Leading thinker explains why mass killings by our side is okay:
“The difference is not in the NUMBERS, it’s in the INTENTIONS.” The Panel, RNZ National, Wednesday 18 November 2015
Jim Mora, Jock Anderson, Ellen Read, Zara Potts, Jesse Mulligan
depravityn. 1. Moral corruption or degradation. 2. A depraved act or condition. 3. Wickedness.
JIM MORA: … And just ahead of Zara, our one—I was gonna say THREE Quick Questions, actually, but they ARE quick —-
ZARA POTTS:[mirthlessly] Ah, ha ha ha.
JIM MORA: Ahhh, the first one: “The killing of, ahhh, innocent civilians in Paris and above the Sinai in a Russian plane are unforgivable atrocities, but do we have an estimate of how many innocent civilians have been killed by American drone strikes in various countries and how many in other military and quasi-military actions around the world?”—William, from Waipara. Robert Ayson—Professor Robert Ayson—ahhh, from Strategic Studies at Victoria University.
PROFESSOR ROBERT AYSON:[speaking slowly to convey how serious and thoughtful he is] The difference is not in the NUMBERS, it’s in the INTENTIONS. The drone attacks are not designed to kill innocent civilians. That’s not to say that civilians are unaffected; one study has estimated that more than two thousand four hundred people have been killed in U.S. drone strikes during the Obama administration, and of these over three hundred have been civilians. But the terrorism in Paris and in the case of the Russian plane over the Sinai is qualitatively different; it reflects a clear intention to target and kill innocent civilians, to cause great shock and fear, and then to affect political decisions.
JIM MORA: Professor Robert Ayson. [brightening up] Second question: “At the moment we have two alternative national flags for New Zealand vessels, the red ensign for merchant ships and for use in places or on occasions of Maori significance, and the white ensign for the Royal New Zealand Navy. Will there be similar alternatives if a new flag is selected, and if so, what? Has in fact this matter been considered by the Flag Consideration Panel?”—Larry Robins. Ahhh, Suzanne Stevenson speaking for the Flag Consideration Project…..
And it was dealt with in the “One Quick Question” feature, which never has any follow-up. Mora—or more likely his producer—made sure that it would not be dealt with any further by burying it with two more “Quick Questions”.
In spite of that deliberate attempt to stymie any further discussion, if even one of the Panelists had any moral fibre, or gumption, he or she would have contested Professor Ayson’s horrifying little homily.
These sorts of comments by prof Ayson, Western coalitions, Russia, and others engaged in bombing and wars around the globe implying the families and compatriots of thousands of civilians killed as “collateral damage” should somehow regard those killings as unfortunate, qualitatively different, and in no way warranting any kind of reciprocal response, are just bizarre.
We never get to hear about the real numbers of innocent people killed by these “great powers” but those who live there all know the situation. Of course some of them will seek vengeance. The righteousness of seeking vengeance is the very example their attackers keep giving them!
The US would say that they don’t intend to do evil things. They bomb a funeral hoping to get some terrorists knowing that civilians will die or a hospital but it is not their intent to do an evil deed.
Russians don’t think their actions are evil. They are supporting what they see as an ally and bombing what they see as terrorists. For any one to try and make a distiction between the US actions and Russian is a sure sign of dishonesty.
Muslim extreemists don’t think they are evil either. They believe that what they are doing is in defence of their religion and that it is the only way to take the fight to those who they see as oppressing them and killing them back home.
All of them do horrible things and the way they can do that is by justifying it to themselves is that its for the greater good. Intentions is the most redicuolous reason to try and distinguish one from the others.
“It is five years on from this explosion and as we know from the Royal Commission of Inquiry and from the excellent book Tragedy at Pike River by Rebecca Macfie that this accident was always going to happen.
A gassy mine, insufficient ventilation, untested mining processes, pressure to produce, and a bullying culture that criticised those that raised concerns, very high staff turnover, lack of training, no viable second way out of the mine, these factors meant that a disaster was, in many way, inevitable.
There was also a dysfunctional, lazy and captured regulator that failed to support the miners who, contrary to popular myth, regularly and formally raised multitudes of serious safety concerns including one miner scrawling “this mine will blow” on his exam papers he was sitting at the local polytech.”
I was surprised to find out yesterday that there is one mainstream television sports presenter who publicly supports the Green Party and the upcoming climate change march – Hayley Holt. She is actually encouraging Green Party members to join the march in an official Green email. I’ve always (perhaps unfairly) assumed all television sports presenters are either apolitical or conservative, and certainly never likely to openly publicly represent a progressive party.
I was discussing this with a friend this morning who said she used to be in a relationship with Ritchie McCaw. Given that more often than not people who get together tend to share similar points of view, could it be that McCaw is actually (quietly) a supporter of Labour or the Greens……
“Given that more often than not people who get together tend to share similar points of view, could it be that McCaw is actually (quietly) a supporter of Labour or the Greens……”
As an alternative may I suggest “Given that people who split up tend to have had a disagreement over a point of view could it be that McCaw dropped her because she was a luddite?”.
Not knowing either of the people concerned it is of course just as much pure speculation as your own proposal.
On the other hand don’t you realise that McCaw is an evil man who associates with John Key and has been expelled by the enthusiasts of this blog to the lowest levels of Belial’s domain?
Can’t say I have seen any one here attack McCaw. More attack John Key for humping his leg at every opertunity.
McCaw can have what ever political view he likes. Pleasantly unlike Dagg and others he has not chosen to use his position of influence to openly back a party as far as I am aware. Even if he did so what. as long as it is within election rules go for broke Richie.
Chris might be on fire, but he is mostly burning himself.
And is Iprent really endorsing Chris’s latest post, which, at least to me, seems to be excusing the crimes of Stalin and Mao.
[lprent: As you clearly haven’t read either my post or his, I’m moving this to OpenMike as being offtopic. Come back when you have read them and argue what is in the post rather than being reflexive reactionary burbling your silly mantras. ]
Did you read his post or mine? He dealt with your usual whine in it.
I was surprised that your comment there dropped directly into repeating exactly what he’d said would be your type of response. And you didn’t say anything different to what he anticipated.
Do you have a cut-n-paste to go with your lack of reading skills.
Whether you agree or disagree with Chris Trotter’s precise political analysis, I have always found his moral compass exceedingly reliable. The reason for this is because he knows where we have come from.
When people get lost in the bush the SAR experts tell us that oddly enough the last thing most people think to do is to backtrack the way they came until they recognise where they are again. (Instead most people blunder on with some illusory idea or wrong-headed strategy that they’ll eventually ‘walk out’)
Trotter not only knows where we have come from, but offers thoughtful and provoking analysis’ of why and how we took these paths. Voices reminding us of our past are not always comforting or pleasing to us; but we’d do well to respect them little more than we are in the habit of.
They forget, of course, that the vast majority of those killed were individuals who refused to accept the right of either of these parties to impose their will on the people in whose name they had accomplished the overthrow of the old oppressors.…whoever, in the name of justice and equity, takes a stand against an oppressive system of domination, coercion and exploitation is, by definition, a leftist.
Chris is defending those who stand up to coercive power, whoever wields it.
Over the years the ability of politicians has steadily declined…I sometimes wonder if perhaps I have a nostalgic view of what came before but I can always rely on you Wayne to confirm my opinion that the quality of thought of the modern politician has indeed descended to a new level of ineptitude.
Quote”National is trying to shut down debate about their appalling record on cold, damp housing.
But National MP David Carter, Parliament’s Speaker, blocked Labour Leader Andrew Little’s healthy homes bill – a law that would have guaranteed warm dry homes for our children.
And when Andrew told the public this was the Speaker protecting National, he was sent to the Privileges Committee – they want to punish him for telling the truth.
But the more they try to shut down the fight to get healthy homes for all New Zealanders the more we’ll push back – in Privileges Committee, in Parliament, in public.
Together we can make it clear that we will not be silenced. Please, lend your support to this crucial campaign before Andrew Little appears before the Committee in a few weeks time.
Because every Kiwi kid deserves a warm, dry home.”
The Speaker must have “heard” about this transgression… I mean it’s way worse, what Little did here, than, say, calling all LP MPs supporters of rapists and child molesterers (sic). Right Mr Speaker, Right?
This is a letter our Doctors that have to write repeated ‘sickness’ certifications for our terminally ill job seekers should send to our WINZ offices and address them all to Pullyer Bennefit.
I was so angry when I read it this morning. An entire industry coming together to do good and Nick Smith claims there is not enough data to show if the waste stream was actually causing significant environmental harm. How deep is his head buried in the sand?
This bothered me, as I found Professor Ayson’s comments to be profoundly disturbing. Unlike Jim Mora, his producers and the four other silent people in that studio yesterday, I don’t think anyone, leave alone a university professor, should be allowed to make such statements without having to defend or explain them.
I have, therefore, just sent the following email to Robert Ayson. I’ll publish his response when it comes in….
Some questions about your statements on RNZ National yesterday afternoon
Dear Professor Ayson,
Yesterday on RNZ National, you claimed that the terrorism in Paris and above the Sinai “reflects a clear intention to target and kill innocent civilians, to cause great shock and fear”. You also stated that when “the West” kills innocent civilians, it is “qualitatively different”.
Could you please explain how you would categorize the intentions of the United States’ strategists when they decided to attack hospitals and kill patients and medical staff, as in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004 and Kunduz, Afghanistan just last month.
Thanks for your email. If you have information which shows that the United States was deliberately targeting medical staff and innocent patients I would be interested to see it. I don’t believe that is what they are intending, and I think this makes the comparison with the Paris terrorism problemmatic. But those in the US and similar countries who are making decisions about the use of force and the armed forces personnel who undertake these attacks can and do get targeting wrong, and in seeking to target people and groups they believe to be in particular locations they sometimes make poor judgements about the wider consequences.
so his excuse is simply that as long as the US and its allies proclaim innosence and lack of knowledge in finding their targets it make the killing more human and less murderous?
Good one.
So next time the terrorists just simply state that their suicide drivers drove to the wrong establishment, and oops its ok, cause no harm was intended there.
The United States military was repeatedly given the coordinates of Kunduz Hospital. They didn’t get their targeting wrong.
When they “conquered” Fallujah General Hospital in November 2004, U.S. troops tied up doctors and nurses, and forced patients out of their beds, before also tying them up. Again, that doesn’t seem like getting their targeting wrong.
“The win over France in the quarter-final put some demons to bed.”
—Richie McCaw, at media conference to announce his retirement, speaking as though the French team had tried for even one minute in that 62-13 disgrace.
Thursday 19 November 2015, 12:20 p.m.
The demons of that 2011 RWC final débâcle, of course, remain very much alive.
Yes I know he was. But there were no “demons” after that loss; they were simply beaten by a better team, as they had been four years before, when they lost to Australia, and four years before that, when they were demolished by the Tricolors.
The demons, if one is to accept McCaw’s terminology, all belong to the 2011 farce.
Dunno if any of you are into creating your own videos – e.g. by rendering YOUR OWN video frames in software like DAZ Studio, or BRYCE or POSER.
Anyway, Microsoft has been sending ENDLESS Windows updates to people still using Windows 7 and Windows Vista since the TPA was signed.
I’m no software guru by any stretch of the imagination. But today (after receiving yet more updates overnight) I find I can no longer post-process MY OWN videos. By “My Own” i mean videos entirely and totally legitimately created by me and therefore OWNED by me no matter how you define “Copyright”.
And they ARE currently hell-bent on trying to get everyone to upgrade to Windows 10. So I’ve turned off Windows updates on both machines.
Is this Corporate Madness gone a step too far?
I don’t trust Microsoft any further than I could throw them (if only I were able to pick them up).
The moral rules as laid down by the media unfortunately
For example could what happened in WW2 (the atrocities committed by the allies specifically) be allowed to happen in this day and age or would the media make sure that every civilian back safely at home knew about it
I don’t think it would be allowed to happen in this day and age, could you imagine the dam busters raid going ahead?
The Dresden fire bombing, the treatment of prisoners of war etc etc
Whereas Putin cares not for the opinions of the journalists and is just doing what he thinks is right, he is right in this situation but the West should have the moral courage to do what needs to be done and not leave to Russia
Loads of people get hard ons about WW2 but those days are gone.
The wars the west has fought since have all been wars of choice. The last existential threat we facded was the USSR, and that never got hot. the proxy wars were all wars that we could lose.
that’s the diff, I think. In a war you can afford to lose, getting genocidey is seen as fucking abhorrent.
“MEROM GOLAN, Golan Heights — There is a building boom quietly underway in this little kibbutz, the first established after Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war…
ON TPP – The Fall Rising website focuses its critique on three areas: deregulation, privatization, and the right of corporations to sue governments over expected future profits. Small businesses and poor and oppressed populations, it says, would be the hardest hit. Ten other U.S. and Canadian cities joined in the “Urgent Call to Action” to “stop the global corporate coup.”
Here is a quiz on ISDS and TTIP which is useful in gaining knowledge on ISDS. There are two levels- beginner and advanced. (The information is useful for when you are trying to inform others of the pitfalls of ISDS.)
There was a nice post on here yesterday about Jonah Lomu.
Really disappointed to see how tasteless people can be trying to use this for a political point. FFS – his poor family are grieving and he is not buried as yet.
“Rugby player dead. John Key to immediately return from Vietnam to urgently rub himself against the corpse.”
An interesting article is now up on the Herald website by Juha Saarinen on the IT aspects of the police raid on Hager, as made public via the Court documents released by Scoop.
I am no IT expert (quite the opposite) but the criticisms expressed in the article are close to my thoughts when reading the police evidence and MO as set out in the court documents.
I’d be interested in the comments of those here who are much more IT competent than me.
There are some comic elements around the raid too. As part of cloning of one of Hager’s laptops, the police took a photo of it to record the information on the screen.
This was apparently because the police needed internet access because they didn’t have a 3G/4G mobile data connection with them. You’d think that a mobile data connection would be standard issue so that the police don’t have to obtain internet access via the systems they’re investigating.
Seriously?
That’s as stupid as executing an arrest deemed dangerous enough to warrant armed police and a helicopter insertion, but not having an ambulance on hand when the pregnant wife of the obese target needs medical attention.
We have a serious problem with police forgetting basic details, such as “things they might need during the operation” and “the law”.
Fair enough. Thanks PB. Fancy having completely opposite meanings in the US and the UK respectively. I’d only ever heard/seen the phrase used by Americans.
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Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Leading thinker explains why mass killings by our side is okay:
“The difference is not in the NUMBERS, it’s in the INTENTIONS.”
The Panel, RNZ National, Wednesday 18 November 2015
Jim Mora, Jock Anderson, Ellen Read, Zara Potts, Jesse Mulligan
depravity n. 1. Moral corruption or degradation. 2. A depraved act or condition. 3. Wickedness.
JIM MORA: … And just ahead of Zara, our one—I was gonna say THREE Quick Questions, actually, but they ARE quick —-
ZARA POTTS: [mirthlessly] Ah, ha ha ha.
JIM MORA: Ahhh, the first one: “The killing of, ahhh, innocent civilians in Paris and above the Sinai in a Russian plane are unforgivable atrocities, but do we have an estimate of how many innocent civilians have been killed by American drone strikes in various countries and how many in other military and quasi-military actions around the world?”—William, from Waipara. Robert Ayson—Professor Robert Ayson—ahhh, from Strategic Studies at Victoria University.
PROFESSOR ROBERT AYSON: [speaking slowly to convey how serious and thoughtful he is] The difference is not in the NUMBERS, it’s in the INTENTIONS. The drone attacks are not designed to kill innocent civilians. That’s not to say that civilians are unaffected; one study has estimated that more than two thousand four hundred people have been killed in U.S. drone strikes during the Obama administration, and of these over three hundred have been civilians. But the terrorism in Paris and in the case of the Russian plane over the Sinai is qualitatively different; it reflects a clear intention to target and kill innocent civilians, to cause great shock and fear, and then to affect political decisions.
JIM MORA: Professor Robert Ayson. [brightening up] Second question: “At the moment we have two alternative national flags for New Zealand vessels, the red ensign for merchant ships and for use in places or on occasions of Maori significance, and the white ensign for the Royal New Zealand Navy. Will there be similar alternatives if a new flag is selected, and if so, what? Has in fact this matter been considered by the Flag Consideration Panel?”—Larry Robins. Ahhh, Suzanne Stevenson speaking for the Flag Consideration Project…..
….ad nauseam….
Ahh I see the banality has given way to a more overt ticking of boxes now with the carefully chosen ‘panel’ of predictable themes.
Validate western actions, check. Promote flag, check……..thanks morrissey for keeping us updated on the decline of broadcasting.
And it was dealt with in the “One Quick Question” feature, which never has any follow-up. Mora—or more likely his producer—made sure that it would not be dealt with any further by burying it with two more “Quick Questions”.
In spite of that deliberate attempt to stymie any further discussion, if even one of the Panelists had any moral fibre, or gumption, he or she would have contested Professor Ayson’s horrifying little homily.
+1 Morrissey
These sorts of comments by prof Ayson, Western coalitions, Russia, and others engaged in bombing and wars around the globe implying the families and compatriots of thousands of civilians killed as “collateral damage” should somehow regard those killings as unfortunate, qualitatively different, and in no way warranting any kind of reciprocal response, are just bizarre.
We never get to hear about the real numbers of innocent people killed by these “great powers” but those who live there all know the situation. Of course some of them will seek vengeance. The righteousness of seeking vengeance is the very example their attackers keep giving them!
Professor Ayson – “That’s not to say that civilians are unaffected”.
Hmmm ……. ” Following the drone attack 27 villagers were found ‘not unaffected’ in the rubble. In accordance with local custom their bodies will……”
And closer to home…….” The father of three who was airlifted to Whangarei Base Hospital was ‘not unaffected’ on arrival “.
Classy…….Professor.
This guy has drunk the Sam Harris cool aid.
Intentions are a matter of perspective.
The US would say that they don’t intend to do evil things. They bomb a funeral hoping to get some terrorists knowing that civilians will die or a hospital but it is not their intent to do an evil deed.
Russians don’t think their actions are evil. They are supporting what they see as an ally and bombing what they see as terrorists. For any one to try and make a distiction between the US actions and Russian is a sure sign of dishonesty.
Muslim extreemists don’t think they are evil either. They believe that what they are doing is in defence of their religion and that it is the only way to take the fight to those who they see as oppressing them and killing them back home.
All of them do horrible things and the way they can do that is by justifying it to themselves is that its for the greater good. Intentions is the most redicuolous reason to try and distinguish one from the others.
quite clearly the roads to all religious hellfire are paved with ‘good intentions’!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11547573
http://i.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/74142696/injustice-at-the-heart-of-pike-river-grief-five-years-on
“It is five years on from this explosion and as we know from the Royal Commission of Inquiry and from the excellent book Tragedy at Pike River by Rebecca Macfie that this accident was always going to happen.
A gassy mine, insufficient ventilation, untested mining processes, pressure to produce, and a bullying culture that criticised those that raised concerns, very high staff turnover, lack of training, no viable second way out of the mine, these factors meant that a disaster was, in many way, inevitable.
There was also a dysfunctional, lazy and captured regulator that failed to support the miners who, contrary to popular myth, regularly and formally raised multitudes of serious safety concerns including one miner scrawling “this mine will blow” on his exam papers he was sitting at the local polytech.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMrsH6dYwl0
I was surprised to find out yesterday that there is one mainstream television sports presenter who publicly supports the Green Party and the upcoming climate change march – Hayley Holt. She is actually encouraging Green Party members to join the march in an official Green email. I’ve always (perhaps unfairly) assumed all television sports presenters are either apolitical or conservative, and certainly never likely to openly publicly represent a progressive party.
I was discussing this with a friend this morning who said she used to be in a relationship with Ritchie McCaw. Given that more often than not people who get together tend to share similar points of view, could it be that McCaw is actually (quietly) a supporter of Labour or the Greens……
“Given that more often than not people who get together tend to share similar points of view, could it be that McCaw is actually (quietly) a supporter of Labour or the Greens……”
As an alternative may I suggest “Given that people who split up tend to have had a disagreement over a point of view could it be that McCaw dropped her because she was a luddite?”.
Not knowing either of the people concerned it is of course just as much pure speculation as your own proposal.
On the other hand don’t you realise that McCaw is an evil man who associates with John Key and has been expelled by the enthusiasts of this blog to the lowest levels of Belial’s domain?
Can’t say I have seen any one here attack McCaw. More attack John Key for humping his leg at every opertunity.
McCaw can have what ever political view he likes. Pleasantly unlike Dagg and others he has not chosen to use his position of influence to openly back a party as far as I am aware. Even if he did so what. as long as it is within election rules go for broke Richie.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/74163272/jonah-in-his-own-words-the-only-thing-i-ever-got-teased-about-was-going-to-athletics-with-no-shoes
I like that we both have things in common…the first Omen movie still gives me chills even more so than The Exorcist
Both scared the crap out of me, but the Omen, it was much more subtle and makes me shiver still thinking about it.
Would have thought Jonah was too young for either of those movies?
Probably watched it on vhs I guess
Chris might be on fire, but he is mostly burning himself.
And is Iprent really endorsing Chris’s latest post, which, at least to me, seems to be excusing the crimes of Stalin and Mao.
[lprent: As you clearly haven’t read either my post or his, I’m moving this to OpenMike as being offtopic. Come back when you have read them and argue what is in the post rather than being reflexive reactionary burbling your silly mantras. ]
Did you read his post or mine? He dealt with your usual whine in it.
I was surprised that your comment there dropped directly into repeating exactly what he’d said would be your type of response. And you didn’t say anything different to what he anticipated.
Do you have a cut-n-paste to go with your lack of reading skills.
Whether you agree or disagree with Chris Trotter’s precise political analysis, I have always found his moral compass exceedingly reliable. The reason for this is because he knows where we have come from.
When people get lost in the bush the SAR experts tell us that oddly enough the last thing most people think to do is to backtrack the way they came until they recognise where they are again. (Instead most people blunder on with some illusory idea or wrong-headed strategy that they’ll eventually ‘walk out’)
Trotter not only knows where we have come from, but offers thoughtful and provoking analysis’ of why and how we took these paths. Voices reminding us of our past are not always comforting or pleasing to us; but we’d do well to respect them little more than we are in the habit of.
Is this a TPP post or one of the ones you no longer make comments upon?
You didn’t read it carefully enough.
They forget, of course, that the vast majority of those killed were individuals who refused to accept the right of either of these parties to impose their will on the people in whose name they had accomplished the overthrow of the old oppressors.…whoever, in the name of justice and equity, takes a stand against an oppressive system of domination, coercion and exploitation is, by definition, a leftist.
Chris is defending those who stand up to coercive power, whoever wields it.
Wayne
There are more people living in slavery today than at any time in our history.
And there we have the classic right wing nutter unthinking knee-jerk response, exactly as Trotter intimates.
Well done Wayne you have underlined the post.
Over the years the ability of politicians has steadily declined…I sometimes wonder if perhaps I have a nostalgic view of what came before but I can always rely on you Wayne to confirm my opinion that the quality of thought of the modern politician has indeed descended to a new level of ineptitude.
There seems to be a bit of brouahaha in Parliament, and there is a petition to sign.
So Go Sign it.
http://go.labour.org.nz/healthyhomes?utm_campaign=151115_hhb_pet&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nzlabour
Quote”National is trying to shut down debate about their appalling record on cold, damp housing.
But National MP David Carter, Parliament’s Speaker, blocked Labour Leader Andrew Little’s healthy homes bill – a law that would have guaranteed warm dry homes for our children.
And when Andrew told the public this was the Speaker protecting National, he was sent to the Privileges Committee – they want to punish him for telling the truth.
But the more they try to shut down the fight to get healthy homes for all New Zealanders the more we’ll push back – in Privileges Committee, in Parliament, in public.
Together we can make it clear that we will not be silenced. Please, lend your support to this crucial campaign before Andrew Little appears before the Committee in a few weeks time.
Because every Kiwi kid deserves a warm, dry home.”
The Speaker must have “heard” about this transgression… I mean it’s way worse, what Little did here, than, say, calling all LP MPs supporters of rapists and child molesterers (sic). Right Mr Speaker, Right?
It’s the “Labour does it too” syndrome.
in this case, can we have more of it? Thank thee kindly.
This is a letter our Doctors that have to write repeated ‘sickness’ certifications for our terminally ill job seekers should send to our WINZ offices and address them all to Pullyer Bennefit.
http://www.tickld.com/x/jaw/angry-doctor-gives-best-response-ever-to-sick-note-request-this-is-genius?utm_content=inf_10_93_2&utm_source=tickld&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=contentse&ts_pid=477
Ha! very good.
http://www.radiatorgo.org.nz/industry-disappointed-at-ministers-stance-on-elts/
I was so angry when I read it this morning. An entire industry coming together to do good and Nick Smith claims there is not enough data to show if the waste stream was actually causing significant environmental harm. How deep is his head buried in the sand?
“Death keeps its own promises. Love requires us, and our labor, and our courage, over and over again.”
Terrorism, imperialist, capitalism
https://storify.com/thornius/terrorist-imperialism-by-thi
Seeking answers from Professor Ayson
Thursday 19 November 2015
Jim Mora’s producers made sure that there would be no chance for the Panelists to debate with the VUW Strategic Studies professor Professor Ayson yesterday.
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19112015/#comment-1097870
This bothered me, as I found Professor Ayson’s comments to be profoundly disturbing. Unlike Jim Mora, his producers and the four other silent people in that studio yesterday, I don’t think anyone, leave alone a university professor, should be allowed to make such statements without having to defend or explain them.
I have, therefore, just sent the following email to Robert Ayson. I’ll publish his response when it comes in….
Some questions about your statements on RNZ National yesterday afternoon
Dear Professor Ayson,
Yesterday on RNZ National, you claimed that the terrorism in Paris and above the Sinai “reflects a clear intention to target and kill innocent civilians, to cause great shock and fear”. You also stated that when “the West” kills innocent civilians, it is “qualitatively different”.
Could you please explain how you would categorize the intentions of the United States’ strategists when they decided to attack hospitals and kill patients and medical staff, as in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004 and Kunduz, Afghanistan just last month.
Thank you for your time,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
that Professor Ayson must have never read the thing about “Shock and Awe”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_and_awe
but then i guess some terrorism is more equal than other terrorism.
He’s read it, all right. He just supports it.
But maybe he has a convincing rationale for his comments. I’ll keep you posted.
Professor Ayson replies
Thursday 19 November 2015
Dear Morrissey
Thanks for your email. If you have information which shows that the United States was deliberately targeting medical staff and innocent patients I would be interested to see it. I don’t believe that is what they are intending, and I think this makes the comparison with the Paris terrorism problemmatic. But those in the US and similar countries who are making decisions about the use of force and the armed forces personnel who undertake these attacks can and do get targeting wrong, and in seeking to target people and groups they believe to be in particular locations they sometimes make poor judgements about the wider consequences.
regards
Rob
so his excuse is simply that as long as the US and its allies proclaim innosence and lack of knowledge in finding their targets it make the killing more human and less murderous?
Good one.
So next time the terrorists just simply state that their suicide drivers drove to the wrong establishment, and oops its ok, cause no harm was intended there.
I replied thusly…
Dear Professor Ayson,
The United States military was repeatedly given the coordinates of Kunduz Hospital. They didn’t get their targeting wrong.
When they “conquered” Fallujah General Hospital in November 2004, U.S. troops tied up doctors and nurses, and forced patients out of their beds, before also tying them up. Again, that doesn’t seem like getting their targeting wrong.
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Liars of Our Time
No. 53: RICHIE McCAW
“The win over France in the quarter-final put some demons to bed.”
—Richie McCaw, at media conference to announce his retirement, speaking as though the French team had tried for even one minute in that 62-13 disgrace.
Thursday 19 November 2015, 12:20 p.m.
The demons of that 2011 RWC final débâcle, of course, remain very much alive.
Liar No. 52 Michael Cheika: “I genuinely feel for Craig Joubert. It’s so unfair. No other referee has had this stuff put out there like that and he’s a very good referee.”
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/oct/20/michael-cheika-world-rugby-craig-joubert-
More liars…
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20102015/#comment-1084864
I think he was referring to the last time the ABs met France in a knockout World Cup match in Cardiff.
Yes I know he was. But there were no “demons” after that loss; they were simply beaten by a better team, as they had been four years before, when they lost to Australia, and four years before that, when they were demolished by the Tricolors.
The demons, if one is to accept McCaw’s terminology, all belong to the 2011 farce.
Dunno if any of you are into creating your own videos – e.g. by rendering YOUR OWN video frames in software like DAZ Studio, or BRYCE or POSER.
Anyway, Microsoft has been sending ENDLESS Windows updates to people still using Windows 7 and Windows Vista since the TPA was signed.
I’m no software guru by any stretch of the imagination. But today (after receiving yet more updates overnight) I find I can no longer post-process MY OWN videos. By “My Own” i mean videos entirely and totally legitimately created by me and therefore OWNED by me no matter how you define “Copyright”.
And they ARE currently hell-bent on trying to get everyone to upgrade to Windows 10. So I’ve turned off Windows updates on both machines.
Is this Corporate Madness gone a step too far?
I don’t trust Microsoft any further than I could throw them (if only I were able to pick them up).
They are, after all, a corporation.
I think you will find its just a bug, or something that you are doing wrong as opposed to some global conspiracy.
Russia’s bombers have a good lash at ISIS:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/17/russia-pounds-isis-with-biggest-bomber-raid-in-decades.html?source=TDB&via=FB_Page
Spare me I simply cannot figure out if I should be cheering on the Russians or not.
Maybe I’ve seen too many James Bond movies in a row.
Russia simply doesn’t play by the same rules the West play by so yeah I’m confilcted here as well
The “West” plays by the rules? When did “we” start doing that?
The moral rules as laid down by the media unfortunately
For example could what happened in WW2 (the atrocities committed by the allies specifically) be allowed to happen in this day and age or would the media make sure that every civilian back safely at home knew about it
I don’t think it would be allowed to happen in this day and age, could you imagine the dam busters raid going ahead?
The Dresden fire bombing, the treatment of prisoners of war etc etc
Whereas Putin cares not for the opinions of the journalists and is just doing what he thinks is right, he is right in this situation but the West should have the moral courage to do what needs to be done and not leave to Russia
Depends I think.
Loads of people get hard ons about WW2 but those days are gone.
The wars the west has fought since have all been wars of choice. The last existential threat we facded was the USSR, and that never got hot. the proxy wars were all wars that we could lose.
that’s the diff, I think. In a war you can afford to lose, getting genocidey is seen as fucking abhorrent.
Is this what it is all about?
‘As Syria Reels, Israel Looks to Expand Settlements in Golan Heights’
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/03/world/middleeast/syria-civil-war-israel-golan-heights.html?_r=0
“MEROM GOLAN, Golan Heights — There is a building boom quietly underway in this little kibbutz, the first established after Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war…
Heh, beat me to it 😈
Bitter..
.
Iain
@Cuphook108
One is a Nazi cartoon laughing at Jews denied entry to democratic countries. The other is the Daily Mail today.
https://twitter.com/Cuphook108/status/666563241707982848
.
..sweet..
https://twitter.com/Chooglin1/status/667085815890239488
ON TPP – The Fall Rising website focuses its critique on three areas: deregulation, privatization, and the right of corporations to sue governments over expected future profits. Small businesses and poor and oppressed populations, it says, would be the hardest hit. Ten other U.S. and Canadian cities joined in the “Urgent Call to Action” to “stop the global corporate coup.”
http://bullhorn.nationofchange.org/us_anti_tpp_activists_occupy_monsanto_trade_center
Here is a quiz on ISDS and TTIP which is useful in gaining knowledge on ISDS. There are two levels- beginner and advanced. (The information is useful for when you are trying to inform others of the pitfalls of ISDS.)
http://www.bilaterals.org/?the-great-isds-ttip-quiz
There was a nice post on here yesterday about Jonah Lomu.
Really disappointed to see how tasteless people can be trying to use this for a political point. FFS – his poor family are grieving and he is not buried as yet.
“Rugby player dead. John Key to immediately return from Vietnam to urgently rub himself against the corpse.”
From no other than No Right Turn. No class.
@James – may not be in the best taste, but true none the less.
An interesting article is now up on the Herald website by Juha Saarinen on the IT aspects of the police raid on Hager, as made public via the Court documents released by Scoop.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11547949
I am no IT expert (quite the opposite) but the criticisms expressed in the article are close to my thoughts when reading the police evidence and MO as set out in the court documents.
I’d be interested in the comments of those here who are much more IT competent than me.
Seriously?
That’s as stupid as executing an arrest deemed dangerous enough to warrant armed police and a helicopter insertion, but not having an ambulance on hand when the pregnant wife of the obese target needs medical attention.
We have a serious problem with police forgetting basic details, such as “things they might need during the operation” and “the law”.
“Slater was ordered to pay Blomfield costs.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11548070
Slater lucks out on pretty much everything as far as I can see.
Quite a few stories for him to not blog about at the moment
To “luck out” means to strike it lucky I think.
Poor Cam, my heart bleeds, out of luck again. Is the decision likely to be published?
It’s one of them thing that means both.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=LUCKED+OUT
Fair enough. Thanks PB. Fancy having completely opposite meanings in the US and the UK respectively. I’d only ever heard/seen the phrase used by Americans.
Annoyingly. Lucked in and lucked out made sense as a pair.
ahaha