Open mike 19/08/2015

80 comments on “Open mike 19/08/2015 ”

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1. stever 1

   19 August 2015 at 6:52 am

   “The middle ground is a magic mountain that retreats as you approach. The more you chase it from the left, the further to the right it moves.”

   Brilliant stuff from Monbiot. Applies here to Labour and our political landscape too!

   http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/18/jeremy-corbyn-rivals-chase-impossible-dream
   • The Chairman 1.1

     19 August 2015 at 7:14 am

     “The longer Labour keeps repeating the same mistakes – reinforcing the values it should be contesting – the further to the right it will push the nation, and the more remote its chances of election will become.”

     Indeed, which is something the local Labour Party should take note of. CV often points this out. And interestingly, is often attacked for doing so.
   • Olwyn 1.2

     19 August 2015 at 8:26 am

     I was just about to put that one up myself. It is a very good article. The whole thing is quotable, but I will add this bit:

     “Rebuilding a political movement means espousing what is desirable, then finding ways to make it feasible. The hopeless realists propose the opposite. They assemble a threadbare list of policies they consider feasible, then seek to persuade us that this package is desirable.”
     • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1

       19 August 2015 at 11:47 am

       +1

       That’s exactly what Labour have been doing for the last 20 years.
       • Olwyn 1.2.1.1

         19 August 2015 at 12:00 pm

         The whole article is excellent. Monbiot points out the obvious – that while Corbyn has little chance of winning the next election, the same is true of his rivals. Corbyn’s advantage over them is that he can at least begin restoring the party.
   • Karen 1.3

     19 August 2015 at 2:18 pm

     Thanks for this link. Great article that I hope every NZ Labour MP reads. Another clip that resonated with me was:

     “Tony Blair won three elections, but in doing so he made future Labour victories less likely. By adopting conservative values, conservative framing and conservative language, he shifted the nation to the right, even when he pursued leftwing policies such as the minimum wage, tax credits and freedom of information. You can sustain policies without values for a while but then, like plants without soil, the movement wilts and dies.”

     There have been a few discussions here on the Standard about the values of the Labour Party that are espoused on their website, but are not always reflected in media statements.
2. Tiger Mountain 2

   19 August 2015 at 6:55 am

   “Key Love” continues unabated, no less than 3 pics accompanying this puff piece include the defacto (since Rugby News election 2014 cover) all black captain snuggling up to the real one…
   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11499241

   Richie McCaw remains aloof from officially accepting dear leader’s embrace in terms of a knighthood and a parliamentary career so far, so the generous way to view it is that he is not a Nat supporter but doing what needs to be done to survive up till the “rubber wool cub”

   whereas until rugby people prove otherwise (like Mr Weepu) I regard them as co-opted torys needing to be outed–Whaadarrrrryaaa!!!!
   • Weepus beard 2.1

     19 August 2015 at 7:23 am

     It’s scary the number who will be Tories. I guess it stands to reason because of the income bracket they are in and the fact they are impressionable young men who haven’t seen much of life.

     That article isn’t as bad as Hamish Rutherford’s yesterday. Hamish starts out reasonably well but about halfway through can’t help sticking the boot into David Cunliffe and making the claim that no-one cared…

     Although then Opposition leader David Cunliffe grizzled that it was “not often you see a major sporting body getting involved in politics” the photo passed with little real controversy.

     – Hamish Rutherford

     I fucking cared, Hamish, you prat! I should have made more noise.

     More pics of John Key prostituting himself at the feet of McCaw, sorry…

     http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71232403/will-the-all-blacks-always-love-being-pictured-with-the-prime-minister
     • North 2.1.1

       19 August 2015 at 7:31 am

       http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11499241

       First photo in the article……sure at least one of the three in the background is taking the piss.
     • b waghorn 2.1.2

       19 August 2015 at 7:57 am

       I noticed they changed the photo when I first saw that article key and McCaw where having a beer.
       • Weepus beard 2.1.2.1

         19 August 2015 at 8:01 am

         Hard to know because there’ve been so many articles, and so many photos of beers.

         Perhaps John Key has a drinking problem. He certainly sounds like he does when he speaks.
         • Undecided 2.1.2.1.1

           19 August 2015 at 8:36 am

           https://blog.labour.org.nz/tag/richie-mccaw/

           Oh please, all politicians love cuddling upto popular sports stars
           • Tiger Mountain 2.1.2.1.1.1

             19 August 2015 at 8:45 am

             you can piss off–Mr “all politicians”–ShonKey’s dedicated virtual stalking of McCaw is a standout case of planned capture for PR purposes as opposed to the common photo op
             • maui …

               19 August 2015 at 12:31 pm

               Wouldn’t it be great if an All Black captain came out and said I don’t like being used as a political tool by the PM and I’ve never supported his parties policies. Bliss. We would need someone like a David Pocock who would do that.
     • Rodel 2.1.3

       19 August 2015 at 11:18 am

       Mr Key in many of the cringe inducing ‘me and Richie’ photos is looking more like Rigsby played by Leonard Rossiter in the TV series Rising Damp.
       Has a similar personality too.
   • Bearded Git 2.2

     19 August 2015 at 7:38 am

     @Tiger
     Not so much Key love in the Dom Post-in fact it is getting royally stuck into Key, Groser and the Nats in today’s editorial here:

     http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/71236492/editorial-john-key-is-being-arrogant-over-protests-against-free-trade

     With Little performing well, the economy shaking, McCully’s antics looking shady and Key talking rubbish about TPPA, this looks like a turning point.
3. One Anonymous Bloke 3

   19 August 2015 at 6:55 am

   Once again, National introduces a bill to which the only sane response can be that our properties will be returned to their rightful owners without compensation at the next change of government.

   There is no alternative.
   • The Chairman 3.1

     19 August 2015 at 7:24 am

     Absolutely shocking.

     Extraordinary powers, exempt from social, environmental and financial oversight obligations.

     Despotism.
4. Tricledrown 4

   19 August 2015 at 7:15 am

   Key is like the guy in the credit card add.
   Richie can I do a 3 way handshake.
   Awh Richie can I give you a knighthood
   Team photo.
   Awh Richie
5. Tautoko Mangō Mata 5

   19 August 2015 at 7:27 am

   Leading Israeli journalist, Bradley Burston writes:
   “It’s Time to Admit It. Israeli Policy Is What It Is: Apartheid
   I used to be one of those people who took issue with the label of apartheid as applied to Israel. Not anymore.”
   read more: http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/a-special-place-in-hell/.premium-1.671538

   For those who deny that “anti-semitism” is often exploitatively defined as: “criticism of Israeli Govt” : Greenwald on Twitter, linking to the article above.
   • joe90 5.1

     19 August 2015 at 9:59 am

     Paywalled so here’s the full article via Naomi Wolf.

     https://medium.com/@thepalestineproject/it-s-time-to-admit-it-israeli-policy-is-what-it-is-apartheid-e6d19bde2f58
6. vto 6

   19 August 2015 at 7:47 am

   The record of Bill English:

   $100billion of debt

   Lost Solid Energy

   Lost the power companies

   Lost dairy

   Wants to sell the farm

   Yup…. lost in any language

   Bill English = total failure
   • b waghorn 6.1

     19 August 2015 at 8:02 am

     I would say when it comes to landcorp they have seen the opportunity they’ve been looking for . But only a fool sells at the bottom of a cycle so its either incompetent or more likely part of the plan.
     • tc 6.1.1

       19 August 2015 at 9:40 am

       Totally planned so the sale price is low for the buyers.

       All the while the owned MSM cheer on another genius move from the masters of business and run puff/sdiversion pieces on flags/ritchie etc….imagine what it’ll be like when the WC kicks off.
       • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1.1

         19 August 2015 at 11:56 am

         +1
   • Draco T Bastard 6.2

     19 August 2015 at 11:55 am

     $100billion of debt

     Which pretty much means that someone’s $100b richer and it isn’t NZ.

     Lost Solid Energy

     Lost the power companies

     Didn’t lose them at all – Nationals rich mates are about to snap them up for pennies on the dollar.

     Lost dairy

     Wants to sell the farm

     Those two seem to go together once you take into account Nationals desire to sell NZ as cheaply as possible to foreign interests.

     Bill English = total failure

     That truly does depend on what Blinglish was trying to achieve. Considering his consistency of driving down prices for NZ land and businesses I’d say that he’s achieved exactly what he set out to achieve – selling NZ to foreign owners as cheaply as possible.
7. Ad 7

   19 August 2015 at 8:41 am

   This government is losing hold of its core narrative of safety and competence and charming leadership.

   They are relying harder on a core of friendly journalists, and co-branding into sport and other patriotic injections.

   The economy is out of their control, and drifting. Even a complete milk revival won’t turn years of corrosion.

   They are into the inevitable decline of losing in 2017.
   • tc 7.1

     19 August 2015 at 9:43 am

     Yup and Hoskins gives winnie a bat to be bashed with by calling him ‘grumpy and bored’, I will enjoy Winnie having fun with such a childish emotive response.
     • Thom Pietersen 7.1.1

       19 August 2015 at 10:07 pm

       Funny how we’ve come to respect a good old fashioned two-faced polly like Winnie, you have to tip your hat.
8. Charles 8

   19 August 2015 at 9:34 am

   In about three minutes, this explains how popular movements happen:

   https://youtu.be/nU7dxkIz1Vs?t=260

   Watch the full seven minutes for all the details, because the early stages always seem uncertain.
   • maui 8.1

     19 August 2015 at 12:59 pm

     Brilliant! That’s the dream in so many different areas of life.
9. Chooky 9

   19 August 2015 at 9:47 am

   ‘Europe today sells itself to other powers like China – philosopher’

   https://www.rt.com/shows/sophieco/258825-eu-immigration-poverty-utopia/

   “Years of austerity, immigration, poverty and a growing wealth gap – the European Union today is far from the Utopia some used to imagine when it was created. Now, with current politicians unable to solve the issues people are facing, the whole Union is being torn apart by rising far-right and far-left parties; People seek innovation in politics, seeing EU’s stagnant leadership unwilling to act. But are these new parties able to deliver on their promises? Is there even an alternative way for Europe? We ask these questions – and many more! – to a philosopher, activist and author of ‘What does Europe want?’ Srecko Horvat is on Sophie&Co today”.
10. Morrissey 10

    19 August 2015 at 10:14 am

    “All right, Steven, let him speak.”
    Hosking and Joyce gang up every Wednesday on NewstalkZB.
    Wednesday Politics, NewstalkZB, Wednesday 19 August 2015
    Mike “Contra” Hosking, Steven Joyce, Grant Robertson

    The radio station NewstalkZB is notorious in New Zealand. It’s a 24/7 forum for the community’s most haplessly bewildered souls. If you want to know what unread nincompoops, flat earthers, ACT voters, ratbags and downright racists think about the issues of the day, just tune in to NewstalkZB.

    And their callers are almost as bad.

    One of the worst programs, even on this endless horror show, is Wednesday Politics, a ten-minute exercise in contempt and destruction. This program is far worse than low farce, it’s an insult to the intelligence. Steven Joyce and Mike “Contra” Hosking gang up every week to deride, disrupt and hoot at the regular Labour Party representative, Annette King. She somehow handles it in good humour, but it’s quite clear what Hosking and Joyce aim to do each week: disrupt her incessantly, and make it impossible to discuss anything seriously.

    Filling in for Annette King this morning was Grant Robertson. As usual, Joyce dominated proceedings from start to finish. In the first of the two segments, Joyce did almost all the talking, and Robertson politely let him talk.

    Following the advertising break, it was supposed to be Robertson’s turn to talk. He spoke for approximately three seconds before Joyce talked over the top of him. Robertson tried to continue, and Joyce disrupted him seven times—yes, I counted.

    Robertson pleaded: “I let you have your say.” Hosking, supposed to be some sort of adjudicator, said to Joyce: “All right, Steven, let him speak.” Joyce ignored Hosking and continued to loudly overtalk and disrupt, shouting out insults.

    I can’t even remember what they were talking about now—-and that’s exactly why Hosking and Joyce do that each week. Mission accomplished.
    • greywarshark 10.1

      19 August 2015 at 10:36 am

      Thanks for report Morrissey. Listening to that is a dirty job and I’m glad you have the determination to do it.

      Do you think there is anything positive for Labour at all in going on to it, or indeed any of the opposition parties? There would be a howl go up from NewstalkZB’s theatre of the absurd but it sounds as if that would be a minor blow to the opposition compared to the multiple ones when they try and participate in this abbatoir of intelligent discussion.

      The SPCA can be appealed to, or the Council or police, when there are attack dogs about. There is little power available to appeal to in this case for other Parties, or those of the listeners who understand what is going on. And what is going on is an attack on reasoned political discussion and a farce of welcoming left and right speakers, which is achieved by RadioNZ with Williams and Hooton, though done in a low-key (huh) way.
    • Macro 10.2

      19 August 2015 at 9:04 pm

      And their callers are almost as bad.

      QFT
      what an offense to humanity that station is..
      bring back “Dr Paul” – at least it was what it claimed to be – pure fiction.
      now they broadcast fiction and lies dressed up as fact.
    • whateva next? 10.3

      19 August 2015 at 9:13 pm

      yep, taken one for the troops, listening that bollocks
11. greywarshark 11

    19 August 2015 at 11:09 am

    Education and NCEA. A cool analysis of the lacks resulting from NCEA targetting by the education boffins from a NZ university dean noticing the negative effects of those students getting to university with the right NCEA background.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201767090
    This voice piece from RadioNZ this morning is about some clever engineering that has come from the university professor Dale Carnegie and his students at Victoria University.
    About halfway through the discussion there is a definite criticism against NCEA that it does not give an incentive for pupils to strive because of the blunt marking. Also they tick boxes, students passing one subject to NCEA level, then another in a silo approach, and with little connectedness, and they may forget earlier material by the time they pass the next units.

    Background:
    Robot creating engineer wins a top tertiary teaching award
    9:34 AM. Dale Carnegie is the head of Victoria University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science. He was last week given the 2015 Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Excellence award for his engaging teaching style and what students described as “infectious enthusiasm”. Professor Carnegie has long promoted engineering as a career, he is currently working on a robot prototype for use in search and rescue due to its ability to move over difficult terrain.

    It’s time for another change to our education system. And this should start with all the pavlovian boffins in the Department of Education picking up ideas for policies from hyped up overseas educationalists filled with esoteric and expansive ideas that seem modern. Try looking for practically applied intelligent programs and practices in learning, and ask the non-education university lecturers what they want so as to get direction from outside the present loop of high-paid purveyors of cant.

    I just mention that I have feelings of doom and gloom about the development of robots and their use to relieve humans of work and often, so called drudge jobs. The latest, talked about in this clip, is that they are being developed to do caring roles. I think these could be the ones presently carried out by, mostly women, who are poorly paid but need the money or are prepared to do the job because they know they bring comfort and personal interest to the vulnerable.
12. Ad 12

    19 August 2015 at 11:27 am

    How Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn would govern Britain.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/08/jeremy-corbyn-labour-britain/401492/
    • Charles 12.1

      19 August 2015 at 12:15 pm

      There’s an unusual story contained in the many links of that article, of how he divorced his wife over a disagreement of which school their son would go to. Bizarre. I don’t believe it was solely about that, maybe a final straw/late trigger type of thing – the article says the problem went back at least two years – yet they both use that incident as the public story. Do we take their word for it, or make a guess based on what usually happens? You’d think a politician at his level would be more careful.

      http://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/may/13/uk.politicalnews2

      Which raises two issues for me as spectator: does he have any willingness to compromise realism/Ideals; and can he compromise/harmonise with women. The “old socialist” Britain wasn’t too big on women defining themselves outside the male perspective and with his supporters “yearning” for a return to that past, I wonder if they intend taking a break from various movements of equality/autonomy within society, all pushed aside in favour of nostalgia. About the only immediately believeable and “do-able” idea the papers like to lazily trot out from a seemly impossible list, is the rent controls.
      • greywarshark 12.1.1

        19 August 2015 at 12:52 pm

        @Charles
        I don’t like leaders being picked at or discarded because they are not perfect in word and deed. Leave Corbyn alone to fight about schools with his wife.

        Here is a link that gives what might be regarded as knightly virtues to be adhered to, in today’s eyes. The link has a comment that most of these were gathered in hindsight. It could be that in medieval times you could be a knight if you were a mercenary with your own armour and were prepared to swear to protect a certain leader.
        http://chivalrytoday.com/knightly-virtues/
        They have decided on a list of seven virtues.
        1 Courage
        2 Justice
        3 Mercy
        4 Generosity
        5 Faith
        6 Nobility
        7 Hope

        Perhaps we should have a template of attributes to sort out the sheep from the goats, the ugly ducklings that could be swans, the jesters who aren’t fools from the others.

        What other attributes should they have. The list doesn’t say anything about truthfulness, thoughtfulness, diplomacy, wisdom, farsightedness and good judgment as to oneself, one’s team and people in general.

        Truthfulness is good but needs to be balanced by thoughtfulness and diplomacy as blurting unvarnished truths is often not the best way forward. Wisdom advises when, what, where and why and farsightedness enables future scenarios and outcomes to be envisaged practically. Understanding people helps in knowing who is a rock and reliable, who is flaky, who is loose tongued and untrustworthy.
        • Charles 12.1.1.1

          19 August 2015 at 1:34 pm

          Leave Corbyn alone? You kidding me? “Charles opinion brings down Corbyn” hahaha I can see the UK headlines now. You haven’t read or comprehended my post at all.

          The eagerness for people to dishonestly project their own issues onto the success or failure of J.Corbyn and reluctance to consider the details, methods or context of his politics is a little bit disturbing, but not at all surprising. He clearly is a sacred cow, here. Tough shit.
          • Colonial Rawshark 12.1.1.1.1

            19 August 2015 at 2:24 pm

            I don’t get what Corbyn has done or said to earn such personal enmity from you?
          • greywarshark 12.1.1.1.2

            19 August 2015 at 3:30 pm

            Charles
            You have your sacred cows. I have mine. And frankly I think you talk BS half the time. The other half is okay.
      • weka 12.1.2

        19 August 2015 at 1:41 pm

        I think the reasons he and his wife separated are none of our business. I’d be more interested in how he relates with women staff, colleagues etc.

        Is there any reason to suspect his gender politics apart from that?
        • Colonial Rawshark 12.1.2.1

          19 August 2015 at 2:25 pm

          There’s a big rolling smear campaign on to take Corbyn down; I expect more tales about his distant past to start surfacing once the PI’s and the tabloids have had a chance to dig further.
13. greywarshark 13

    19 August 2015 at 12:28 pm

    I am brassed off at the thought of paying GST on a book I have to import because I can’t get it in NZ, on which I may have to pay $US 12 shipping, and then GST on the combined amount. It mounts up to expensive for me on a low income even if the total is under $30.

    Already the fact sheet for Customs is explaining that GST has to be paid on everything plus import duty on some things. I thought that it was still being discussed by parliament.

    I thought that this great move of dropping all our tariffs, losing all our manufacturing jobs, was to have a payoff of making everything cheaper in NZ. But instead the government has made everything more expensive by adding a 15% surcharge on everything we do or buy. It’s a hell of an impost. Gummint is putting its hands into the bottom of our pockets where the last coins are rattling around.

    On the one hand government’s actions kill off jobs, then they destroy working conditions, decrease wages by not setting minimum wages which represent livable amounts or allow for even low inflation. If year by year there is a no rise or one below measured inflation your wage is dropping. And that doesn’t allow for the housing and rental inflation.
    • weka 13.1

      19 August 2015 at 1:44 pm

      Are you talking about a single book you got pinged for, or a change in policy? I’ve bought stuff from overseas and never paid GST or customs duty on it, and I thought that Customs basically didn’t care about most things under a certain value.

      I’ve not heard of them charging GST before either.
      • aidan 13.1.1

        19 August 2015 at 2:06 pm

        because they havn’t till now. wont just be physical items either. i think the idiots in msm are calling it the netflix bill
        • weka 13.1.1.1

          19 August 2015 at 2:30 pm

          so what’s being discussed here is new govt policy? Might be good if that’s spelled out.
      • Draco T Bastard 13.1.2

        19 August 2015 at 2:32 pm

        Generally speaking, they won’t charge GST on items worth less than $400 because it’s just not worth the effort. Thing is, GST is now killing local stores (both online and offline) because people can easily bypass it by buying offshore. The governments fix to this is to have it so that GST will be paid on all items bought offshore despite the fact that it will cost even more.

        The proper fix is, of course, to drop GST and raise other taxes but National don’t like that idea as it means that the rich will actually have to start paying their way.
        • greywarshark 13.1.2.1

          19 August 2015 at 3:24 pm

          Thanks DTB I thought most people would know all about the past methods. I looked up an Australian seller on Trademe and found this new button to see what duties might have to be paid and found a No. 28 sheet for Customs and it sounded as if they were all ready to dump GST on imported goods asap.

          And I heard talking about ALL imports which is why I brought up my book purchases – not doing many booksellers out of business, me. More The Warehouse etc and the general remaindering.

          Also the drop-sellers? who put a quarter of a million books onto Trademe in three months. Amazing but true. The site is deluged by these books and I don’t think TM even rake any money off them for their listings which would make them millions if at only 10c a listing.

          Radionz reports:
          http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201766822
          http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/281638/government-weighs-up-online-gst-options
          Mr Key said the Government was trying to be fair to both retailers and consumers.
          “But the problem is the Government is trying to balance up the need to be both fair to existing retailers who have bricks and mortar on the ground.
          “The fact that we’ve got a hole in our revenue accounts that is emerging because more and more purchases are happening online.

          http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/281699/govt-asks-for-feedback-on-gst-plan
          It is about creating a level playing field for collecting GST and putting New Zealand businesses and jobs ahead of the interests of overseas retailers, but it must be done with the least possible inconvenience to New Zealand consumers,” Mr McClay said.
          Read the full discussion document (PDF, 305KB) and summary (PDF, 518KB).

          http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/281655/buyers-set-to-pay-gst-on-online-services
          It is currently losing an estimated $180 million of revenue to online purchases, a figure that is rising every year, and plans to extend GST to all online purchases to patch up the ever-widening hole in revenue.
          Prime Minister John Key said GST on some online purchases could be in place by Christmas.

          $180 million does not seem a big amount when there is so much money to spend on monuments, flags and emoluments! The rest of us need liniments after grazing meetings with these bruising bullrushers.
14. Clemgeopin 14

    19 August 2015 at 12:41 pm

    A worthy cause… ‘Give-A-Little fund for Jane Kelsy’s legal challenge to TPPA secrecy’

    https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/tppnosecrecy/

    Please let others know too. Thanks.
    • greywarshark 14.1

      19 August 2015 at 1:07 pm

      Thanks for putting that up Clem – we do have to front up for our ‘knights’. I must look to see what I’ve got left after the bills.
15. amirite 15

    19 August 2015 at 12:53 pm

    Key is under investigation for refusing to release correspondence with Rachel Glucina over Ponytailgate. About fucking time.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71258555/ponytailgate-correspondence-with-gossip-columnist-probed
    • ianmac 15.1

      19 August 2015 at 1:24 pm

      His “reasons” for with-holding before, will be used the when he will refuse when asked by Beverley Wakim. Not telling you. Its private.
      Because if he was involved, he would simply refuse to incriminate himself. He has before rather suffer the outcry, than commit hari-kari.
16. Draco T Bastard 16

    19 August 2015 at 2:07 pm

    How Did The Edge Get Away With the Cucumber Number?

    I didn’t want to have to spell out why this competition could cause “offence or distress” here, but because the BSA decided (spoiler alert) that it was, in fact, fine, allow me to explain. In being asked to essentially deep-throat a cucumber, this Bachelorette was reduced to being a sexual object, whose value hinged explicitly on how well she could suck a dick.

    Yeah, I think I’ll continue to not listen to The Edge or, in fact, anything produced by MediaWorks.
17. esoteric pineapples 17

    19 August 2015 at 2:36 pm

    I highly recommend this article for anyone interested in Donald Trump, Fox News and American politics. It answers the question of why Fox News turned on Trump in the first Republican debate.

    http://www.vox.com/2015/8/8/9121377/donald-trump-megyn-kelly
18. Morrissey 18

    19 August 2015 at 3:00 pm

    Dr. Phil calls a mass murderer a “modern day American hero”;
    Next day he gives an hour’s platform to a KKK Imperial Wizard.
    Dr. Phil, TV3, Wednesday 19 August 2015
    (The show first screened in the U.S. on March 17, 2015)

    I’ve just watched Dr. Phil McGraw give an hour’s free, virtually uninterrupted access to an Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. The pretext for granting him this free advertising was the conflict between the Imperial Wizard and his daughter, who is pregnant to a black man.

    After the Imperial Wizard had shared his views on blacks, Jews, homosexuals, and the law—he expressed hatred and contempt for all of them—Dr. Phil brought on a couple of religious experts, one of them black and one Jewish. This had the predictable effect on the Imperial Wizard.

    A comical moment came when the Imperial Wizard unleashed a torrent of abuse at another guest: “You look like a Jew! I don’t want to listen to anything you say!” The man revealed himself to be a Roman Catholic, with the surname Gallagher. This elicited general laughter, except from the grim-faced Imperial Wizard.

    The show ended with some uplifting rhetoric from the host. You can watch the whole thing here if you want….
    http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/2380

    If you think what Dr. Phil said during today’s program shows that he is a decent, concerned and compassionate person, you might like to consider what he had to say on his show the day before that. Compared to the person he is praising here, the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan is Albert Schweitzer…..

    The life and death of Chris Kyle has captivated millions. He risked his life fighting for this country. He miraculously survived the most dangerous combat zones …. the brutal, heart-breaking, senseless murder of a modern-day American hero. Who DOES this? Was it mental illness or just pure evil?

    Later in the show, he badgers Eddie Ray Routh’s father, after introducing him and his wife as the parents of “one of the most hated figures of modern times”…

    DR. PHIL: I understand y’all must be heart-broken. I UNDERSTAND mental illness.
    RAYMOND ROUTH: They think our son is the evilest son of a bitch in the whole world.
    DR. PHIL: You say people think he is the evilest son of a bitch on the planet. What he did was an evil act. You agree with that? To murder those two young men was EGREGIOUS and WRONG. ….

    Watch the whole miserable performance here, if you can bear it….
    http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/2377
19. Puckish Rogue 19

    19 August 2015 at 4:11 pm

    Yeah its only one increase after several falls but it really does seem that everytime Labour declares a crisis in an industry that industry improves 🙂

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1508/S00097/q-a-andrew-little-theres-a-crisis-in-dairy.htm

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/dairy/71247428/early-days-warning-as-gdt-dairy-prices-rebound
    • Weepus beard 19.1

      19 August 2015 at 4:20 pm

      I think you will find most dairy farmers would agree with Andrew Little.
      • Puckish Rogue 19.1.1

        19 August 2015 at 4:24 pm

        The point being its funny that Labour announces a crisis in an industry and then the next news from that industry is good news

        If Labour really wanted to help NZ all they have to do is announce a crisis and then hey presto its all good

        I’m sure theres some ancient greek myth equivalent to the current NZ Labour party
        • Weepus beard 19.1.1.1

          19 August 2015 at 4:29 pm

          What I find “funny” are RWNJs trivialising a very serious threat to the New Zealand economy.
        • Jenny Kirk 19.1.1.2

          19 August 2015 at 4:58 pm

          You obviously didn’t read the whole article PR – most of the commentators are saying dairy farmers still need to be very cautious, and it could be up to another six months before Fonterra’s position improves.

          What’s more – the other story highlighted in that “good news for dairying” story says a lower volume of product was put up to auction to ensure a good price for it.

          So the whole “good news” thing is a FUDGE !
          • One Anonymous Bloke 19.1.1.2.1

            19 August 2015 at 8:02 pm

            The fact that existing supply is being prevented from reaching the market, in order to bolster a falling price, is evidence of the problem PR is flailing to deny.

            Economic isn’t exactly their strong point, though.
        • miravox 19.1.1.3

          19 August 2015 at 5:13 pm

          Fonterra reduced the volume of whole milk powder on offer at the latest auction by 33.5 per cent compared with its earlier forecast.

          “This hefty reduction in the volume available on GlobalDairyTrade was the trigger required to turn market sentiment,” Kilsby said.

          All those dairy conversions ae? I guess some of them are no longer dairy farmeres so no need to worry about what happens next.
          • Colonial Rawshark 19.1.1.3.1

            19 August 2015 at 5:38 pm

            Fonterra’s squeezing of supply isn’t going to be able to counter production growth in China, Russia, India and the Americas for very long.

            It’s a short term price bump at best, and will undermine faith in Fonterra’s auction system.
            • miravox 19.1.1.3.1.1

              19 August 2015 at 6:30 pm

              Yup.

              I guess it will be too much to expect oversupply may also bring about some discussion about the management of dairy conversions in the first place.
            • Kevin 19.1.1.3.1.2

              19 August 2015 at 7:45 pm

              They think that stockpiling at home to artificially increase the price is going to do what eaxactly?

              Amateurs.
              • greywarshark …

                19 August 2015 at 9:38 pm

                That was a gambit done in the 60s – 70s. Stockpiling has been done before. Surely Fonterra and the fab farmers couldn’t think seriously of doing something that was done in the past.
        • Gabby 19.1.1.4

          19 August 2015 at 5:57 pm

          I think that would be Cassandra, Prickish Rogue.
        • lprent 19.1.1.5

          19 August 2015 at 6:05 pm

          Looks like you need some basic training in production-supply-demand with a futures market on top.

          It is “good news” only in the respect that Fonterra finally did what they should have done at the end of 2013/4 season, put out some market signals that

          • their stockpile of dairy products was growing,
          • that production needed to be reduced,
          • that supply would be constrained over the next 12 months

          They would have gotten a similar, if more muted, response from the market for exactly the same reason. The signal that supply would be constrained would have been factored into everyone’s bids.

          Instead they did that 18 months later because it appears that they kept hoping that something would miraculously happen to make it all better… But they got the usual response for when people start believing in fairyland as adults – nothing but a brutal reality.

          Labour has been banging on about this since early 2014. I have been pointing out the structural stupidity of depending on a near raw commodity for growth for years earlier.

          Did you just wake up? Or do you just have a weak brain that can’t retain information for more than a few days?

          .
    • Draco T Bastard 19.2

      19 August 2015 at 5:29 pm

      All explained here.
    • Stephanie Rodgers 19.3

      19 August 2015 at 7:02 pm

      Typical short-term thinking. Oh look, one blip of a data point totally disproves your argument, haha!

      Except I don’t see dairy farmers looking particularly happy.
      • lprent 19.3.1

        19 August 2015 at 7:39 pm

        They are somewhat more realistic than that.
        • adam 19.3.1.1

          20 August 2015 at 12:29 am

          It seems like these Ideologues from the loony right, think farmers and traditional conservatives are stupid or something.
20. Weepus beard 20

    19 August 2015 at 5:02 pm

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71273523/government-eyes-up-to-2-billion-in-asset-sales-and-capital-recyling

    Blinglish going ahead with more asset sales according Grant Robertson. I found this gem from Blingish in the middle of the article which makes for great ironing when placed in the context of his direction of Solid Energy over the last six years.

    The boards are just there to do what the shareholder wants. If we think they should make changes to how they’re running their business we would certainly communicate with them. The Government often discusses policy … without discussing directly with the board.

    – Blinglish

    and this…

    It’s not compulsory to waste taxpayers money.

    – Blinglish again

    SCF anyone? Solid Energy anyone? Novopay anyone?
    • Draco T Bastard 20.1

      19 August 2015 at 5:28 pm

      Ah, but does Blinglish actually think that giving rich people taxpayers money is a waste of money? He wasn’t shy about rorting the rules to get us to pay for his house.
      • Weepus beard 20.1.1

        19 August 2015 at 5:40 pm

        Indeed, who could forget the double-dipping. Perhaps he felt it was compulsory to waste tax-payers money then and has only now changed his mind since his asset sales program flopped.
21. adam 21

    19 August 2015 at 5:05 pm

    Today It feels like we should listen to Tourettes – “John Keys’s son is a DJ”. Just to remind us were we are at with this out of touch Tory government.
    • weka 21.1

      19 August 2015 at 9:24 pm

      Fucking brilliant.

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