Open mike 15/03/2012

37 comments on “Open mike 15/03/2012 ”

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1. Pete George 1

   15 March 2012 at 7:20 am

   Beware the Ides of March? Breaking news, Key resigns.

   Well done Eddie.
   • rosy 1.1

     15 March 2012 at 7:32 am

     An attempt to get people to click on your site, Pete?
2. travellerev 2

   15 March 2012 at 7:40 am

   I thought I’d give Michael Valley a few pointers before he like so many war propagandists tells us we have to bomb Uganda for having spawned a guy called Kony who, so we have been told, recruits children for his army.

   Here you go: Kony, while like so many war lords/freedom fightersM in Africa is a despicable human being when around, has not been seen for the last seven years and in 2009 it was discovered that Uganda just happened to sit atop huge oil reserves.

   Not of course that the US/NATO or big oil would conspire to manipulate us to enter into yet another war of course. I mean Eddy, that would be conspiracy theory now would it!
   • TT 2.1

     15 March 2012 at 8:03 am

     Kony has become a pawn of the global elite and their lust for oil and mineral wealth plain and simple. The good old US of A has their sites set on that wealth, and they’ll take it at all costs. This whole Kony 2012 is nothing more than a sick campaign by neo-colonials to take what isn’t theirs. This has been the history of freedom fighters the world over. China is Uganda’s only hope for protection.
     • Eddie 2.1.1

       15 March 2012 at 8:11 am

       So, in ev’ world, Kony doesn’t even exist. In TT’s he’s a plaything of the West. In TT’s world, China isn’t a neo-colonial power. In both your worlds, Kony is a freedom fighter.

       There’s a point where some people get to where they say that any enemy of my enemy is a friend of mine. We’re all critical of US use of hegemonic power but some of you take it to the extent that anyone that is a target or potential target of that power must be an angel, viciously smeared by the media, all of which is working in secret collaboration with the US government. See, this is how conspiracy theories start – you’ve got to try to turn someone like Kony or Assad into the good guy to justify your irrational level of hatred of the US.
       • TT 2.1.1.1

         15 March 2012 at 8:43 am

         The whole Kony2012 campaign is a weak attempt to trick well intentioned people to back the Western war machine: http://vigilantcitizen.com/vigilantreport/kony-2012-state-propaganda-for-a-new-generation/

         Assad’s issues aren’t internal. It’s well known that Mossad and the CIA are responsible for the so called uprising in Syria.
         • Eddie 2.1.1.1.1

           15 March 2012 at 8:53 am

           lols. you just said what I said you were going to do.

           Assad’s a great guy but after a decade of closer relations with the West, the CIA and Mossad have decided to make the Sunnis rebel against him. They’re out there marching and dying by the thousands for no good reason of their own.

           Why did Mossad and the CIA provoke this (not to mention – how)?

           – Don’t ask silly questions. It’s about oil.

           But Syria is a minor oil producer and already offers Western oil companies drilling rights.

           – Shut up, it’s all about oil and the US is always on the side of evil making everyone on the other side an angel.

           On Kony, a war machine, like any machine, is a tool. what matters is what it’s used for. Getting rid of Kony = good. Invading Iraq = bad.
           • Campbell Larsen 2.1.1.1.1.1

             15 March 2012 at 9:29 am

             “On Kony, a war machine, like any machine, is a tool. what matters is what it’s used for. Getting rid of Kony = good. Invading Iraq = bad.”

             The cult of personality approach to issues is the problem. Rustling up a hate fest and then using it as justification for circumventing due process sets a disturbing precedent and we should be wary of this approach to justice lest we become no better than the Romans lusting after Christian blood in the Coliseum.

             Unless the real issues facing the country are dealt with then there will always be another Kony ready to step up and fill the void left by misguided vigilante justice.
           • muzza 2.1.1.1.1.2

             15 March 2012 at 12:17 pm

             “They’re out there marching and dying by the thousands for no good reason of their own” – Actually Eddie, many of them are drafted in, and paid to fight. The reason why in Syria there is little scirmishing in the centre areas of the country, should be rather obvious. Those fighting are from external regions, not internal!
             • Blighty …

               15 March 2012 at 5:39 pm

               christ, muzza, will you stop mouthing propaganda from murderous regimes? Even your choice of words reads like regime propaganda.
         • TT 2.1.1.1.2

           15 March 2012 at 8:53 am

           A link to a great interview of an ordinary citizen of Syria, about the manufactured “internal” strife in that country that has be perpetrated by Israel, The United States and NATO.
           
           • Blighty 2.1.1.1.2.1

             15 March 2012 at 5:40 pm

             Ah, I see. That one interview is true.

             But everything else coming out of Syria. All the footage of Homs, all the youtube videos. The bodies of journalists. That’s all faked.
       • travellerev 2.1.1.2

         15 March 2012 at 10:52 am

         Wow, I called Kony a despicable human being but he doesn’t exist?

         No, what I’m saying is that there are many war lords/freedom fighters depending on what side you are an Kony is probably one of them and many of them do horrible things and many of them recruit children to fight their horrible battles so to target one as the bad guy du jour because you need a reason to invade another oil rich country is hypocritical to say the least but more likely a devious and nasty ploy to trick people into calling for an invasion. In Lybia with the Al Qaeda flag (the same al Qaeda we are fighting in Afghanistan) on the court house of Benghazi and black people locked in cages and forced to eat flags should cause as much of an outcry as the crimes of Kaddafi but I don’t hear any of you “liberators” calling for an invasion to save those poor people.

         And as far as Conspiracy theories with regards to the invasions in the so called dictator countries (Obviously not Saudi Arabia, Bahrein and Qatars despots they are on our side after all) go I’m in bloody good company here is general Wesley Clark predicting the list of to be invaded countries. No theory there. Although you could of course say that General Wesley Clark is just another Conspircay nutter.

         And maybe Hillary Clinton is a nutter too. Here she is telling an interviewer the US created al Qaeda. The same al Qaeda which seems to be on the same side as the US in wanting to overthrow Assad, who by the way I have never called a good guy. I merely pointed out the hypocrisy in the selective “liberations” of oil rich countries while leaving the same hideous murderous dictators in place in countries supporting the West and giving us access to their oil.

         Even though American senators (All conspiracy nutters to be sure) are testifying to the fact that many traces with regards to the events of 911 lead to Saudi Arabia.

         Must be careful now. Too many links and I go to purgatory and if I talk to much about these things I might get banned again for conspiracy theories.

         Never mind that Michael Valley can write what ever warmongering propaganda crap he wants without a single supportive link.
       • Grumpy 2.1.1.3

         15 March 2012 at 1:15 pm

         Careful, you’ll have Morrissey calling you names next……..
         • Morrissey 2.1.1.3.1

           15 March 2012 at 4:20 pm

           Careful, you’ll have Morrissey calling you names next……..
           ??? When did I call anyone names?

           Anyway, I’m sure no one here would stoop to calling poor old Eddie any names. Anybody who reads his confused and wandery attempt at an argument can see he’s out of his intellectual depth.
   • Vicky32 2.2

     15 March 2012 at 6:17 pm

     Here you go: Kony, while like so many war lords/freedom fightersM in Africa is a despicable human being when around, has not been seen for the last seven years and in 2009 it was discovered that Uganda just happened to sit atop huge oil reserves.

     Very interesting! There has been a Facebook campaign, and it’s passed my Italian friends by, but all the NZ and Australian ones have watched the video. What’s interesting is that none of them were at all impressed!
3. mickysavage 3

   15 March 2012 at 7:45 am

   Anyone online watching David Shearer’s speech.  I am getting a report that the site has crashed.  Possibly through too much traffic.
   • Uturn 3.1

     15 March 2012 at 7:46 am

     Also waiting here with same error message.
   • Uturn 3.2

     15 March 2012 at 7:48 am

     It’s working now.
4. Jackal 4

   15 March 2012 at 9:00 am

   When the rubber hits the road

   All credit to Nick Smith for recognizing a most serious environmental issue in New Zealand, but $130,000 to identify the best way to recycle old tyres is a bit over the top. Especially when you consider that all the research has already been done and is freely available online…
5. rosy 5

   15 March 2012 at 9:31 am

   And while everyone was distracted by Shearer’s speech, Judith Collins backs away from ACC reform

   She says committed to ACC and not into ‘levelling the playing field’ for private insurers. All credit to her… Although she plans on extending the employers accreditation scheme, I guess it’s a case of waiting to see what that means.
   • Pete George 5.1

     15 March 2012 at 9:39 am

     Yes, noticed that, and I don’t think Collins had much choice. Inflating levies to enable private providers to compete (ie for profit margin) was ridiculous, making a nonsense of the contention that private business is efficient enough to compete head to head. When business can’t compete it shouldn’t be made competitive.
     • KJT 5.1.1

       15 March 2012 at 9:08 pm

       Works for power companies.
        
       What do you think our Governments have been doing with power companies for the last 30 years?
        
       Could privatised power companies compete if the SOE dividend had not been artificially raised?
   • muzza 5.2

     15 March 2012 at 12:35 pm

     “National’s support agreement with ACT states it will “introduce competition for ACC’s work account” – I like this line because it says alot about the NACT level of creepiness!
6. Pascal's bookie 6

   15 March 2012 at 12:44 pm

   Fight fight fight

   “It brings into question the credibility and accuracy of all his other blogs, read by dozens of followers.

   Big claims from a big man on a small blog site.

   It’s a shame he is wrong. Why does Slater make so much of his stuff up?”

   http://www.3news.co.nz/Whale-Oil-lies-again—opinion/tabid/1135/articleID/246696/Default.aspx#.T2Em2x9T21Y.twitter
   • Te Reo Putake 6.1

     15 March 2012 at 1:04 pm

     Ha! I’m starting to like Garner more and more.
      
     (Whale Oil) ” … read by dozens of followers.”
      
     Comedy Gold!
7. muzza 7

   15 March 2012 at 12:49 pm

   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10792229

   The super ministry

   Mr Key identified the following areas in which he wants to set tangible targets:

   1. A reduction in welfare dependency =Cut them off

   2. Greater participation especially by Maori and Pacific Island children in early childhood education = Cut off the early learning allowances

   3. Child immunisations rates to increase. = Compulsory!

   4. A reduction in the number of assaults on children. = Private prisons

   5. A higher proportion of 18-year-olds with NCEA level 2 = in prison learning

   6. A more highly skilled workforce = Nah just BS’ing you all!

   7. A reduction in the crime rate = keep them in the private prisons longer

   8. A cut in the rate of re-offending = keep more inside the private prisons forever

   9. A one-stop online shop for all Government advice and support for businesses = Offshore relocations helpdesk for IRD when businesses go broke and need to wind up

   10. Transactions with Government completed easily in a digital environment = Hello google cloud

   WOW!
   • rosy 7.1

     15 March 2012 at 12:58 pm

     Did he not identify free computers, training and networks for the poor, elderly and others requiring assistance so they can complete their government transactions easily in a digital environment?

     Or has the evaluation already been written where the easy digital environment is a success because there are significantly fewer contacts with government departments?
     • Vicky32 7.1.1

       15 March 2012 at 6:32 pm

       Or has the evaluation already been written where the easy digital environment is a success because there are significantly fewer contacts with government departments?

       Oh yes, what an obvious motive…
   • aerobubble 7.2

     15 March 2012 at 2:43 pm

     Justify horrendous income inequality by first magnifying apathy in already
     marginalized ghettos, then criminalization the sloth produced, to produce growth in
     prisons, ill-health, inter-generational poverty… …cultural stagnation, social strangulation.

     USSR before the revolution.
8. Sam 8

   15 March 2012 at 1:19 pm

   How about Louise Wall “renting” her office from her “civil union” partner.
   The girlfriend buys an office after the election and has a surefire tenant already lined up.
   Louise – not a good look – don’t be another one caught with a snout in the trough, even though this snout belongs to your girlfriend.
9. Gorj 9

   15 March 2012 at 5:03 pm

   I think I’m gonna be sick..
10. prism 10

    15 March 2012 at 5:57 pm

    I’ve been reading a USA 1998 textbook by Shaw and Barry Moral Issues in Business 7th Edition and it uses real life examples. So far I have read about the Northeast Utilities nuclear plant mixup where they were violating federal guidelines to save downtime and money during the refueling process and pushing the spent-fuel pool well beyond its design capacity.

    A whistleblower had to go through a lot of hassle getting nowhere until he finally went to the NRC – Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Then learnt that they had known about the unsafe procedures for years! The whistleblower felt that his and others’ sacrifices for good practice and probity were virtually wasted and one said he wouldn’t do it again. p.347

    Have also read about Exxon. The summary states that the scenario for safety of the operation in Alaskan waters suggested that the type of disastrous spill that happened would only happen once every 24 years. (p.210) So it was accepted and expected. What does that say about the assurances we have received from Petrobras, especially after their Antarctic mess recently.
11. logie97 11

    15 March 2012 at 7:02 pm

    Wake up people. The New Zealand that we were once proud of is being dismantled by a few Johnnies-come-lately and their mouthpieces, sitting on comfortable salaries in the media, will champion them all the way.

    The nouveau riche, moneymen, whose contribution has been nothing – made their wealth in dealing in currency (it has been suggested included runs on the NZ dollar) – and a media man, through his totally unproductive media interests – talk back radio – what a great contribution to NZ Inc.!!!

    They strike you as people with no sense of history or having any philosophy other than $$$. Politicians who have formulated their view of life over a beer and barbecue.

    And the bazaar thing is that the media treat dissenting voices with derision. Just listen to RNZ and the stances their broadcasters take… but then they could be frightened for their jobs as well.

    Diplomats who have a real sense of nationality and country, about to be replaced by appointees whose loyalties could be closer to their corporate connections.

    Now, in Wellington, there will be thousands of public servants, doing their jobs dutifully, sworn to loyalty to their departments and their ministers – the very same ministers who may/will be about to send them down the road …
12. Descendant Of Smith 12

    15 March 2012 at 10:13 pm

    Still at least Ernst and Young have a few ideas moving forward:
    Coupled with that was the Kiwi ”fireman mentality”, Dickson said: If a machine broke down at 2am the man who fixed it was a hero, but ”in most parts of the world he’d be shot for the machine breaking down in the first place”.
    Yep we should aspire to shooting our workers.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/6581476/Kiwi-culture-a-part-of-productivity-puzzle
13. Jackal 13

    15 March 2012 at 10:18 pm

    Lies won the election

    Financial incompetence and corruption is never a good look, especially when we’re talking about the so called “Leader” of New Zealand…
14. Morrissey 14

    15 March 2012 at 10:54 pm

    DEAKER-WATCH No. 3

    Has hypocrisy ever been more shameless than this?
    Radio Sport/Newstalk ZB, Wednesday 7 July 2004, 7 – 8 p.m.

    hypocrisy, n., from the Greek ὑπόκρισις (hypokrisis): Jealous, play-acting, acting out, coward, dissembling

    Anybody who has suffered more than a few hours of lugubrious Newstalk ZB sports “pundit” MURRAY DEAKER will be familiar with his stock phrases: “dopey”, “dumb”, “boofheads”, “sick and tired”, “you’ve stopped me in my tracks”, “drivel”, et cetera, ad nauseam.

    Another of Deaker’s constant refrains is: “I’m not interested in politics.” So it might have surprised some of his listeners to hear him interviewing, last Wednesday night, not just any old politician, but one of the nastier specimens you’d find anywhere: the infamous anti-democratic thug Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka.

    Deaker, who (believe it or not) taught history in his former career, offered this remarkable interpretation of Rabuka’s nefarious actions: “You were involved in politics and some years ago, out of frustration, you led a coup against the government…” Note the sympathetic “out of frustration”.

    Then he gets onto talking about what Colonel Rabuka has actually come for: the upcoming game between the Pacific Islanders and the All Blacks. Rabuka identifies the NZRFU as a major obstruction to the Pacific Islanders team and to Pacific Islands football in general.

    Predictably, Deaker uses that comment as a springboard for his standard anti-NZRFU rant: “When you run into NZRU supporters – I mean NZRU officials – they’re always crotchety and apparently you don’t understand anything.” (Another constant Deaker theme is his never-ending grizzle that “the NZRFU won’t talk to me.” This stems from the 1999 Rugby World Cup, when the All Blacks – indeed most football people – were so disgusted by his ignorant behaviour before and especially after the semi-final loss to France, that they have shunned him ever since.)

    After Colonel Rabuka leaves, it’s open line for what Peter Thorburn memorably labelled the “flat earth society”. First caller is a bloke named John, who launches into a tirade against the P.I. team,
    asserting that they are “bludgers” and that they’d have plenty of money if they just stopped giving all that money to their churches.

    Now, Deaker is infamous for his own vitriolic anti-Polynesian tirades over the years. Of the Deaker stock phrases mentioned at the beginning of this article, he reserves three of them almost
    exclusively for Polynesian players: “dopey”, “dumb”, “boofheads”. So you’d expect Deaker to agree with what caller John is saying, right?

    Wrong. Like all bullies, Deaker is capricious, unpredictable. Who could guess that tonight he’d decide to come across as sanctimoniously PRO-Polynesian? So after John has vented his spleen, there is a long, ominous pause as the great broadcaster prepares his response.

    “John, you HATE them, don’t you?”

    John demurs at that accusation, but of course Deaker is implacable: “No, no, you had two goes at them. You called them bludgers and you had a go at their churches. You’re going to call them headhunters next!” (By this point, Deaker has discreetly cut John off to prevent any reply.) “John, open your heart up and have a bit of love for your fellow man, because your heart is twisted with hatred!”

    Next caller is ex-boxer Denny Enright, a regular caller to Deaker’s show, and renowned for saying “Murray” at least twice in virtually every sentence he utters. Deaker takes the opportunity to have
    another go at the previous caller: “Denny, I just want to check. Did that last guy sound to you like a guy with a real chip on his shoulder against Islanders? He was as bad as I’ve heard…”
    – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
    DEAKER-WATCH is a series dedicated to highlighting the contributions of Murray Deaker to New Zealand public life.

    DEAKER-WATCH No.1…
    
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13032012/#comment-446445

    DEAKER-WATCH No. 2…
    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-14032012/#comment-447110

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