Open mike 16/12/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, December 16th, 2024 - 24 comments
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24 comments on “Open mike 16/12/2024 ”

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  1. Tiger Mountain 1
    16 December 2024 at 8:24 am

    China phobe Anne-Marie Brady is foaming at the mouth again, it seems some cops on annual leave had a China visit. Police members visit all sorts of societies, it would be more concerning if they went to certain militarised US, British or Australian Police Departments in my view.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/536770/nz-police-officers-china-trip-had-all-the-hallmarks-of-foreign-influence-operation-expert

    • aj 1.1
      16 December 2024 at 10:23 am

      On a micro level her definition of 'foreign influence' means every individual kiwi tourist who goes to China is part of 'a political influence operation'.

      Truly desperate to paint everything to do with China 'bad' but in the context of the propaganda war being waged by western nations completely unsurprising. It's a tidal wave.

      • Adrian 1.1.1
        16 December 2024 at 1:04 pm

        My son has done a few trips to China buying equipment for a startup recovering minerals from steel mill waste streams, and his observations were that the average working Chinese were not much different to us, quite relaxed even to the point of teasing him and his partner in the business for wearing suits when they wear pretty much what Kiwis wear to work, shorts and sandals, they have the same problems of government bureaucracy and regulation to work around, grizzles about the strength or lack of, of their currency etc etc. Just normal people going about normal business. I was surprised, by my sons observation, I had expected the sort of image we have of a more conservative, straight laced group of people. I got a similar impression from a small group of late 30s wine industry blokes who visited our place last harvest, a couple wanted to make some small batch wine from our grapes, most of which are exported to China. They were pretty useless grape pickers but good company and I got the impression from them that it was much more likely for China to have an insurrection than for their cohort to support any kind of war the Government might want to get involved in, probably because it would just be bad for business. Just normal people with hopes and dreams not much different to ours. I hope thats true.

    • tWig 1.2
      16 December 2024 at 2:55 pm

      Wasn't Brady instrumental in exposing Chinese State-linked MPs?

      Labour, National tight-lipped on former Kiwi-Chinese MPs' departure | RNZ News

      "Brady's 2017 paper Magic Weapons named Huo as someone who "works very closely with PRC representatives in New Zealand" and had links with China's "united front organisations".

      Brady may be an American (or Canadian, can’t tell from the accent) NZer, but I think she does a good job of ferreting into moves by the China state to influence NZ politics. You'd have to be an idealistic moron to believe that all the big international players do not interfere with our political landscape to suit themselves. Just because Brady has a specific interest in China's power, does not mean her information is baseless or untrue. In fact, she has to be extra sure of her data before disclosure.

      See her wiki entry: ‘two external reviewers brought in by the University of Canterbury dismissed the complaints against Brady and her co-authors, stating that they met the responsibilities of the university’s policy and the Education Act 1989. The examiners also observed that Brady’s work was based on a lengthy period of research and cited extensively from other sources. Brady welcomed the dismissal of the complaints and called for the University of Canterbury to dismiss the “gagging order” against her.’

      • Tiger Mountain 1.2.1
        16 December 2024 at 4:42 pm

        She is a bit of a spinner from my listening, not using a measured academic tone in her public speaking. Brady supports Five Eyes, demanded SIS surveillance of Chinese groups, her think tank, Small States and the New Security Environment (SSANSE), receives NATO funding. At one press conference a journo asked whether Brady’s activities could be “more accurately defined not as objective academic work but as propaganda on behalf of the United States, which is preparing for war against China?”

        Brady dismissed the question as an “insult to my academic integrity.” She protested she is “not in a NATO think tank,” but admitted that NATO funded “airfares for a couple of people to attend conferences” and assisted some international academics to take part in SSANSE.

        Brady has close ties with the US political and foreign policy establishment. She has previously stated that a key turning point in her career was during her time in Washington DC, where in 2014 she became a fellow at the Wilson Center, a major US government-funded think tank. Brady also developed her ideas in discussions with Dr Anthony Smith, a senior New Zealand diplomat in Washington. Later, in 2017 and 2018, she organised private meetings for “academics, policy makers, politicians and some top graduate students” to discuss New Zealand’s relations with China.

        I would not trust her one little bit.

        • tWig 1.2.1.1
          16 December 2024 at 8:22 pm

          I'm happy for Brady to continue, but wish there were people like her to cover interference by the US, Russia, India and plutocrats like Peter Thiel, who has his thumb in our pie.

          At least Atlas is being put under the spotlight.

          Didn't you note those MPs were disappeared by their parties zipetty-quick? Brady's finger-pointing held up.

  2. Barfly 2
    16 December 2024 at 8:39 am

    I belong to a club and have nominated a person for an officials position – since then I have lost faith in this person Can I withdraw my nomination of him? The clubs constitution is 60 plus years old and doesn't cover it – He can still be nominated from the floor at the AGM but I no longer want to endorse him.

    Any thoughts?

    • Sanctuary 2.1
      16 December 2024 at 8:46 am

      "Sin in haste, repent at leisure" is the learning from this.

    • Mike the Lefty 2.2
      16 December 2024 at 9:33 am

      That's a tricky one.

      You could do an official letter to the club president/chairman/whatever and formally request your intention to withdraw your nomination and just see what happens. If the club is professionally run your letter should at least be acknowledged, if nothing else.

      If nothing else happens at least you have made your feelings known, which is presumably what you want.

    • Craig H 2.3
      16 December 2024 at 1:23 pm

      Not a lawyer but familiar with this area. If the constitution/rules don't provide for withdrawing nominations, then they can't be (my experience is that it's rare for constitutions to have a provision to this effect).

      If the club is an incorporated society, the club is required to be reregistered by MBIE by April 2026, and as part of that, the constitution will need to be updated to meet new requirements – Law changes for incorporated societies | Incorporated Societies has more information about that.

  3. aj 3
    16 December 2024 at 9:02 am

    25 Common Snakes in the Middle East.

    https://birdwatchinghq.com/snakes-of-the-middle-east/

    You’ll see that the snakes that live in the Middle East are very different from each other. They range from venomous species to snakes that use constriction to immobilize their prey. In addition, certain snakes are common to find living around people.

    Jeffrey Sachs writes about the other nest of vipers in the Middle East.

    https://consortiumnews.com/2024/12/13/us-israel-destroyed-syria-called-it-peace/

    Netanyahu’s ambition to transform the region through war, which dates back almost three decades, is playing out in front of our eyes, writes Jeffrey Sachs.

    In the famous lines of Tacitus, Roman historian, “To ravage, to slaughter, to usurp under false titles, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace.”

    In our age, it is Israel and the U.S. that make a desert and call it peace.

    The story is simple. In stark violation of international law, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers claim the right to rule over 7 million Palestinian Arabs.

    When Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands leads to militant resistance, Israel labels the resistance “terrorism” and calls on the U.S. to overthrow the Middle East governments that back the “terrorists.”

    • tWig 3.1
      16 December 2024 at 2:36 pm

      Never, ever understood why Israel and the US both believe that destabilising surrounding arab nations would improve Israel's political outcomes in the region. Destabilised countries allow the rise of warlords and produce locally-changing power struggles. That, to me, increases risk to Israel, as it creates a hotbed for extremist ideas, and short-term thinking leaders.

      The chances of Israel's land grabs becoming poisoned nuclear deserts escalate by the minute.

  4. Kay 4
    16 December 2024 at 10:08 am

    Clearly, the endgame is starvation of the plebs.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/536762/auckland-foodbanks-face-closure-reducing-services-as-funding-to-stop

    On top of:

    Benefit rates going backwards in real terms.

    Pitiful increase in the minimum wage.

    Sending 1000s onto the dole queue, with unemployment still forecast to grow.

    No interest in bringing down house prices/rents and power bills, the 2 main reasons people can't afford to eat.

  5. Mac1 5
    16 December 2024 at 10:13 am

    And now, in today's news of further failings in the coalition's transport policies, we learn about "National's quiet U-turn on $247m EV charger pledge".

    Before the election Luxon blamed Labour for the lack of investment.

    Now we find that Labour's budget of $105m has been lowered by CHOICE (Coalition for Holding Onto Internal Combustion Engines) down to $95m.

    National promises but does not deliver.

    https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360517582/nationals-quiet-u-turn-247m-ev-charger-pledge

    'Quiet u-turn'? This government likes vehicles which create lots of noise and fumes……. like their policies.

    • Tiger Mountain 5.1
      16 December 2024 at 1:30 pm

      Pee Wee Brown and the Natzos have aggressively targeted EVs-the opposite of what needs to happen.

      • Mike the Lefty 5.1.1
        16 December 2024 at 3:03 pm

        National seems to have a real grudge against EVs and their owners.

        Not surprising when the Minister of Transport is an open petrol head, you never see a photo of him without some Ford Ranger or its equivalent prominently displayed.

        He probably has no idea that the scrapping of the clean car subsidy actually lowered second-hand EV prices in the caryards to less than when the subsidy applied. Perhaps someone should tell him, he wouldn’t be amused.

    • Macro 5.2
      16 December 2024 at 3:35 pm

      Yep they are "All mouth and no trousers."

      Empty vessels making much noise and producing nothing.

      • Mac1 5.2.1
        16 December 2024 at 5:31 pm

        I wouldn't say 'no trousers', Macro, but definitely wearing short trousers. EVs are seen as 'woke', green or wimpish.

        I have one. My friends call it the 'black ninja' as it glides up noiselessly. But that's the thing- it's not noisy. It does not announce to the general public that I am to be noticed because my car is noisy. It's like having a big dog that announces one's toughness, barking and menacing.

        Instead, the EV is still cheaper to run, even with RUC and ACC charges being now levied. It's responsive and well appointed. Range is not an issue since as a senior my commuting is mostly local. It's not burning fossil fuel and the 115000 km travelled have I believe seen off any manufacturing environmental costs. The power consumed comes off my solar panels; even so, we am actually producing more power than we are consuming, house and EV.

        You'd think that such sound economic reasons would convince even some petrol heads, but noise makes it hard to listen……

  6. gsays 6
    16 December 2024 at 3:19 pm

    That's the thing, we can't EV our way to Climate Security.

    We've got to stop consuming.

    Stop consuming FF based plastic. Stop consuming FF based foods (industrial fertiliser inputs).

    Stop consuming from businesses that embed diesel miles into fresh produce and import sultana biscuits from Ukraine.

    We have to pivot to local and seasonal.

    • Mike the Lefty 6.1
      16 December 2024 at 3:27 pm

      Reminds me of one of my teachers at high school, way back in the mid 1970s.

      He was in the Values Party, basically the forerunner of the Greens Party.

      He would say, to anyone who would listen, that the world had to stop consuming so much, that was the key to environmental (and economic) stability.

      And remember this was years before we even dreamed about climate change or the dangers of carbon in the atmosphere.

      But everyone laughed and dismissed them as long-haired tree huggers.

      So who was right in the end?

      They were – The Values Party – but we all laughed.

      We are not laughing now.

    • Tiger Mountain 6.2
      16 December 2024 at 4:49 pm

      EVs are just part of the mix, but…in two and a half years we have saved thousands with an EV mostly charged by our cheap home solar panels. No petrol, less maintenance due to less moving parts–which is why the car industry does not necessarily like them either because they coin it from regular servicing.

      Growth is not possible any longer on a finite planet, and living local is where we have to head.

    • Michael Scott 6.3
      16 December 2024 at 5:56 pm

      We can't get rid of plastic unfortunately, but we can get a lot better in eliminating unnecessary use and disposal.

      • gsays 6.3.1
        16 December 2024 at 8:32 pm

        Someone recently (last day or two) mentioned hemp plastic.

        Doesn't last as long but equally does decompose. We don't need forever plastic.

  7. joe90 7
    16 December 2024 at 4:51 pm

    My SO went to school with this smarmy prick so lotsa backwards flips celebrating his demise.

    .

    Disgraced New Zealand businessman Mark Bryers has been sentenced to eight and a half years in jail by an Australia court.

    […]

    He was found was found guilty of conspiracy to cause loss and conspiring to deal in the proceeds of crime and was sentenced by the New South Wales Supreme Court to 8.5 years in prison, with a non-parole period of six years, the ABC reported.

    Bryers headed the NZX-listed property company, Blue Chip, which collapsed in 2008 owing investors $84m. He was personally bankrupt in 2009 with debts of $230m.

    He pleaded guilty to 34 financial reporting charges in 2010 and was fined $37,500, ordered to do 75 hours of community work, and banned from owning or managing a company within New Zealand.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360524231/disgraced-nz-businessman-mark-bryers-sentenced-85-years-australian-prison