Open Mike 17/04/2017

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 17th, 2017 - 49 comments
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49 comments on “Open Mike 17/04/2017 ”

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  1. The Weatherman 1
    17 April 2017 at 7:48 am

    Is canny old Winston onto winebox 2.0, or is he just bluffing? Is it time to lift the lid on Bertram and Richwhite – and Key – before the stragglers sell up and leave the country?

    • Once ..whatever 1.1
      17 April 2017 at 1:26 pm

      “before the stragglers sell up and leave the country”
      You mean before the BoQ Rich&white karks it and we’re all expected to feel sympathy?, or whether he just does a runner like he and Fanny Fay did last time?

      The thing that amuses me most about all these masters of the Universe (at least while a democracy, and even a demockracy exists) is that they think that they’re untouchable and the state is subservient. Whilst that is true, it’s only so until the natives begin to get really really restless (as is JUST beginning to happen).
      At the moment – even the Swiss banks are astir – worries about the possibility that portions of their gold and their dealings with Natzi war criminals ‘might’ (could have/maybe did/ aw shit!!!!m possibly but we’re not sure/ummm,ahhhh,yea possibly) involve the gold teeth and jewelery of Natzi victims,
      In the ‘old days’ it was relatively simple – in those ‘old days’ there’d be a knock at the door, and on the other side – after a Weisenthal inquiry or the like (or two), there’d be a Mossad agent or sympathiser if their bullshit became too difficult to prove.
      Even the bolt holers buying up bits of Nu Zull.
      I often wonder whether its arrogance that makes them feel invincibile, (or whether its lines of coke or ‘P’, or what the fuck it is!)
      The worship of monetary worth and gambling (whether bars of gold or fiat currency, and trading in it – rolling the dice ) seems to be of more value than their own offspring. If I were the likes of them, I’d be in conference with the likes of a Nik Leeson. But in any event, when shit comes to a Standard and Poors potential shove, I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes, especially when confronted with a growing 99 pissed off percent.
      I guess they’re hoping they’ll have checked out before then – maybe they actually think Dear Mex deserves everything he gets and can give us a few rythyms we think are so gorgeuos.
      Michael Fay and David Ricwhite eh? Class of 87? I’m not sure people in NZ think he’s so gorgeous to give him/her a second run. And even if they do, he’s got a global audience

  2. Gristle 2
    17 April 2017 at 8:07 am

    Hi TW. That comment is a teaser. Please supply more information.

    • Hongi Ika 2.1
      17 April 2017 at 10:02 am

      Richwhite-Key please supply the missing link?

      • Carolyn_nth 2.1.1
        17 April 2017 at 10:35 am

        Tranzrail?

        This old article about USians Richwhite etc buying Tranzrail – article may be from around 2007 or 2008.

        In 1993 the sale of TranzRail to American owners and their Fay/Richwhite partners by the National government was presented to the public as the best thing since sliced bread. For the best part of the next decade, TranzRail presented the textbook example of why vital transport infrastructure should not be flogged off to foreign owners. What happened is well known and resulted in the ironic spectacle of some of the country’s biggest corporates (including other foreign-owned ones) begging the Labour government to renationalise TranzRail (which Labour partly did, for the track network but the railway system itself is still foreign-owned, by Toll).

        Can’t see anything to do with Peters, except he’s on the case about the need for rail in Northland, and not to be the work of vested interests from China.

    • Once ..whatever 2.2
      17 April 2017 at 1:42 pm

      Just let it play out. Que Sera sera as they say.

    • LittleBigWater 2.3
      18 April 2017 at 7:38 pm

      Peters has made claims that there is some winebox-sized scandal.

      Key was the only foreign leader motioned in relation to the Panama Papers.

      It’s not outrageous to suspect there is some scandal in that general field, shall we say.

  3. Robert Guyton 3
    17 April 2017 at 8:17 am

    “Labour’s proposed changes to the Reserve Bank are sensible and worth trying. They will certainly do no harm and might bring real benefits.” begins the editorial in today’s The Southland Times.

  4. Carolyn_nth 4
    17 April 2017 at 8:19 am

    This is a very good piece from Danyl McLaughlan on Spin off:

    It’s about the excess of information we attend to via online media, devices, etc. , and how that amounts to our attention being exploited for financial gain for others. meanwhile democratic political debate is diminishes, and critical thinking undermined.

    It’ more about an endless shifting stream of content, which generates anxiety and outrage…. and fairly superficial reactions, then reactions to the reactions…..

    The solution McLaughlan says, is to ration our attention to this superficial material, take more time to read books, and think critically about what we read.

    • greywarshark 4.1
      17 April 2017 at 9:30 am

      carolyn-nth
      That’s an important point and my feeling also. I can’t think for myself if my mind is filled with the sayings of talk hosts that fill the day with their opinions, a few facts that they then attach their own thoughts to like barnacles on a boat’s hull , and attention to the latest drama and minute description of it.

      Hens spend a lot of time pecking things from the ground, but if their wings aren’t clipped too much they can fly and roost in a tree that then gives them a better view. Why do we limit ourselves to the trivia of life and not make time to virtually send our minds to the farthest corners of the earth and be informed about that, and find out what is going on in other thoughtful people’s minds?

      We have allowed our minds to be captured and then they are abused or ridiculed or even tortured with all the horrible news and drama that media organisations decide is necessary to present to us, mainly from the USA. What good and dramatic things are happening around the world that they don’t bother to collect and pass on, along with the structurally important bad news that we need to know about?

      • Carolyn_nth 4.1.1
        17 April 2017 at 10:08 am

        Yes, agree, grey.

        I have decided today to stop[ watching TV1 6pm news. They do have some worthwhile reports, eg by Andrea Vance and Katie Bradford.

        But I was outraged last night by them uncritically using reports from the US and UK making Trump out to be the heroic, presidential person, single-handedly containing the dangerous North Korea.

        I gave up on New Shub a while back. There are some more useful online sites ( eg https://www.newsroom.co.nz and http://pantograph-punch.com/). And I find Al Jazeera often to be informative.

        And there is so much of value in books.
        Edit:

        From Bernard Hickey on newsroom last week – on the need for more millennial renters to vote.

        • JanM 4.1.1.1
          17 April 2017 at 12:52 pm

          Yes, that was a shocker, wasn’t it! I don’t have tv any more but I’m staying with a friend so decided to watch the news. Maybe I’m not as desensitized any more but I was absolutely horrified – it was so bad I wondered if they were playing a joke and was waiting for the punchline!
          Another friend said he only watched Al Jazeera, but I was curious to know what most of my countrymen are meant to be believing – surely few people swallowed that one!

          • Carolyn_nth 4.1.1.1.1
            17 April 2017 at 3:20 pm

            I’ve tweeted TV1 my disgust with that Trump coverage. I can’t find a link to the 2 items on TV1’s website – maybe because there were from overseas news organisations.

            I also get fed up with their own-going coverage of the Royals soap opera. Nearly every second day. And then some of Corrin Dann’s reports have a very conservative political bent.

            I will just watched selected TV1 reports online in future.

    • Ant 4.2
      17 April 2017 at 9:58 am

      Very relevant. Vitally compared scenarios between two visionaries. I’ve read the Orwell will look for Huxley.

      “Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley’s vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance.”

      • greywarshark 4.2.1
        17 April 2017 at 10:21 am

        Ant thanks for that quote. It speaks truth to us. Now I think follow carolyn-nths ideas for obtaining our facts and news from wider sources. Even looking at Russia Today gives another facet to our prism (small p).

        Cinny
        Share your view – I see they are saying something about the majority being 51% and that simple majority for important stuff is such a moral hazard. I can’t believe it is so close. Erdogan, just another opportunist with affluenza and a shrewd mind for self and factional advancement.

    • gsays 4.3
      17 April 2017 at 11:52 am

      Hi Carolyn and grey, when I had a healthy newspaper habit, it was sports, letters to editor then politics, in that order.

      It seemed odd that others opinions were so compelling.

      Now with this device (misleadingly called a phone), we have access to everyone’s opinion, 24/7, even photos of their dinner!

      This for me, is why we are headed in the wrong direction, the individual is important/special.
      Witness Adam Curtis century of the self.

      I agree, read more and keep good company.

    • Incognito 4.4
      17 April 2017 at 4:37 pm

      Nice piece but I disagree with the take-home message.

      It is like saying to a drug addict or alcoholic to exercise moderation and control (over) his/her addiction.

      It is like neoliberal capitalists saying we need more economic growth and less government interference.

      It is like left politicians saying we need more government oversight and market regulation.

      A bit more or less of the same and she’ll be right.

      These are not real answers but cop-outs, fob-offs, lame excuses, superficial cosmetics (pig & lipstick) and wilful self-delusions.

      In order to deal with deep issues we need to go deep, much deeper, to the root-cause and not fool ourselves with a 30-second spray & walk-away non-solutions. We need to dig a rabbit hole rather than keep on foraging & fornicating on the surface; we’re not rabbits, are we?

    • The Weatherman 4.5
      18 April 2017 at 7:13 pm

      Sorry I don’t agree.

      Danyl is on the side of the angels much of the time, but he is also a well connected political operator who has worked for and is close to a major political party.

      He is saying “ignore the audience”, listen to your socially appointed and made acceptable media commentators”, isn’t he? “Listen to detractors, but those vetted in some form or another.”

      People who are not professional PR or journalism types should be able to comment, and people should read those comments if they have time, while heeding at least some of Danyl’s warnings.

      The future of civic participation and commentary is in platforms like Loomio – and away from them, too. We need space for “unacceptable” individuals, as well, because NZ is quite able, those on the left included, to squash people who are different, even those who in some way or to some extent might be right.

  5. Cinny 5
    17 April 2017 at 8:24 am

    Feeling so gutted for the citizens of Turkey. Erdogan has always fancied himself as a dictator, made clear following his ‘purge’ of thousands of civil servants after an attempted coup last year.

    He’s been setting himself up in a new 1,000+ room palace, 30 times the size of the white house, biggest palace in the world, no doubt he wants to have the title Sultan.

    The ‘yes’ vote has just about won, this means Erdogan could remain in power until 2029

    “This result gives the president new powers to assign ministers, high-level state officials, and vice-presidents, as well as half the members in the country’s highest judicial body.

    It will also allow the president to dissolve parliament, and issue executive decrees and state of emergencies.”

    • Ad 5.1
      17 April 2017 at 8:43 am

      Ability to hire and fire judges disturbing.

      Key test will be whether the military stats with him. His purges may enable that for some time but they mutiny at least every decade.

      I can see the attraction of a strong leader with proper powers not symbolic ones with neighbours like that. It’s still sad.

      No mention of how ordinary people will benefit long term; all statist-focussed.

      EU, Scandinavia, Australasia, Canada are the shrinking realm of highly reflexive democracies in the world.

    • joe90 5.2
      17 April 2017 at 1:24 pm

      .

      This result gives the president new powers to assign ministers, high-level state officials, and vice-presidents, as well as half the members in the country’s highest judicial body.

      Erdogan’s been busy.

      https://turkeypurge.com/

      https://twitter.com/TurkeyPurge

  6. Anne 6
    17 April 2017 at 9:46 am

    Historian and former politician, Michael Bassett has written a book about NZ prime ministers. Whatever one might think of his politics he is a good historian.

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/muldoon-lange-key-new-zealands-best-prime-ministers

    Btw, the title of the link is misleading. He rates 6 former PMs as among the best we have had.

    The pre-ambit to the piece:

    A man who claims to have been on first name basis with all New Zealand prime ministers since 1957 has written a book about them, and those who came before.

    If I was Micheal Bassett I would be insulted by the “claims” bit. I knew Micheal quite well and he most certainly was on first name terms with all those PMs. Yet another example of how ignorant of political history – even relatively recent history – are out current crop of media reporters.

    • saveNZ 6.1
      17 April 2017 at 10:11 am

      John Key??? come on, minister of dirty tricks and master of manipulating media maybe. The overwhelming thing about Key, is that he stood for nothing but personal gain and screw the country. He achieved nothing good for NZ citizens in his reign and no doubt will go down like a Tony Blair character popular in his day but with a stench, political instability, division, unexplained answers and lack of public trust following him.

      Blair should go to the courts as an example because it was the Iraq war that catalysed the world’s political instability and refugee crisis and the world has to live with that now. If he was really a friend to the US, Blair should have stopped the war not provided fake data and cover for it. Now every politician and his dog thinks he can start wars, invade, assassinate people at will – all in the name of terrorism (ironically) and concurrently spreading domestically into authoritarian run police states.

      https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/16/uk-attorney-general-in-bid-to-block-case-against-tony-blair-over-iraq-war

      Like Blair, Key’s so called manipulations will not make him a heroic leader in history – time will reveal what actually happened and we are already steering it in the face with our domestic crisis on everything from water to housing to immigration to pollution.

      • Anne 6.1.1
        17 April 2017 at 10:22 am

        I think Bassett was rating them more for their popularity and management skills rather than actual achievements. I couldn’t stand Key for the same reasons saveNZ but whether we like it or not… he was popular and he managed his MPs well.

    • Ad 6.2
      17 April 2017 at 10:58 am

      Massey F F S.
      Great for delivering 13,000 New farms.
      Useless on economy.
      Useless on civic institutions.
      Cruel to organised Labour.
      Hypermilitant.
      Left most of country worse off.

      • adam 6.2.1
        17 April 2017 at 8:30 pm

        As per Massey, the Spanish Flu and his decision to not listen to medical advise. Just ask a Samoan how that effected them.

        The cost of WW1, and the fact that the RSA’s had to set up services to help the vet’s, as Massey spent more on Statues and Parks than he did on on Veterans.

        Also the farms that Massey set up, the overwhelming majority failed.

        http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/veterans-assistance/page-2

        All in all when the depression hit, the policies that Massey had put in place, meant NZ felt the full brunt of it for longer than most. So totally agree he was a economic failure.

        That said, Basset is a odd historian, brings his neo-liberalism ideology with him into his writing. Hard to separate facts, from spin when reading him.

  7. Ad 7
    17 April 2017 at 10:18 am

    Looks like Ahok will lose to Badwedan for the Jakarta governorship. Chinese Christian with track record of getting massive things done v standard Islamic fundamentalist.

    Joko has it all to do there.

    • One Two 8.1
      17 April 2017 at 4:23 pm

      ‘Nano Girl’ …”The science is quite clear“…

      Which explains why such a high percentage of the worlds reaidential water supplies are non-fluoridated

      Nano should speak to the Scandinavians, who would laugh in her face. Auckland University seems to have an oversupply of ‘these idiots’

      The pertinent question is really around the mass medication, along with Nano Girls funding conflicts of interest…Gluckman is another converation piece..

      That’s without broaching the subject of which industry the poison originates from, and what other ‘uses’ the substance has

  9. joe90 9
    17 April 2017 at 2:41 pm

    So, ranting like a deranged cockatoo done to the gills is an act…..

    At a recent pretrial hearing, attorney Randall Wilhite told state District Judge Orlinda Naranjo that using his client Alex Jones’ on-air Infowars persona to evaluate Alex Jones as a father would be like judging Jack Nicholson in a custody dispute based on his performance as the Joker in “Batman.”

    “He’s playing a character,” Wilhite said of Jones. “He is a performance artist.”

    But in emotional testimony at the hearing, Kelly Jones, who is seeking to gain sole or joint custody of her three children with Alex Jones, portrayed the volcanic public figure as the real Alex Jones.

    http://www.mystatesman.com/news/state–regional-govt–politics/travis-county-custody-case-jury-will-search-for-real-alex-jones/rnbWzMHnFCd5SOPgP3A34J/

  10. Incognito 10
    17 April 2017 at 5:56 pm

    A very good piece: Welby Ings: More to good schools than ranked pass results.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11839396

  11. Muttonbird 11
    17 April 2017 at 8:10 pm

    China, Russia dispatch ships to shadow USS Carl Vinson as it approaches North Korean waters

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11839835

    Good job too. It would be great if the first thing that happened after a Trump strike against North Korea (re-igniting a war lost by the US 60 years ago), was the sinking of the Carl Vinson.

    • Sanctuary 11.1
      17 April 2017 at 8:58 pm

      “…ood job too. It would be great if the first thing that happened after a Trump strike against North Korea (re-igniting a war lost by the US 60 years ago), was the sinking of the Carl Vinson…”

      I think we have another entry for the stupidest comment of the year.

    • Antoine 11.2
      18 April 2017 at 3:09 am

      @Muttonbird

      On behalf of the crew and their families, fuck off

      • Muttonbird 11.2.1
        18 April 2017 at 7:32 pm

        The crew know what they signed up for. If Trump pushes them in harm’s way then they might want to reconsider their career. Personal responsibility and all that which is, I’m sure, one of the pillars of your particular value system.

        I heard that resolutions to this US created issue include a cessation of testing and exercises in the region by NK, SK, China, and the US.

        Wouldn’t that be good?

  12. RedLogix 12
    17 April 2017 at 8:16 pm

    The March for Science is the first step of a global movement to defend the vital role science plays in our health, safety, economies, and governments.

    https://www.marchforscience.com/

  13. David Mac 13
    17 April 2017 at 10:17 pm

    I lived in Sweden for a few years early in the 2000’s. Oh Karin. I encountered a number of things that made me wonder ‘Would that would float in NZ?’

    The welfare system was geared to the GDP. When Husqvarna, Saab, Ikea etc were kicking goals, everybody got a little kick along, When business struggled and the tax rake suffered, benefits and sweet rides all round slid back to a base level.

    I thought it was a simple way to ensure everyone enjoyed the sunny economic weather. Shared in the glory and strife. I didn’t meet a single Swede that wasn’t proud of their many international brands. Is that a good thing? Svenska produkt fanboi? I dunno.

    I’m dying to get up there for another visit. Me ol mate Clarke tells me the front has fallen off.