Open mike 15/05/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 15th, 2016 - 51 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

openmikeOpen mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

51 comments on “Open mike 15/05/2016 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Gosman 1
    15 May 2016 at 6:44 am

    Hard core leftists must be so proud of the misery the policies they support have caused.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/05/venezuela-is-falling-apart/481755/

    The most pertinent point is the shortages of goods such as toilet paper started happening in 2014 when oil was still north of 100 dollars a barrel.

    • Ad 1.2
      15 May 2016 at 7:19 am

      Hard core rightists must be equally proud of US support for Saudi Arabia and its own rapid internal disruption, caused by the same oil price collapse.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 1.3
      15 May 2016 at 9:18 am

      You’re a broken record, Gosman. You want to rehearse your tiresome unoriginal narrative and then have it picked apart all over again?

      Your opinion isn’t worth shit.

      • left for dead 1.3.1
        15 May 2016 at 10:05 am

        +1

      • Gosman 1.3.2
        15 May 2016 at 11:01 am

        The reason I keep bringing up Venezuela is not just because a few years ago it was held up as some sort of leading light in the global anti-Capitalist movement. The main reason is because (despite your claim) the failure of Venezuelan Socialism have not be adequately explained by leftist here. The two main arguments seem to be that the US is causing the problem (despite little evidence presented to support this) or that it is related to the collapse in the price of oil. This last point is equally idiotic as that article points put.

        • reason 1.3.2.1
          15 May 2016 at 2:39 pm

          I wonder how our economy would fare if the u.s.a was trying to screw us over and had already backed one military overthrow of our elected gonrernment ?

          “In Central America the doctrine required supporting the ‘contra’ rebels in Nicaragua, and backing for the Guatemalan government which – during the Reagan era – may have killed more than 100,000 Mayan Indians. Reagan described the contras as being like America’s ‘founding fathers’ and Guatemala’s hard man, Rios Montt, as ‘a man of great personal integrity’.”

          “When a wave of torture and murder staggered a small U.S. ally, truth was a casualty.”

          http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-negroponte1a-story.html

        • One Anonymous Bloke 1.3.2.2
          16 May 2016 at 11:00 am

          The reason you keep bringing up Venezuela is that you’re a troll, commenting in bad faith. You’ve been caught out lying too many times to count, on this subject and on just about every other one.

          Your attempt to pretend some sort of educated reasonable stance is just another lie.

          The only appropriate response is contempt.

          Plus what McFlock said, you fucking sociopath.

    • Xanthe 1.4
      15 May 2016 at 10:31 am

      The most pertinant point is that this follows the “shock therapy” economic “reforms” carried out in venezuala by the author of the article! (which was not disclosed in the linked article)

      • Gosman 1.4.1
        15 May 2016 at 10:37 am

        What shock therapy has Venezuela undergone recently?

          • Xanthe 1.4.1.1.1
            15 May 2016 at 10:56 am

            Thanks paul i just also just learned what DNFTT means. Ah what an enlightening day it has been so far and its just started
            🙂

          • stigie 1.4.1.1.2
            15 May 2016 at 12:10 pm

            What does DNFTT mean Paul, is that a leftie response for Gosman being pragmatic ?

            • One Anonymous Bloke 1.4.1.1.2.1
              16 May 2016 at 11:02 am

              Only a liar would view another liar’s lies as pragmatism.

        • Xanthe 1.4.1.2
          15 May 2016 at 10:54 am

          It is all set out in his (Moises naim)’s book.
          Actually thanks for your link it has started me off on a very interesting path of learning. You might try it sometimes, its fun. Very convoluted story this but you can largely discount naim’s narative, its just spin and misdirection.

        • reason 1.4.1.3
          15 May 2016 at 2:49 pm

          http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/the_shock_doctrine_2009/

          Here’s a link for those who have not watched ‘shock doctrine”.

          Its worth noting that Chile now has massive inequality ….

          And tax havens are the latest weapon of the neo-libs …..

          • Gosman 1.4.1.3.1
            15 May 2016 at 7:43 pm

            It’s worth noting that Chile has probably got the strongest economy in South America.

            • McFlock 1.4.1.3.1.1
              16 May 2016 at 10:51 am

              “Worth noting”? Only if you’re a fucking sociopath who regards torture and murder as more acceptable than wealth redistribution..

    • joe90 1.5
      15 May 2016 at 1:19 pm

      His daughter, María Gabriela Chávez, is the richest person in Venezuela, with a net worth of 4.2 billion dollars.

      Failure to plan for dropping oil prices, vanity projects like a piss poor F1 driver and a ruling family ending up with $4 billion and change ain’t socialism, it’s naked capitalism/kleptocracy, whatever the stripe.

  2. lurcher1948 2
    15 May 2016 at 6:57 am

    Who would be a blues supporter

  3. Paul 3
    15 May 2016 at 8:05 am

    Infantile and ignorant reporting of the weather by the Herald.
    Describes present conditions as ‘golden’ and fails to mention climate change.
    Useless and dangerous.
    No wonder so many NZers are so woefully I’ll-informed.

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11639236

    • stunnedmullet 3.1
      15 May 2016 at 8:48 am

      The weather, up north at least, is golden at the moment.

      There’s plenty to deride the Herald about but in the great scheme of reporting that little article is probably one of their more reasonable ones.

      • Paul 3.1.1
        15 May 2016 at 10:04 am

        The weather may be ‘golden’.
        Our descendants won’t thank the Herald for its cynical complacency.
        Not reporting climate change properly, the most important issue of our time, is criminal.

    • Jenny Kirk 3.2
      15 May 2016 at 9:00 am

      I have to say, Paul, that we’re thoroughly enjoying the golden, balmy, calm weather here in the north – and trying hard NOT to think it might be caused as part of climate change.
      Meanwhile, whanau in Wellington have been experiencing very wet, windy weather which sounds about right for this time of the year. So for once the Herald story is accurate !

      • Paul 3.2.1
        15 May 2016 at 10:02 am

        And ignoring the fact that these weather patterns are caused by climate change is disingenuous.

        • ianmac 3.2.1.1
          15 May 2016 at 10:13 am

          Pretty amazing warmth here in the Top of the South. No heat pump yet and we are only 5 weeks away from midwinter day. Climate change is happening and it is ominous.

          • Paul 3.2.1.1.1
            15 May 2016 at 10:51 am

            Record heat being recorded in so many places round the world, global land/ sea temperatures break records for 12 consecutive months, Arctic se ice at record lows, droughts in South Asia, Africa, parts of Canada and the States and Sourh America, 93% of the Barrier Reef bleached, forest fires in Siberia and Canada due to climate change………
            Yes it is a scary scenario.
            But keep calm folk.
            The Herald is calling It ‘Golden weather.’

        • mac1 3.2.1.2
          15 May 2016 at 2:00 pm

          Perhaps the Herald is being literary.

          “‘The End of the Golden Weather’ is a play by Bruce Mason about a boy’s loss of innocence in Depression-era New Zealand.”

          A modern version set in 2016 New Zealand, some eighty years later, might well reflect the synopsis of the original Thirties scenario.

          “A twelve year old boy welcomes us into his world: the 1930s beachside community of Te Parenga, a golden territory in the land of milk and honey. He tells of spending idyllic days on the beach, meeting the local characters, swimming and eavesdropping, heading home at the end of the day for sandwiches and charades. However, the real world starts to intrude, showing him that the golden idyll cannot last. The Queen Street riots spark rumblings of dissent in Te Parenga, which are quelled by strong words from the local policeman as the boy watches from the shadows.”

          Nanny Herald as social forecaster?

          • Pat 3.2.1.2.1
            15 May 2016 at 2:04 pm

            lol….like that, though this is the Herald we are talking about so, nah

    • Psycho Milt 3.3
      15 May 2016 at 11:21 am

      Infantile and ignorant reporting of the weather by the Herald.
      Describes present conditions as ‘golden’ and fails to mention climate change.

      Weather is not climate. It would be ridiculous if they were to describe and forecast weather in terms of climate change – it would be akin to the “unusually cold this morning, so much for all this global warming bullshit” that you get on right-wing blogs.

      • Paul 3.3.1
        15 May 2016 at 11:35 am

        Weather patterns not the weather.

      • weka 3.3.2
        15 May 2016 at 11:40 am

        All weather is part of the larger climate and this affected by climate change. It’s daft at this point in the game to not contextualise extreme weather events. This doesn’t mean we point at everything and go ‘ooh climate change’, but it also means that we don’t deliberately avoid talking about the huge fucking elephant in the living room.

  4. Xanthe 4
    15 May 2016 at 9:15 am

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moisés_Naím
    It seems the author of your link might be personally responsible for much of venezula’s current problems

  5. Draco T Bastard 5
    15 May 2016 at 9:48 am

    Scoop Pledge Me

    A new era of public interest journalism needs the public – and that means you – at its heart.

    In 2015 Scoop secured the support of 1000 Kiwis for the Scoop Foundation.

    In May and June 2016 The Scoop Foundation for Public Interest Journalism is conducting a membership drive and hopes to add another 1000 Kiwis to its band of supporters. As this is our 17th year of operations we are asking for donations from $17 to become a member of Scoop Foundation.

  6. Chooky 6
    15 May 2016 at 10:58 am

    Women students stand up and protest: (unfortunately some women like are Albright and Clinton are warmongers too)

    ‘Students & faculty protest ‘war criminal’ Madeleine Albright commencement speech’

    https://www.rt.com/usa/343061-albright-war-criminal-protest/

    …”Scripps is an all-female college with less than 2,000 students, and Albright’s almost-threatening comments about there being “a special place in hell” for women who don’t vote for Hillary Clinton did not sit well with students or faculty either….

  7. Shane Le Brun 7
    15 May 2016 at 1:26 pm

    Follow up to Helen Kelly’s Endorsement of Medical Cannabis Awareness New Zealand, our next patient in our fundraising pool is Dr Huhana Hickey MNZM, check out how 4 months of Sativex has benefitted her here. http://mcawarenessnz.org/2016/05/14/mc410-dr-huhana-hickey-mnzm/

  8. Gangnam Style 8
    15 May 2016 at 1:53 pm

    Ha! John Roughan is very suspicious of the word ‘consortium’, he reckons journalists are heroic lone wolves.

  9. seeker 9
    15 May 2016 at 3:25 pm

    In the immortal words of Monty Python……. and now for something completely different

    Sheffield UK by-election May 6 2016.
    How to give a great acceptance speech in spite of something really distracting going on to your right

    http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-36218544

    It has to be seen to be believed. (my new mantra)

    advert at beginning lasts 30secs sorry about that.

  10. weka 10
    15 May 2016 at 9:47 pm

    I’ll repost this tomorrow, but here it is,

    April was the hottest April on record. That’s the 6th month in a row that’s been the hottest.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nasa-data-shows-last-month-was-hottest-april-on-record-a7029806.html

    A significant marker of rising global greenhouse gas emissions has been passed, with a key monitoring site on Tasmania’s north-west tip recording atmospheric carbon-dioxide exceeding 400 parts per million for the first time.

    As foreshadowed by Fairfax Media last week, a baseline reading at the Cape Grim station that exceeded the 400-ppm mark of the primary gas driving global warming was imminent.

    …

    “It’s a bit sooner than we expected,” Mr Krummel told Fairfax Media. “It just rocketed up there.”

    …

    Atmospheric readings from Cape Grim, along with two stations in Hawaii and Alaska, are closely watched as they date back decades and closely track a range of pollutants from ozone-depleting chemicals to the various greenhouse gases resulting from burning fossil fuels and clearing forests.

    Mr Krummel said that while mostly symbolic, the 400-ppm reading “highlights the problem of rising emissions, which are increasing more rapidly than they used to be”.

    A report out earlier this year from the World Meteorological Organization noted atmospheric readings of CO2 at the Mauna Loa site in Hawaii rose 3.05 ppm in 2015 alone – the biggest increase in the 56 years of research.

    http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/confirmed-southern-hemisphere-co2-level-rises-above-symbolic-400-ppm-milestone-20160515-govfq7.html

    From what I can tell that was the last place they were measuring under 400ppm.

    • Bill 10.1
      15 May 2016 at 10:06 pm

      It was the sixth straight month that the temperature was more than 1% above the 1951 – 1980 average for that month. But it’s now the twelve straight month of record temperatures for that month since 1880.

      edit (addition) CO2 measurements for Mauna in April
      2014 -401.33
      2015 – 403.45
      2016 – 407.57

      https://www.co2.earth/

    • Bill 10.2
      15 May 2016 at 10:25 pm

      Christ. Try this movie. It only goes up to 2014 (and back 800 000 years), but kinda gives the picture. I’m guessing the blue circle on the left is the reading at the south pole.

      http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/history.html