One of worlds most long standing, fearless and respected reporters and war correspondents gives his views on the West's treatment of both Palestine and China today, and concludes both are rooted in maintaining world hegemony and jingoism…
John Pilger: Campaign Against China & Palestine🇵🇸 Are One & The Same! 400 US Bases Surround China!
Good indeed. This horror has been applauded and supported by most of the political elite in the United States. Hearteningly, however, there is one senator with a conscience and the courage to actually give voice to that conscience.
“The coroner has said the evidence does not clearly link the brand change to the deaths [of six epilepsy patients]. However, she made comments that our patient leaflet did not include all the information that people taking lamotrigine needed to know.
The coroner relies on the medical person assigned to the case.
In this case I would expect that an overseas expert in epilepsy and lamotrigine be the medical person the coroner used.
I have not read the link.
As well the family have ACC to take on as now there is an issue with information which the GP or specialist may have overlooked when the lamotrigine was prescribed.
That would be a weight on the patient's family – expecting that the replacement drug was as good as the previous and working in the same way, they could likely have followed the same procedures as before. This is a responsibility laid on family that are caring for their relative but are ordinary people, perhaps already stretched and stressed with other matters but also is a problem for the GP trying to keep up with all the medications that flood the market, and the extra drug change that Pharmac which is doing its job, forces on them.
I'm surprised his name is even mentioned on this site. Did you miss his Pod-cast on the Government Covid-19 actions?
Karl du Fresne summarised it pretty well I thought when he covered the subject on his own Blog recently. To give you a feel for Gorman's opinions, and I would suggest they were well informed, he summarises the Government as stretching the truth a little. As du Fresne quotes Gorman
"Gorman accused the government of cultivating a culture of fear while simultaneously spinning the message that New Zealand was “best in show – the envy of the world” when in fact, countries such as Taiwan had “left us for dead”.
Most damningly, he reeled off a series of government claims that were contradicted by the facts. “‘All Russian crewmen have been tested’; no, they hadn’t. ‘They’ve all been in quarantine’; no, they hadn’t. ‘All the border workers have been tested’; no, they hadn’t. ‘No people are leaving quarantine early’; yes, they are. ‘There’s no mixing and mingling’ [in quarantine]; yes, there is. ‘There’s plenty of ’flu vaccine; no, there isn’t. ‘Nurses have plenty of PPE’ [personal protective equipment]’; no, they haven’t.".
du Fresne himself then gets even more direct
I suggest that people can get the short version from du Fresne and then, if they have an open mind, listen to the Pod cast that can be accessed from the Newstalk site.
Alwyn, according to the data at https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ , over the past year (22 May 2020 to 21 May 2021) there have been five deaths in NZ attributed to COVID-19 infection, i.e. one death per million per year.
That compares to the (likely underestimated) global average of ~400 tragic deaths per million over the last year.
400 versus 1 – it's a shambles, an utter shambles I tell yah – why won't anyone listen to me?
Sacha and DMK – I tell ya it gives a lift to the spirits to read your handling of the dig. comments (determinedly ignorant, ie those with such an open mind that facts hardly settle before they blow away,)
You’re quite right, as always, Alwyn. I shall correct this oversight and put the name of he who shall not be named in the Auto-Moderation list, underneath the name of the Christchurch Mosque shooter. We must keep this site pure! Thank you for drawing my attention to this important issue.
“Of the two to three hundred health professionals in New Zealand, who, I would say, have got the training and expertise to comment on Covid, Simon stands alone.”
“He's an extreme outlier.” – Prof. Rod Jackson (UoA)
Academics often paint themselves into consequence-free (outlier) corners (it's a perk, and part of the process) – just wait for the paint to dry and walk away. Extreme outliers insist of applying fresh coats of paint. Perhaps Thornley feels he now has little left to lose by continuing to insist that his discredited 'pandemic response views' are correct.
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt. – Bertrand Russell (1933)
Looks like a hit job on a professional offering one of the few alternative viewpoints on covid. I thought science is supposed to embrace theories.. sadly in this environment we seem to have cultured some sort of science-y fascism.
Although there is considerable room for scepticism in the sciences, one must still account for the facts. As the data rolls in, the elimination response looks better and better, however incomplete the available data may have been when the decision had to be made. Swedish style herd immunity is proving a poor hill to die on.
Baker's a bit of a prima donna, but in march 2020 he said elimination in NZ was possible. And was shown correct.
As the stuff piece shows, Thornley has been demonstrably incorrect several times, and has not changed his position. That's the weird bit, for a scientist.
So, you don't know the difference between science and pseudo science.
As for the professional… best not to listen to outliers whose motivation is invariably ideological and bear little to no resemblance to reality. Bit like the CC deniers who think the escalating change in the world's climactic weather and temperatures is a political thing.
Sad…as the nuttiest outlier of them all, Trump would say.
Martin Bashir may not have only robbed William and Harry of their mother. In addition to the terminal damage he did to the most famous woman in the world, can we not now suspect he had a hand in prematurely ending the life of the king of pop?
I can see why she wants to give journalists who are poc their opportunity when some journos want to be negative about something that will only affect them for a short time. Such as this opinion piece by a superior, outraged journo:
Steve Cortes of Newsmax tweeted: "Never mind the thousands of young black men dead in my city while Lori Lightfoot presides over systemic failure = she's facilitating 'healing' by discriminating against white reporters."
Exactly. One on one interviews are not a requirement of the job anyway – she might well have had to exclude a few in any case, they're time consuming. Lot of toxicity in the comments though – better to leave those folk, like Tova, towards the back of a large gallery.
Yep definitely racist alright, but I'm sure she only wants to talk to the reporters who ask the "patsy" questions. Not about Chicago being one of the most violent cities in USA.
nah, it was just a list of why the "turning it around the other way" ~ism test isn't always valid.
Nice to see Jimmy trying to get the hang of figuring out when something is racist and when it isn't, and calling it out, though. Totes woke, that bloke…
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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 ...
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Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara Solomon Islands’ incumbent prime minister Manasseh Sogavare has been re-elected in the East Choiseul constituency. It is the opening move in the political chess match to form the country’s next government. Returning officer Christopher Makoni made the declaration late last night after ...
Headline: The moment of friction. – 36th Parallel Assessments In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
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In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
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Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
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The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
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The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, 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 up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
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One of worlds most long standing, fearless and respected reporters and war correspondents gives his views on the West's treatment of both Palestine and China today, and concludes both are rooted in maintaining world hegemony and jingoism…
John Pilger: Campaign Against China & Palestine🇵🇸 Are One & The Same! 400 US Bases Surround China!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXDvROipaoY
Good, the killing has been paused, for now …
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/443041/israel-and-hamas-agree-gaza-truce-after-egyptian-mediation
Good indeed. This horror has been applauded and supported by most of the political elite in the United States. Hearteningly, however, there is one senator with a conscience and the courage to actually give voice to that conscience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ns4EAOLKZs
Yes unlike this warmonger….just two days ago, the US Democrats vote to continue to arm a violent crazed apartheid state…
Biden administration approved $735 million arms sale to Israel
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/biden-administration-approved-735-million-arms-sale-israel-sources-2021-05-17/
It is incredible how this current regime in the White House seem to get a free pass on issues that they should be crticised for.
Biden speaking to the family and commenting on the George Flloyd trial before it had finished.
If the reasoning is 'not Trump' then principles have fallen to a dire level.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/125164867/coroner-finds-no-direct-link-between-epilepsy-drug-switch-and-deaths-of-six-people
The coroner relies on the medical person assigned to the case.
In this case I would expect that an overseas expert in epilepsy and lamotrigine be the medical person the coroner used.
I have not read the link.
As well the family have ACC to take on as now there is an issue with information which the GP or specialist may have overlooked when the lamotrigine was prescribed.
That would be a weight on the patient's family – expecting that the replacement drug was as good as the previous and working in the same way, they could likely have followed the same procedures as before. This is a responsibility laid on family that are caring for their relative but are ordinary people, perhaps already stretched and stressed with other matters but also is a problem for the GP trying to keep up with all the medications that flood the market, and the extra drug change that Pharmac which is doing its job, forces on them.
Was the pharmacist who dispensed the lamotrigine also responsible?
I would like to know what info was written on the prescriptions from the doctor and what was put on the prescription box?
Astra Zeneca is ok if you are not the person who developed a blood clot/s from it.
There's an in depth look at the Thornley's reasoning, the Auckland prof behind plan B, in Stuff.
The scientist and the rabbit hole: How epidemiologist Simon Thornley became an outcast of his profession | Stuff.co.nz
Not a prof.
Nor likely to be one – I'm afraid I've become used to the Korean system, which, being US descended, gives the title to all teaching staff with PhDs.
Des Gorman is a prof.
I'm surprised his name is even mentioned on this site. Did you miss his Pod-cast on the Government Covid-19 actions?
Karl du Fresne summarised it pretty well I thought when he covered the subject on his own Blog recently. To give you a feel for Gorman's opinions, and I would suggest they were well informed, he summarises the Government as stretching the truth a little. As du Fresne quotes Gorman
"Gorman accused the government of cultivating a culture of fear while simultaneously spinning the message that New Zealand was “best in show – the envy of the world” when in fact, countries such as Taiwan had “left us for dead”.
Most damningly, he reeled off a series of government claims that were contradicted by the facts. “‘All Russian crewmen have been tested’; no, they hadn’t. ‘They’ve all been in quarantine’; no, they hadn’t. ‘All the border workers have been tested’; no, they hadn’t. ‘No people are leaving quarantine early’; yes, they are. ‘There’s no mixing and mingling’ [in quarantine]; yes, there is. ‘There’s plenty of ’flu vaccine; no, there isn’t. ‘Nurses have plenty of PPE’ [personal protective equipment]’; no, they haven’t.".
du Fresne himself then gets even more direct
I suggest that people can get the short version from du Fresne and then, if they have an open mind, listen to the Pod cast that can be accessed from the Newstalk site.
http://karldufresne.blogspot.com/2021/04/best-in-show-really-des-gorman-on-new.html
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/podcasts/the-leighton-smith-podcast/leighton-smith-podcast-episode-105-april-7th-2021/
I am surprised the Gorman is still mentioned here.
Alwyn, according to the data at https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ , over the past year (22 May 2020 to 21 May 2021) there have been five deaths in NZ attributed to COVID-19 infection, i.e. one death per million per year.
That compares to the (likely underestimated) global average of ~400 tragic deaths per million over the last year.
400 versus 1 – it's a shambles, an utter shambles I tell yah – why won't anyone listen to me?
'Well-informed'? An 'open mind'?
We are all too valuable to shovel garbage like that into, I assure you.
Sacha and DMK – I tell ya it gives a lift to the spirits to read your handling of the dig. comments (determinedly ignorant, ie those with such an open mind that facts hardly settle before they blow away,)
You’re quite right, as always, Alwyn. I shall correct this oversight and put the name of he who shall not be named in the Auto-Moderation list, underneath the name of the Christchurch Mosque shooter. We must keep this site pure! Thank you for drawing my attention to this important issue.
du Fresne is probably a trigger word too 🙂
Great article – thanks.
Academics often paint themselves into consequence-free (outlier) corners (it's a perk, and part of the process) – just wait for the paint to dry and walk away. Extreme outliers insist of applying fresh coats of paint. Perhaps Thornley feels he now has little left to lose by continuing to insist that his discredited 'pandemic response views' are correct.
the charts showing the plan B statements and the timeline of new cases were a pretty firm twist of the knife.
Looks like a hit job on a professional offering one of the few alternative viewpoints on covid. I thought science is supposed to embrace theories.. sadly in this environment we seem to have cultured some sort of science-y fascism.
Although there is considerable room for scepticism in the sciences, one must still account for the facts. As the data rolls in, the elimination response looks better and better, however incomplete the available data may have been when the decision had to be made. Swedish style herd immunity is proving a poor hill to die on.
Baker's a bit of a prima donna, but in march 2020 he said elimination in NZ was possible. And was shown correct.
As the stuff piece shows, Thornley has been demonstrably incorrect several times, and has not changed his position. That's the weird bit, for a scientist.
So, you don't know the difference between science and pseudo science.
As for the professional… best not to listen to outliers whose motivation is invariably ideological and bear little to no resemblance to reality. Bit like the CC deniers who think the escalating change in the world's climactic weather and temperatures is a political thing.
Sad…as the nuttiest outlier of them all, Trump would say.
Martin Bashir may not have only robbed William and Harry of their mother. In addition to the terminal damage he did to the most famous woman in the world, can we not now suspect he had a hand in prematurely ending the life of the king of pop?
George Michael? 🙂
Well that seems very racist to me.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2021/05/chicago-mayor-lori-lightfoot-s-decision-to-only-give-interviews-to-poc-reporters-sparks-outrage.html
If she retained the policy throughout her term perhaps – but in relation to a halfway point as a first poc mayor it is by no means outrageous.
Turn it around the other way. Imagine if Jacinda and Grant said they would only interview one on one with white journalists?
Two differences
If:
Then "turning it around the other way" would be an equivalent comparison.
And if the MSM were historically useless at covering Pakeha politics.
"woosh" over Jimmy's head I imagine.
I can see why she wants to give journalists who are poc their opportunity when some journos want to be negative about something that will only affect them for a short time. Such as this opinion piece by a superior, outraged journo:
Steve Cortes of Newsmax tweeted: "Never mind the thousands of young black men dead in my city while Lori Lightfoot presides over systemic failure = she's facilitating 'healing' by discriminating against white reporters."
Exactly. One on one interviews are not a requirement of the job anyway – she might well have had to exclude a few in any case, they're time consuming. Lot of toxicity in the comments though – better to leave those folk, like Tova, towards the back of a large gallery.
Yep definitely racist alright, but I'm sure she only wants to talk to the reporters who ask the "patsy" questions. Not about Chicago being one of the most violent cities in USA.
McFlock is not expecting all that to be rectified I hope.
We have enough trouble keeping blokes from being blokes and acting nice. Newtalk ZB in NZME Auckland Newsroom:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/443077/martin-devlin-keeps-job-after-trying-to-punch-radio-colleague
all what?
All on the list. To get an equivalent comparison,
nah, it was just a list of why the "turning it around the other way" ~ism test isn't always valid.
Nice to see Jimmy trying to get the hang of figuring out when something is racist and when it isn't, and calling it out, though. Totes woke, that bloke…
Yes. If we keep moving quietly we can get to a better place.
I wonder if we ought to be sending aid across the ditch?
There seem to be some endangered creatures in need of support, at least according to FDOTM.