Al1en 7.1.3.1.1.1

              Which would be tough as protesting is a right and all, and historically, most on the left would view the police on a spectrum of suspicion, but it's a deadly pandemic, and I would also expect a minimum warning of go home or be arrested would end a pointless protest like these above.

              • weka

                It's not the gathering to protest that bothers me, it's the blatant ignoring of the 2m distancing, and I'm guessing they're not bothering with hand washing, no face touching etc too.

                • The Al1en

                  I do agree, they can't really protest observing 2m spacing rules, so just like anyone too close in a queue at the moment, they'll cause some suspicion concerning their observance skills/understanding/compliance.

  7. Adrian Thornton 8

    The liberal media show us that Chompsky's 'manufacturing concent' model is operating perfectly in it's job of protecting Biden…even here in little ol' NZ, RNZ doesn't touch this story either…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63yeQ1GCzIY

    • AB 8.1

      The Democratic Party seem to realise that they have coalesced around the worst possible anti-Sanders candidate. Biden is an incredibly 'target-rich environment' for Republican attack ads. There's the corruption allegations against his son (Hunter) and brother (James) – both suspected of using access to Joe as bargaining chips. There's his support for the Iraq war, for cutting social security, and for stripping people of bankruptcy protection. There's his support for NAFTA and TPPA. And now the glossed over and uninvestigated sexual abuse allegations. Not to mention an increasing tendency to flub his lines. It's going to be bloody. I guess the Democratic Party would have preferred to coalesce around Buttigieg or Klobuchar or Harris or even Bloomberg – but they weren't options after South Carolina.

      What's also clear is that Sanders doesn't own his own movement. Despite endorsing Biden he can't command their obedience. To some extent, his movement will shuck him off and find a new leader – true to their likely belief in the Tolstoyan maxim that a leader is the wave pushed ahead by the ship. The age divide – Sanders winning under 45's decisively and Biden over 45's equally decisively – suggests many younger voters may simply not vote (which they are prone not to do anyway)

      And Trump is going to claim victory over the 'Chinese virus' – irrespective of how many C-19 deaths there finally are. He's going to lie through his teeth about the whole thing, make a case for his own foresight and competence – and stand a good chance of being believed.

      Unhappy days.

  8. Treetop 9

    Cuomo Governor of New York, "Donald Trump has declared himself as King Trump."

    Midday news on 1.

  9. Barfly 11

    NZ Herald utterly gobsmacking incompetent…it's dammed obvious that proof reading is considered unnecessary

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12324961

    States repeatedly it's 20% cut in salaries yet multiple examples given in $ terms are all 10% .

    Oh and I’m waiting for reporters to ask Bridges and Rimmer if they will be taking cuts as well.

    • RedBaronCV 11.1

      20% annually so 10% for 6 months I assume. Personally I'd have also taken a hatchet to the police commissioner and the head of the defence force who I believe earn way above the prime minister and given it to the director general of health

    • Chris T 11.2

      Heard on the news Bridge's is.

      If you a going to make a pointless token gesture, then they will all do it.

      Assuming Rimmer is Seymour, imagine he will jump on the pointless PR band wagon.

      Not sure about Winston given "The super annuation thing". Will probably say he will, which doesn't mean much.

    • observer 11.3

      Ardern is smarter than that.

      She could have played it like the old game, get one up on Bridges, for a moment in the news. But she informed him beforehand, gave him a chance to match her.

      Taking the high ground is what works for her. It's good politics. Kicking him in the goolies plays well to the base, like some on here, but that's exactly what Bridges would do, and that's why he loses. Big picture classy versus small picture petty.

      Sometimes I think that her political skills are as much underestimated by her supporters as her detractors.

  10. Sabine 12

    Resumé

    BY DOROTHY PARKER

    Razors pain you;

    Rivers are damp;

    Acids stain you;

    And drugs cause cramp.

    Guns aren’t lawful;

    Nooses give;

    Gas smells awful;

    You might as well live.

    • Forget now 12.1

      Portrait of the Artist

      By Dorothy Parker

      Lead me to a quiet cell

      Where never footfall rankles

      With steel chains go bind me well

      Make fast my wrists and ankles

      O wrap my limbs with linen fair

      With hempen cord go bind me

      And of your mercy leave me there

      Nor tell them where to find me

      Bar the door there as you go

      And see its bolts be double

      Come back in half an hour or so

      And I will be in trouble.

      • Forget now 12.1.1

        Yes I flubbed a few lines. But; apart from the title, that was from memory (as I used my one editing chance on fixing that)! Surprised I did that well myself, after so many years.

  11. Fireblade 13

    Trump Rocks Bohemian Rhapsody.

    • Cinny 13.1

      Oh dang! Must show Miss 15, she loves that song and loathes trump. Putin on the piano is a beautiful touch loololz.

      Funny as.

  12. gsays 14

    Unintended Consequences:

    If it is any consolation, anecdotally speaking, there seems to be a dramatic drop-off in numbers seeking hospital help for self-harm and suicide attempts.

    I have been pondering possible reasons for this: limited or restricted access to alcohol, stronger ties to others by being connected to a bubble, a greater closeness and/or appreciation of those nearest and dearest….

    Some of these may be an explanation for the drop in family harm notifications.

  13. Andre 15

    Biff fake-Tannin' is delaying the stimulus payments going out to Americans made unemployed by COVID-19. So they can have his shaky sharpie scrawl on them. Could be worse I s'pose, they could have been delayed further so that Dim Dotardashian got his ugly mug printed on them as well.

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trumps-name-on-stimulus-check-irs-coronavirus_n_5e965be0c5b6ead140045899

    • Sabine 15.1

      today they declared that the money will be accessible to debt collectors.

      Many people will get it via direct bank deposit 🙂 and never see a cent.

      But King Trump of Trumplandia will feel all great again, having his name on a 'cheque'.

  14. weka 17

    Not a fan generally, but this is a really good move by TOP.

    https://twitter.com/top_nz/status/1250267758211653633

  15. Herodotus 19

    Suggestion that I put into practice today both at Work and Socially

    Didn't email or txt, all interaction was by phone. Good also to just talk not just the functional txt/email.

  16. Incognito 20

    Australia is flattening the coronavirus curve. But should we try to squash it like New Zealand?

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2020-04-15/coronavirus-elimination-australia-new-zealand/12150302

    New Zealand is now "the envy of the world", according to the Grattan Institute, which said the country had a "realistic chance" of eliminating COVID-19 within the next couple of months.

  17. Forget now 21

    So, it's been a strange day – apologies if I have seemed like a bear with a sore tooth at times,.. but that's pretty much accurate. I had a kernel from lunch caught in between my teeth – so I flossed it out, along with much of the tooth! Dental school (over the phone) gave me a choice between meds or extraction. Went with meds (painkillers and antibiotics until level 3 at least).

    Anyway, on the way to the chemist there is this oldish crusty bloke reeling from side to side of the footpath. Shouting at the woman (normal street clothes) in front of me to get out of his way – even though it was clearly him lurching towards her. So then it's my turn…

    I am wearing a zipped-up hoody, facial bandana and jeans (really not skirt weather today!). In retrospect, I may have looked a bit Islamic? He sneers at me: "If I had a gun, I'd shoot the lot of you!". That was surprising, maybe what Muslims in Dunedin put up with all the time? So I bellow back "Forget you – currant!", which he may have misheard, because he got out of my face really quickly after that.

    The strange thing was that he didn't seem drunk or otherwise intoxicated. Guess it's just the stress of lockdown.. and him being an arsehole too, of course.

  18. pat 22

    food for thought.

    Wage subsidy spend to date 9 billion….

    IMF projection 25 billion contraction NZ GDP next 12 months….

    12 months interest (only) on residential mortgages NZ 13 billion…

    12 months interest (only) on personal lending NZ 1.2 billion…

  19. weston 24

    I heard stephen mills saying on kathrine ryans program the other day that he thought jeremey corbyn was the worst leader the uk labour party had ever had funny i thought mills was supposed to represent the lefts view on the program he was taking part in an hooten the right ??but on yer steve may as well put the boot in everyone else has .Would have thought you couldve cut corbyn a tiny bit of slack tho steve it cant have been easy for example trying to be effective in ahighly corrosive poisonous snake pit that is the uk labour party .Even going home to put your feet up must have been something of an ordeal for jc given the daily onslaught of hit pieces in maybe all of the papers by hostile corporate presstittutes taking their orders from on high by powerfull figures determined to stop you getting any traction .IM petty sure that if a labour leader in this country managed to increase membership of the party by the numbers that jeremy corbyn did over there it would be have to be regarded equally with jesus's trick of walking on water !!Supprizes me that so many people both here and there cant decide weather they are left right or in between or how low they can go to keep their noses in the trough .The uk labour part it seems is no different to the democratic party in the states in that they will even go to the extream of deliberately losing an election to maintain the status quo .Rotten to the core would be an understatement in both cases imo.

    • I Feel Love 24.1

      Bridges is doing a better job of opposition than the UK Labour right now, & the UK actually have problems, urgent ones, that should be called out, but UK Labour? Not a squeak…

  20. Eco Maori 25

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    That's is correct we can't jump to soon out of isolation.

    Ka kite Ano

  21. Eco Maori 26

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Hopefully we can step down to level 3 in good time.

    Ka pai giving the Kaumatua flue vaxcernation at their Marae.

    The Raukumara need a lot of mahi to minimise the pest in it I still champion A bounty on pest.

    The new Te reo teaching programs are good.

    Ka kite Ano

  22. Eco Maori 27

    Kia Ora The Am Show.

    Good to hear that our farmers are still working.

    I remember that person pushing for lock down next minute he wants Aotearoa to come out early.

    I say the government has done a good job with the virus it's impossible to keep everyone happy.

    There are a few things from the old days that could create mahi.

    Ka kite Ano.

  23. Eco Maori 28

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    You would think that property owners will give their business tenants rent reduction in times like this.

    That's good Aotearoa being involved in a international research project for the virus.

    Its awesome the mahi Doc is doing in Aotearoa.

    Ka kite Ano.

  24. Eco Maori 29

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    I think it's good to use online service to help tangi with the virus isolation.

    That's what it used to be like people helping people Ka pai to the guy who put out the fire.

    Cool that forestry workers can go back to mahi in level 3lock down.

    Awsome that tangata are protecting Te Kauri Tane Mahuta.

    Ka kite Ano.

  25. Eco Maori 30

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    Cool those people importanting PPE gear.

    Extreme weather events is going to be the new normal.

    Counterfeiters of virus cures are low flogging off crap that is just a money spinner.

    Ka kite Ano

  26. Eco Maori 31

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Kia Kaha Whanau Aotearoa is in a great place.

    Ka kite Ano.

  27. Eco Maori 33

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    You will always find some people who have a different opinion.

    What fools go and dump rubbish in a cemetery.

    I think ACC needs a cleanup.

    That's is cool the 21st century commutation devices to make movies and waiata during the virus isolation.

    Ka kite Ano

  28. Eco Maori 34

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Cool that their is going to be virus testing in our remote rual regions

    In good time the lock down levels will lift.

    Good the people getting donations and send out period products to unfortunate Wahine.

    Ka kite Ano.

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