Andy Sinclair is the CEO of Hyundai Motors New Zealand:
The nation’s first zero emission hydrogen-fuelled electric truck arrived in late November. Hyundai New Zealand has bought five XCIENT FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle) trucks, with the help of some funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, and using the fuel cell technology developed by the Hyundai Motor Company from Korea.
New Zealand will be one of the first three countries in the world to run hydrogen trucks in fully commercial daily operations with freight operators (along with Korea and Switzerland). At the start of commercial operations, the trucks will be fuelled by their own hydrogen refueller until the first group of hydrogen-refuelling stations are built.
For the engine nerds out there, the XCIENT is powered by a 350kw electric motor with 2237Nm of torque. It has a range of about 400km – the driving distance between Auckland and Palmerston North.
The difference from diesel trucks is instantly noticeable to experienced drivers. They are almost as quiet as their passenger car peers, with no loud engine noises. There are two other fascinating technologies. A special filter is required to clean the air that goes into the engine. In a neat twist, it ends up removing particulates belched into the environment by diesel trucks on the road alongside the XCIENT. The other technology is an artificial engine-sound generator. The truck is so quiet at low speeds that the sound is needed as a safety precaution.
The spending included about $188 on chocolate fish, an executive team meeting at Mood on 17th Ave that cost $796 and $471.50 on the chief executive’s annual car valet.
Aitken said the council provided a “supply of chocolate fish” to its finance team who worked long hours at the end of the financial year and preparing the annual plan for adoption.
“Our executive team also provided a supply of chocolate fish to attendees of a series of internal roadshows, which included presentations on the Long-term Plan, the implementation of our community relations strategy, and council’s vision and values. Spare chocolate fish have been given to staff as a form of special recognition throughout the remainder of the year.”
Aitken said the executive team meeting at Mood was a “planning day” for 36 attendees – equating to $22 per person for food and drinks. A further $178 was spent on staff chocolates for an “executive walkabout” on December 8, 2020.
Tauranga City Council was the biggest spender, with 15 staff members spending more than $88,500 with council credit cards between November 8, 2020 and November 7, 2021.
As capitalists everywhere well know–they appropriate socially produced wealth for tiny elite gain–the riches that come from the physical and intellectual labour of the worlds workers applied to natural and technological resources.
The petty indulgences of local Govt. minions while unseemly, are nothing compared to the real bludgers of society in finance capital.
But the income that produces those taxes is in no small part a product of our transport, education, and health systems. So that's socially produced wealth, isn't it?
But the income those taxes come from was markedly increased by all the infrastructure and systems we have available to us in this society, so yes.
Private enterprise often adds value to the capital it starts with. So does public enterprise. We have a mixed economy. Not all economic growth is due to private enterprise.
"But the income those taxes come from was markedly increased by all the infrastructure and systems we have available to us in this society, so yes."
But that infrastructure was originally funded by taxes, so no.
"Private enterprise often adds value to the capital it starts with. So does public enterprise. We have a mixed economy. Not all economic growth is due to private enterprise."
Public enterprise can only begin with the capital it taxes from the private sector. In a mixed market economy, the public sector is able to use that capital to plan and to provide the infrastructure for growth. But ultimately it is all funded by private sector income.
"Those systems are all paid for out of taxes, so no."
You do realise the state has always had income streams other than taxation. The state used to have more than they do now but they were sold at bargain based prices to members of the business round table et al.
It also has lots of assets that were stolen – as does the private sector – Taranaki farmers for instance.
The rest of society are individuals and businesses paying tax.
With their personal productivity boosted vastly by public resources. IP protection, law and order, roads, schools, trades education, workers kept healthy by the public health system.
"You do realise the state has always had income streams other than taxation."
The only income stream a government can have is from private enterprise. When the government owned the post office (and it took months to get a phone), all of their income came from tax payers buying their services. The difference is that for most products and services, the private sector just does a much better job.
"Any idea what the private sector is like at running airlines?"
Public Airlines only survive because the government is spending other peoples money. 'Flagship' carriers were replaced by private sector operators until economic shocks (eg Covid) prompted governments to intervene (again with other peoples money). But there are a number of countries desperate for the private sector to take back nationalised airlines (e.g. Air India, Malaysian Airlines).
If governments see airlines as strategic assets, then they can take an ownership share. But the operation is best left to the private sector.
EDIT:
“In conclusion, there are lots of reasons to privatize an airline, or to keep it state-owned. The crucial differentiator is the quality of that airline’s management. An airline that is owned by the government but allowed to operate as an efficient, profit-focused entity can do very well, but those that are too encumbered by politics are unlikely to succeed.” https://simpleflying.com/pros-cons-state-owned-airlines/
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian responds to media on NATO-US role in Ukraine crisis…when you have the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson telling you..correctly…how you should be doing your job as a Journalist..you know you have lost the moral high ground…..
Why should the US stop other nations from voluntarily applying to join NATO? There is a reason nations like Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia would want to join a collective defence pact. Do you know what that reason is? I'll give you a clue – It rhymes with Tussar and it's military is currently bombing Ukraine.
Thanks for displaying your lack of Geo-Political insight and understanding for all to see..and therefore saving me the time of having to spell it out…well done.
The Ukrainian army and its far-right paramilitary allies were responsible for the vast majority of civilian casualties, with the United Nations reporting in January 2022 that, between 2018 and 2021, 81.4% of all civilian casualties caused by active hostilities were in Donetsk and Luhansk.
These are Russian-speaking Ukrainians being killed their own government. They are not secret Russian forces.
Researchers at the US government-sponsored RAND Corporation acknowledged in a January 2022 report in Foreign Policy magazine that, “even by Kyiv’s own estimates, the vast majority of rebel forces consist of locals—not soldiers of the regular Russian military.”
He makes many points that counter the official stories we are told to accept
"He makes many points that counter the official stories we are told to accept"
Where's an official story we are told to accept as you suggest? The fact that you even see fit to include the "even by Kyiv's own estimates" gives lie to your proposition.
It has been well known and reported that it is predominantly separatists fighting the government i.e. locals fighting locals.
If someone makes a valid point and your response amounts to "Well you just lack the special insight into geo-political affairs that I have," you've effectively conceded the point.
No. What is happening in Ukraine at present and is not happening in any of the Baltic states is WHY Ukraine wanted to join NATO. Do you think Russia will try it on with Estonia anytime soon?
Agreed. While Ukraine had quite few internal issues to sort out (there clearly is a conservative right-wing fascist element within it's population and consequently it's military for instance and still lots of corruption) they like other countries that once were under the USSR yoke did not wish to go back there.
Putin had no right to invade Ukraine let alone do much of the stuff that is going on.
Meanwhile while I get it is a war scenario what the hell is this tying people to lampposts with their pants down and beating them that is going on in Ukraine. It's weird shit by scared people but I'm assuming that this does reflect the conservative nature of the country (is it religious? Is it a remnant of USSR punishment methods) that this is seen as a justified punishment. It isn't something I've come across before.
I kind of understand it with the terrible history of that area .Stalin’s Holodomor visited upon Ukrainians, huge emptying of the areas of the Donbas, by starvation, Russian workers sent in to keep the steel factories going.The opportunity to wreak vengeance by siding with the Nazis (western Ukrainians and not all )in WW2, aiding and abetting the mass killing of Ukrainian Jews, Roma, and Poles.
When the Russian army made its way home from chasing the Germans to Berlin, they stopped in Kiev and guerrilla warfare took off , with revenge killings on both sides .
The divisions are baked in
“A fully independent Ukraine emerged only late in the 20th century, after long periods of successive domination by Poland–Lithuania, Russia, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). Ukraine had experienced a brief period of independence in 1918–20, but portions of western Ukraine were ruled by Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia in the period between the two World Wars, and Ukraine thereafter became part of the Soviet Union as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (S.S.R.
Independence in 1991,thats when it changed its name to Ukraine according to Brittanica
Do yourself a favour Gosman and exercise your mind a smidgen by researching the background of this situation. Russia issued a red line ages ago. If Zelenskyy was really in control of what is regarded as the most corrupt European country, he would have pointed out the limits and told NATO and the US to fuck off to their side of the line. Instead, he was prepared to sacrifice his people to a sad and predictable fate.
In the meantime, he could also have made even a mild effort to abide by the Minsk accords. His failure to do so has ended up with a higher death toll (as per yesterdays numbers) in Donbas than in Ukraine so far. As for your 'whataboutery' Russia seems never have been a threat to any other country from the former USSR.
Regrettably, it is people like you who have encouraged our Government to prostitute the country by selling out on its supposed international morality and 'independent foreign policy' stance by sucking up to NATO/US like a domestic violence victim with a sever case of Stockholm syndrome. No doubt our Prime Minister impressed you with her 15 minutes of fame electronic cuddle-up with the President of Ukraine and her offer to provide NATO funding and protective gear to excite young Ukrainians to face off against Russian kids in a suicidal shootout as a prelude to a possible nuclear conflagration. The $5 million would have been better spent on humanitarian aid for Ukrainians than feeding the military industrial complex.
Putin still had choices. He chose to do what he did. Nobody forced him to invade another country. It is still his decision and his fault. It is also his decision to continue.
Not really. Actions are often predetermined by strategic situations. Ukraine seems to be the meat in the sandwich in a struggle between the US and Russia for the domination of that area. The strategic implications of Ukraine's joining NATO, with respect to that struggle, would have been the determining factor in Putin's decision.
The US didn't "encourage" them to join NATO, in fact NATO was reluctant to have them. It gave in to their demands, if anything. Their well-justified demands, as it turns out.
I still don't grasp while so many people think a country wanting to join an alliance it neighbour doesn't like justifies a massive unprovoked invasion. I can imagine all the usual suspects justifying a brutal Chinese attack on Taiwan by saying the US is just as bad and besides, Kiang Kai-Shek was corrupt and a thoroughly unpleasant man.
Anyway, the Ukrainians just might be on the verge of winning this war without the help of the Standard's ragtag of of appeasers, pacifists and would-be Quislings.
Thanks to the massive aid they've had US intelligence says they still have 90% of their combat power, so the attritional phase of the war is going their way. The Russians are not "regrouping" they have been defeated.
The Russian air force sortie rate into the Ukraine is dwindling in the face of a still-effective SAM network, to the point where the Ukrainians appear to now be able to embark on limited manoeuvre warfare with successful counter attacks at Makariv and Makovyshche clearing Russian forces from the M06 highway, re-opening a major supply route for Kyiv west to Zhytomyr and thence to the Ukrainian supply hub at Lviv.
If these counter-attacks develop into a counter offensive in the direction of Borodyanka with the aim of trapping Russian forces against the West bank Dnieper then a real chance of a first class Russian collapse in the decisive theatre of this war presents itself.
Putin wouldn't survive a military humiliation of that order.
What a twisted little world you gung-ho keyboard Generals live in. Far easier to stuff more arms into Ukraine that they will be paying for forever than to give in to the realities of MEANINGFUL negotiations that intelligent world leaders are attempting to get on the table. (Reluctant to include Naftali Bennett in that list but he appears to be genuine.)
Some of us 'ragtag of appeasers, pacifists and would-be Quislings.' have more humanity and concern for the Ukrainians than you could possibly muster in a lifetime judging by all your bullshit and bluster. We also lack your hypocrisy gene. Surely you are not blind to the fact that Russia is not doing anything much different to what your empire heroes have sown so many times before.
Actually, fuck it – time for a bit of nuclear conflagration to make your day. Perhaps you can arrange it.
Being a useful idiot is a tough job, you have to rationalise the most ridiculous illogic. See also "Ukraine has neo-Nazi groups similar to Russia's ones, therefore Russia must invade to 'denazify' Ukraine."
I hope you're right re the military situation. Can't help thinking the resulting peace negotiations would be the making of a "Treaty of Versailles betrayal" story for Russian fascists, though.
Standard's ragtag of of appeasers, pacifists and would-be Quislings.
Way to go full dickhead.
Anti war is just that, anti-war. But that is probably a bit to much logic for you.
Most pacifists commenting here, if not all have condemned the invasion as a war crime. So you lack logic their as well.
But then again, jingoistic dogs are not know for their ability to go beyond guttural violent depravity.
[Clearly, the shoe fits, but it is still not an invitation to spew your “hyperbolized rhetoric”, which is irony in full display. Tone it down – Incognito]
Yeah, no better source than the dude who denied the existence of a nation called “Ukraine”and who went on to assert that the crisis besetting Ukraine at the time were caused by their own internal divisions, not primarily Putin’s actions.
Is US fudging their covid death count numbers? On 13th March I said (elsewhere) they were close to hitting a million. They had something like 993 000 deaths at that stage, and > 1 500 average deaths daily. But today they're still a few thousand shy of the million. The last three days deaths reported were 327, 88, and 7.
Miraculous! A headline worthy story! Covid is vanishing!
Mar 20 reported a seven day average down to 719. The numbers don't add up.
It is extremely difficult for Covid numbers to be fudged in the way you suggest as each State manages health reporting. They may take advice from Federal organisations like the CDC but it is still managed locally. What you suggest is happening would require a level of centralised control that just doesn't exist in the US health care system. You can see the reason for the fall in deaths when you look at the numbers reporting the virus. The Omicron outbreak has now subsided.
No, a far simpler explanation. This happens every week and is due to reporting (or not) around weekends. It seems to be more the case for the US than other countries.
The 'nothing to see here','Russian misinformation ' campaign run by the American msm,regarding Hunter Biden going to the Ukraine for a 'job',has come back to haunt the U.S President.
'long after all mainstream media outlets killed a legitimate story about Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop, the New York Times finally announced it had ‘authenticated’ the computer and its messages. The computer, left at a Delaware computer repair shop, is filled with damning information about Hunter’s operations, which appeared to take advantage of his family’s political power. Hunter’s only proper marketable skill was opening doors with his last name. It’s still unclear how deeply and directly Hunter’s father, Joe, is implicate….'
The Democratic party's National Democratic Institute, the Republican party's International Republican Institute, the US state department and USAid are the main agencies involved in these grassroots campaigns as well as the Freedom House NGO and billionaire George Soros's open society institute.
Officially, the US government spent $41m (£21.7m) organising and funding the year-long operation to get rid of Milosevic from October 1999. In Ukraine, the figure is said to be around $14m.
Over at The NZ Herald they've had their thinking caps on, and come up with a new word of the day (no not Wordle) "An Ardernity". A clever play on words. Even the NZH are getting annoyed with the announcing a decision but we wont tell you what it is for another 48 hours.
When I was the same mental age as Chris Bishop and David Seymour I couldn’t wait till Christmas Day to open my present even though I already knew it was a football.
Beautiful comment – thanks. Being annoyed at receiving a heads up on an impending policy announcement really is infantile. I believe the PM has rightly said that if the media don't want the heads up, she won't give it. Add to this the mania for 'certainty' where none is possible, and we really get the flavour of how deranged so many people have become over what amounts to nothing more than rational and unremarkable public health measures.
"When I was the same mental age as Chris Bishop and David Seymour".
Come, come. Such boasting really doesn't become you. It is quite beyond belief that you were ever that smart. Even if you were only half their level at your peak it illustrates the rapid drop in brain size and decline in mental acuity that occurred as you got older doesn't it?
Have you recently had Covid 19? That can also cause these problems.
Two snotty little boys with a (political) football are upset because none of the other older kids in the street wants to play ball with them, not even Chippy. Alwyn is picking his brain because he can’t get his head around such injustice. Alwyn, blow your nose, wipe your face and go do a puzzle with no more than 8 pieces.
There seems to be a new version of gotcha politics at play here,
The opposition hears that a new move is going through the 'about to be announced new decisions" process and demands that it happens, saying the government is slow etc. But government can't announce something until processes such as cabinet approval and regulation creation occur.
So does the government attempt to counter this barracking by announcing decisions as a heads up with detail to follow?
In this case, the PM announced the heads up saying it wasn't immediately, crucially needed.
So, the government gets barracked for 'unnecessary' delays, etc.
In the long term it's a bad thing for our democracy that this type of attack politics comes from both media and opposition.
Fair enough if reasonable, but like using the word 'shambles' and 'crises' unreasonably, the net result is public turn-off, or public distrust in ordinary government processes, and a weakening of the proper roles of media and opposition.
They're using John Key as an attack weapon now? National have gone back six leaders to find someone to attack Ardern? Because Luxon, and Collins, and Muller, and Bridges, and English weren't very good at it.
And what is craw-sticking about Key's attack is that this comes from a man who never issued a press release that carried bad news. That job always fell to an underling. Pffffft!
The NZH political reporter probably didn’t put a lot of thinking as such into his balanced report, which is not an opinion piece. Whoever came up with the headline may have put a bit more ‘thought’ into it.
You are too easily impressed by a silly wordplay by David Seymour, who didn’t write the report and doesn’t work for the NZH AFAIK.
If I may ask, what’s your thought on the matter of having to wait 48 hours? Care to share?
David Seymour thinks New Zealand is the missing link to the world being putting right. No doubt his supporters will be on board with the big bold Act, us saving Ukraine.
"Act Party leader David Seymour wants New Zealand to send missile launchers to Ukraine – and has called New Zealand the "weakest link in the West" in its response to the Russian invasion.
"Asked what he would have done if he were in government, Seymour said he would have called Australia to ask what they were doing."
It's the sort of talk of an 8 year old boy when the question is 'you hear a noise downstairs at night what do you do?' The kid of course gets up and goes downstairs, tackles the burglar and scares them away. Or these days would he get under the blankets and call Australia?
Michael walker and Barnaby Raine host Tysky Sour interview with a very anti russian young woman from Kakiev more about Ukraine the Zazanin Zaghari story pommie politics Pinochet conservatives and more !
It's hard when someone keeps doing things to suggest he's an idiot, from being thought an idiot.
Brian Tamaki in full flight on his travels with Freedom & Rights.
"Making clear he was not aiming for political office, he said he wanted NZ's official religion to be Christianity – and for all other religions to be outlawed."
So we're to be free and have choice except we can't choose our religion?
The first proposal was to broaden protection under the Human Rights Act. It currently prohibits hatred incited against people because of their colour, race, or ethnic origin. The law would be expanded to include religious groups and rainbow communities.
Hmm, I wonder what group of people, who experience some of the worst targeted abuse in society, are missing from this list.
Nope. NZ already has laws against inciting violence. Inciting "hate" is too nebulous and subjective, and very likely to cause stupid outcomes as in Scotland where they have police visiting private citizens who write rude things on Twitter. What a waste of time and effort.
The legislation was drafted in response to the Christchurch mosque massacre, but I suspect that the Muslim community feedback was not supportive.
However I expect it will be forced through sooner or later because it is an important part of the woke millennial cultural project to force their rather cultic belief system on everyone.
“RUSSIA ALREADY VICTORIOUS? | U.S. COL. DOUGLAS MACGREGOR'S ASSESSMENT OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT
Russia is likely more victorious than Western media indicates. Russia is slowed by their intention of saving as many civilians as possible, which Western media will not acknowledge.
In addition to the above:
Ukrainian war ….. hypersonic weapons and Russia v USA v China
The puzzle….. so it’s all about timing of your military advantage
I wonder …. who has won this race ….Russians or US or China.
Very much noted US news via RNZ underplay Russians exhibiting real use of hypersonic weapons….
(maybe NZs 4th estate and Labour/National are Bidens bitches or fluffers)
The U.S. Army has finally provided an official range for its future Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, or LRHW. This range figure notably means it would have been prohibited under the now-defunct Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF, that the United States and Russia were parties to until 2019. This disclosure also follows criticism earlier this yearfrom a senior Air Force officer about the utility of this weapon, especially in the Pacific region.
"The Long Range Hypersonic Weapon provides a capability at a distance greater than 2,775 km," an Army spokesperson said, according to Breaking Defense. This means that the LRHW can strike targets at least 1,725 miles away. For comparison, the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missile, the longest-range ground-based missile system currently in Army service, can only reach targets out to 300 kilometers, or close to 186 miles.”
”US ARMY
One of the first inert Long Range Hypersonic Weapon missile canisters, which are now being used for training purposes, arrive at an undisclosed US Army base in 2021.
The complete LRHW missile consists of a large rocket booster with an unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle on top. The rocket is used to loft the conical boost-glide vehicle to a desired speed and altitude. The vehicle then detaches and comes zooming back down toward its target along an atmospheric flight trajectory at hypersonic velocity, defined as anything above Mach 5.
Hypersonic boost-glide vehicles are designed to have a high degree of maneuverability, especially compared to traditional ballistic missiles, even those with advanced maneuverable reentry vehicles. This makes them ideal for striking time-sensitive or other high-value targets protected by dense enemy air and missile defenses and doing so on short notice, even at extended ranges. The combination of speed and maneuvering makes it very difficult for opponents to spot and track these weapons, let alone try to defend against them, including just trying to relocate critical assets or otherwise seek cover.
“RUSSIA ALREADY VICTORIOUS? | U.S. COL. DOUGLAS MACGREGOR'S ASSESSMENT OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT
Question 1 Is US behind Russia in hypersonic weapons technology?
Question 2 If you corner a wild animal…. (NATO surrounding Russia via Ukraine) What do you expect the result will be…?????
It’s like a psychotic parent (US) taking a child (Ukraine) to a wild dog and saying hey “child” take it’s territory (bone) it’s not going to bite. The sickness is that the parent knows full well the dog will bite (as its in its natureg). The worst thing is the parent gets some sick physiological kick out of it…(aka power advantage).
Question 3 Why did US et al not push Ukraine to be a non military Swiss like state? What was the point of the destruction in Ukraine?
Question 4 Has Biden (Obama et al) effectively thrown Ukraine under a bus to benefit there world view
Question 5 Who benefits (follow the money and power)
[Less is generally more – I reckon that very few will read long comments and all the (embedded) links in these. 10 or more links will hold up any comment in Auto-Moderation until a Moderator makes the time to review & release it – Incognito]
Ive always thought 'better out than in ' so in general im not in favour of censorship .Youre link to the Bitchute site which is using a genuine Greyzone piece to make its point tells us that you by association are surely imbued with the same fairly ugly antisemitism which coupled with your incoherent comment gives us a reasonable idea of who you are .Congratulations for revealing yourself as a complete fuckwit !
Weston…. OMG did you eat a bad sandwich, suck on a car tail pipe or just get out of bed the wrong way. Ya logic circuits are fried mate. you said to me:
” Greyzone piece to make its point tells us that you by association are surely imbued with the same fairly ugly antisemitism which coupled with your incoherent comment gives us a reasonable idea of who you are .Congratulations for revealing yourself as a complete fuckwit !”
Did you even bother to watch the interview?
No, probably note…. Spending too much time with ya head up your own arse (carbon monoxide and methane not a good combo for clear thoughts)
How the f$&&k did you arrive at “antisemitism”
Good luck with that …. Maybe take some Prozac to calm ya farm and a chaser of viagra to make your mind now, shall we say, firm (or less flaccid)
Hugs kisses …. Watch the video… use analytical thought, get back to me mate
Ive already watched that video karl on Grey zone itself so i didnt need it second hand plus the site had sidebars labled jew this an jewery that why was i suposed to be impressed ?
For some reason im having a few glitches commenting karl so if u get this twice you,ll know why .Ive already watch the vid on greyzone itself so didnt need to go to Bitchute to watch it .The side bars or the click bait pics on that site are rabidly antisemetic suggesting that jewery are responsible for this an that and this persons a filthy jew etc Its not my cup of tea karl why did you think it would impress anybody ?
Not my worry what others might make of it karl particularly although im pretty sure it wouldnt go down well .the actual interview i thought was thoughtfull balanced and relevant most if not all the stuff from greyzone is .
Saying that however..if it wasn’t for the “freedom” to host that video it may never get the air time it deserves and people wouldn’t stumble across it.
Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook are all definitely playing in the pig pen of propaganda to. RNZ / Herald seem to also play in the pen, seemingly parrot Bidens BS to a large extent. An alliance to Democrats…some digging to done there.
However alternative sites need to exist to promote freedom of speech
Elon Musk had the bulls to say this regarding censorship:
”Starlink has been told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources,” he tweeted.
“We will not do so unless at gunpoint,” Musk added. “Sorry to be a free speech absolutist.”
Additionally Twitter has been going all out jihad on the satirical site babylonbee for taking the piss out of msm, wokeness and Biden. Banning them for satire. Babylonbees response rather funny I thought as Twitter do allow Taliban (no hypocrisy there ehh)
KABUL—Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem Warda has finally been banned from Twitter this week after carelessly sharing a satirical headline from The Babylon Bee.
"Wallahi, I just thought the joke was funny," said the bloodthirsty terrorist PR rep. "A man who thinks he's a woman? Whoever heard of such a thing? Those Babylon Bee people are so fun and crazy, even though they're infidels who must die a painful death by our hands."
At the end of the day probably a critically thinking population is the best defence against “hate” not curbs on freedoms of speech.
The issue is getting a critically thinking population. Maybe the “powers” at be don’t really want that. But hey, that’s another debate
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RNZ has a story this morning about the expansion of solar farms in Aotearoa, driven by today's ground-breaking ceremony at the Tauhei solar farm in Te Aroha: From starting out as a tiny player in the electricity system, solar power generated more electricity than coal and gas combined for ...
After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and almost a year before the Soviet Union collapsed in late 1991, US President George H W Bush proclaimed a ‘new world order’. Now, just two months ...
Warning: Some images may be distressing. Thank you for those who support my work. It means a lot.A shopfront in Australia shows Liberal leader Peter Dutton and mining magnate Gina Rinehart depicted with Nazi imageryUS Government Seeks Death Penalty for Luigi MangioneMangione was publicly walked in front of media in ...
Aged care workers rallying against potential roster changes say Bupa, which runs retirement homes across the country, needs to focus on care instead of money. More than half of New Zealand workers wish they had chosen a different career according to a new survey. Consumers are likely to see a ...
The scurrilous attacks on Benjamin Doyle, a list Green MP, over his supposed inappropriate behaviour towards children has dominated headlines and social media this past week, led by frothing Rightwing agitators clutching their pearls and fanning the flames of moral panic over pedophiles and and perverts. Winston Peter decided that ...
Twilight Time Lighthouse Cuba, Wigan Street, Wellington, Sunday 6 April, 5:30pm for 6pm start. Twilight Time looks at the life and work of Desmond Ball, (1947-2016), a barefooted academic from ‘down under’ who was hailed by Jimmy Carter as “the man who saved the world”, as he proved the fallacy ...
The landedAnd the wealthyAnd the piousAnd the healthyAnd the straight onesAnd the pale onesAnd we only mean the male ones!If you're all of the above, then you're ok!As we build a new tomorrow here today!Lyrics Glenn Slater and Allan Menken.Ah, Democracy - can you smell it?It's presently a sulphurous odour, ...
US President Donald Trump’s unconventional methods of conducting international relations will compel the next federal government to reassess whether the United States’ presence in the region and its security assurances provide a reliable basis for ...
Things seem to be at a pretty low ebb in and around the Reserve Bank. There was, in particular, the mysterious, sudden, and as-yet unexplained resignation of the Governor (we’ve had four Governors since the Bank was given its operational autonomy 35 years ago, and only two have completed their ...
Long story short:PMChristopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...
Long story short:PMChristopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...
The war between Russia and Ukraine continues unabated. Neither side is in a position to achieve its stated objectives through military force. But now there is significant diplomatic activity as well. Ukraine has agreed to ...
One of the first aims of the United States’ new Department of Government Efficiency was shutting down USAID. By 6 February, the agency was functionally dissolved, its seal missing from its Washington headquarters. Amid the ...
If our strategic position was already challenging, it just got worse. Reliability of the US as an ally is in question, amid such actions by the Trump administration as calling for annexation of Canada, threating ...
Small businesses will be exempt from complying with some of the requirements of health and safety legislation under new reforms proposed by the Government. The living wage will be increased to $28.95 per hour from September, a $1.15 increase from the current $27.80. A poll has shown large opposition to ...
Summary A group of senior doctors in Nelson have spoken up, specifically stating that hospitals have never been as bad as in the last year.Patients are waiting up to 50 hours and 1 death is directly attributable to the situation: "I've never seen that number of patients waiting to be ...
Although semiconductor chips are ubiquitous nowadays, their production is concentrated in just a few countries, and this has left the US economy and military highly vulnerable at a time of rising geopolitical tensions. While the ...
Health and Safety changes driven by ACT party ideology, not evidence said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. Changes to health and safety legislation proposed by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden today comply with ACT party ideology, ignores the evidence, and will compound New ...
In short in our political economy this morning:Fletcher Building is closing its pre-fabricated house-building factory in Auckland due to a lack of demand, particularly from the Government.Health NZ is sending a crisis management team to Nelson Hospital after a 1News investigation exposed doctors’ fears that nearly 500 patients are overdue ...
Exactly 10 years ago, the then minister for defence, Kevin Andrews, released the First Principles Review: Creating One Defence (FPR). With increasing talk about the rising possibility of major power-conflict, calls for Defence funding to ...
In events eerily similar to what happened in the USA last week, Greater Auckland was recently accidentally added to a group chat between government ministers on the topic of transport.We have no idea how it happened, but luckily we managed to transcribe most of what transpired. We share it ...
Hi,When I look back at my history with Dylan Reeve, it’s pretty unusual. We first met in the pool at Kim Dotcom’s mansion, as helicopters buzzed overhead and secret service agents flung themselves off the side of his house, abseiling to the ground with guns drawn.Kim Dotcom was a German ...
Come around for teaDance me round and round the kitchenBy the light of my T.VOn the night of the electionAncient stars will fall into the seaAnd the ocean floor sings her sympathySongwriter: Bic Runga.The Prime Minister stared into the camera, hot and flustered despite the predawn chill. He looked sadly ...
Has Winston Peters got a ferries deal for you! (Buyer caution advised.) Unfortunately, the vision that Peters has been busily peddling for the past 24 hours – of several shipyards bidding down the price of us getting smaller, narrower, rail-enabled ferries – looks more like a science fiction fantasy. One ...
Completed reads for March: The Heart of the Antarctic [1907-1909], by Ernest Shackleton South [1914-1917], by Ernest Shackleton Aurora Australis (collection), edited by Ernest Shackleton The Book of Urizen (poem), by William Blake The Book of Ahania (poem), by William Blake The Book of Los (poem), by William Blake ...
First - A ReminderBenjamin Doyle Doesn’t Deserve ThisI’ve been following posts regarding Green MP Benjamin Doyle over the last few days, but didn’t want to amplify the abject nonsense.This morning, Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, answered the alt-right’s prayers - guaranteeing amplification of the topic, by going on ...
US President Donald Trump has shown a callous disregard for the checks and balances that have long protected American democracy. As the self-described ‘king’ makes a momentous power grab, much of the world watches anxiously, ...
They can be the very same words. And yet their meaning can vary very much.You can say I'll kill him about your colleague who accidentally deleted your presentation the day before a big meeting.You can say I'll kill him to — or, for that matter, about — Tony Soprano.They’re the ...
Back in 2020, the then-Labour government signed contracted for the construction and purchase of two new rail-enabled Cook Strait ferries, to be operational from 2026. But when National took power in 2023, they cancelled them in a desperate effort to make the books look good for a year. And now ...
The fragmentation of cyber regulation in the Indo-Pacific is not just inconvenient; it is a strategic vulnerability. In recent years, governments across the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, have moved to reform their regulatory frameworks for cyber ...
Welcome to the March 2025 Economic Bulletin. The feature article examines what public private partnerships (PPPs) are. PPPs have been a hot topic recently, with the coalition government signalling it wants to use them to deliver infrastructure. However, experience with PPPs, both here and overseas, indicates we should be wary. ...
Willis announces more plans of plans for supermarketsYesterday’s much touted supermarket competition announcement by Nicola Willis amounted to her telling us she was issuing a 6 week RFI1 that will solicit advice from supermarket players.In short, it was an announcement of a plan - but better than her Kiwirail Interislander ...
This was the post I was planning to write this morning to mark Orr’s final day. That said, if the underlying events – deliberate attempts to mislead Parliament – were Orr’s doing, the post is more about the apparent uselessness of Parliament (specifically the Finance and Expenditure Committee) in holding ...
Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC’s plan to build a plant in the United States looks like a move made at the behest of local officials to solidify US support for Taiwan. However, it may eventually lessen ...
This is a Guest Post by Transport Planner Bevan Woodward from the charitable trust Movement, which has lodged an application for a judicial review of the Governments Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024 Auckland is at grave risk of having its safer speed limits on approx. 1,500 local streets ...
We're just talkin' 'bout the futureForget about the pastIt'll always be with usIt's never gonna die, never gonna dieSongwriters: Brian Johnson / Angus Young / Malcolm YoungMorena, all you lovely people, it’s good to be back, and I have news from the heartland. Now brace yourself for this: depending on ...
Today is the last day in office for the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Adrian Orr. Of course, he hasn’t been in the office since 5 March when, on the eve of his major international conference, his resignation was announced and he stormed off with no (effective) notice and no ...
Treasury and Cabinet have finally agreed to a Crown guarantee for a non-Government lending agency for Community Housing Providers (CHPs), which could unlock billions worth of loans and investments by pension funds and banks to build thousands of more affordable social homes. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest:Chris Bishop ...
Australia has plenty of room to spend more on defence. History shows that 2.9 percent of GDP is no great burden in ordinary times, so pushing spending to 3.0 percent in dangerous times is very ...
In short this morning in our political economy:Winston Peters will announce later today whether two new ferries are rail ‘compatible’, requiring time-consuming container shuffling, or the more efficient and expensive rail ‘enabled,’ where wagons can roll straight on and off.Nicola Willisthreatened yesterday to break up the supermarket duopoly with ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 23, 2025 thru Sat, March 29, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...
For prospective writers out there, Inspired Quill, the publisher of my novel(s) is putting together a short story anthology (pieces up to 10,000 words). The open submission window is 29th March to 29th April. https://www.inspired-quill.com/anthology-submissions/ The theme?This anthology will bring together diverse voices exploring themes of hope, resistance, and human ...
Prime minister Kevin Rudd released the 2009 defence white paper in May of that year. It is today remembered mostly for what it said about the strategic implications of China’s rise; its plan to double ...
In short this morning in our political economy:Voters want the Government to retain the living wage for cleaners, a poll shows.The Government’s move to provide a Crown guarantee to banks and the private sector for social housing is described a watershed moment and welcomed by Community Housing Providers.Nicola Willis is ...
The recent attacks in the Congo by Rwandan backed militias has led to worldwide condemnation of the Rwandan regime of Paul Kagame. Following up on the recent Fabian Zoom with Mikela Wrong and Maria Amoudian, Dr Rudaswinga will give a complete picture of Kagame’s regime and discuss the potential ...
New Zealand’s economic development has always been a partnership between the public and private sectors.Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) have become fashionable again, partly because of the government’s ambitions to accelerate infrastructural development. There is, of course, an ideological element too, while some of the opposition to them is also ideological.PPPs come in ...
How Australia funds development and defence was front of mind before Tuesday’s federal budget. US President Donald Trump’s demands for a dramatic lift in allied military spending and brutal cuts to US foreign assistance meant ...
Questions 1. Where and what is this protest?a. Hamilton, angry crowd yelling What kind of food do you call this Seymour?b.Dunedin, angry crowd yelling Still waiting, Simeon, still waitingc. Wellington, angry crowd yelling You’re trashing everything you idiotsd. Istanbul, angry crowd yelling Give us our democracy back, give it ...
Two blueprints that could redefine the Northern Territory’s economic future were launched last week. The first was a government-led economic strategy and the other an industry-driven economic roadmap. Both highlight that supporting the Northern Territory ...
In December 2021, then-Climate Change Minister James Shaw finally ended Tiwai Point's excessive pollution subsidies, cutting their "Electricity Allocation Factor" (basically compensation for the cost of carbon in their electricity price) to zero on the basis that their sweetheart deal meant they weren't paying it. In the process, he effectively ...
Green MP Tamatha Paul has received quite the beat down in the last two days.Her original comments were part of a panel discussion where she said:“Wellington people do not want to see police officers everywhere, and, for a lot of people, it makes them feel less safe. It’s that constant ...
US President Donald Trump has raised the spectre of economic and geopolitical turmoil in Asia. While individual countries have few options for pushing back against Trump’s transactional diplomacy, protectionist trade policies and erratic decision-making, a ...
Abortion care at Whakatāne Hospital has been quietly shelved, with patients told they will likely have to travel more than an hour to Tauranga to get the treatment they need. ...
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...
Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown. ...
The National Government’s choices have contributed to a slow-down in the building sector, as thousands of people have lost their jobs in construction. ...
Willie Apiata’s decision to hand over his Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans is a powerful and selfless act, made on behalf of all those who have served our country. ...
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka ...
April 1 used to be a day when workers could count on a pay rise with stronger support for those doing it tough, but that’s not the case under this Government. ...
Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year. ...
The Government should work with other countries to press the Myanmar military regime to stop its bombing campaign especially while the country recovers from the devastating earthquake. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to scrap proposed changes to Early Childhood Care, after attending a petition calling for the Government to ‘Put tamariki at the heart of decisions about ECE’. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill today that will remove the power of MPs conscience votes and ensure mandatory national referendums are held before any conscience issues are passed into law. “We are giving democracy and power back to the people”, says New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters. ...
Welcome to members of the diplomatic corp, fellow members of parliament, the fourth estate, foreign affairs experts, trade tragics, ladies and gentlemen. ...
In recent weeks, disturbing instances of state-sanctioned violence against Māori have shed light on the systemic racism permeating our institutions. An 11-year-old autistic Māori child was forcibly medicated at the Henry Bennett Centre, a 15-year-old had his jaw broken by police in Napier, kaumātua Dean Wickliffe went on a hunger ...
Confidence in the job market has continued to drop to its lowest level in five years as more New Zealanders feel uncertain about finding work, keeping their jobs, and getting decent pay, according to the latest Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index. ...
The Greens are calling on the Government to follow through on their vague promises of environmental protection in their Resource Management Act (RMA) reform. ...
“Make New Zealand First Again” Ladies and gentlemen, First of all, thank you for being here today. We know your lives are busy and you are working harder and longer than you ever have, and there are many calls on your time, so thank you for the chance to speak ...
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israel’s assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealand’s Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...
It’s been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a ‘one-size fits all’ standardised test – a decision that has shocked school principals. ...
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumātua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrick’s Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...
Shane Jones’ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...
The Government’s new planning legislation to replace the Resource Management Act will make it easier to get things done while protecting the environment, say Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court. “The RMA is broken and everyone knows it. It makes it too hard to build ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today launched a public consultation on New Zealand and India’s negotiations of a formal comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. “Negotiations are getting underway, and the Public’s views will better inform us in the early parts of this important negotiation,” Mr McClay says. We are ...
More than 900 thousand superannuitants and almost five thousand veterans are among the New Zealanders set to receive a significant financial boost from next week, an uplift Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says will help support them through cost-of-living challenges. “I am pleased to confirm that from 1 ...
Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealand’s geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua today, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is in the early stages ...
New annual data has exposed the staggering cost of delays previously hidden in the building consent system, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I directed Building Consent Authorities to begin providing quarterly data last year to improve transparency, following repeated complaints from tradespeople waiting far longer than the statutory ...
Increases in water charges for Auckland consumers this year will be halved under the Watercare Charter which has now been passed into law, Local Government Minister Simon Watts and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The charter is part of the financial arrangement for Watercare developed last year by Auckland Council ...
There is wide public support for the Government’s work to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity protections, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. “The Ministry for Primary Industries recently completed public consultation on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act and the submissions show that people understand the importance of having a strong biosecurity ...
A new independent review function will enable individuals and organisations to seek an expert independent review of specified civil aviation regulatory decisions made by, or on behalf of, the Director of Civil Aviation, Acting Transport Minister James Meager has announced today. “Today we are making it easier and more affordable ...
The Government will invest in an enhanced overnight urgent care service for the Napier community as part of our focus on ensuring access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown has today confirmed. “I am delighted that a solution has been found to ensure Napier residents will continue to ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey attended a sod turning today to officially mark the start of construction on a new mental health facility at Hillmorton Campus. “This represents a significant step in modernising mental health services in Canterbury,” Mr Brown says. “Improving health infrastructure is ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has welcomed confirmation the economy has turned the corner. Stats NZ reported today that gross domestic product grew 0.7 per cent in the three months to December following falls in the June and September quarters. “We know many families and businesses are still suffering the after-effects ...
The sealing of a 12-kilometre stretch of State Highway 43 (SH43) through the Tangarakau Gorge – one of the last remaining sections of unsealed state highway in the country – has been completed this week as part of a wider programme of work aimed at improving the safety and resilience ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says relations between New Zealand and the United States are on a strong footing, as he concludes a week-long visit to New York and Washington DC today. “We came to the United States to ask the new Administration what it wants from ...
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed changes to international anti-money laundering standards which closely align with the Government’s reforms. “The Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) last month adopted revised standards for tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism to allow for simplified regulatory measures for businesses, organisations and sectors ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says he welcomes Medsafe’s decision to approve an electronic controlled drug register for use in New Zealand pharmacies, allowing pharmacies to replace their physical paper-based register. “The register, developed by Kiwi brand Toniq Limited, is the first of its kind to be approved in New ...
The Coalition Government’s drive for regional economic growth through the $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund is on track with more than $550 million in funding so far committed to key infrastructure projects, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. “To date, the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) has received more than 250 ...
[Comments following the bilateral meeting with United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; United States State Department, Washington D.C.] * We’re very pleased with our meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this afternoon. * We came here to listen to the new Administration and to be clear about what ...
The intersection of State Highway 2 (SH2) and Wainui Road in the Eastern Bay of Plenty will be made safer and more efficient for vehicles and freight with the construction of a new and long-awaited roundabout, says Transport Minister Chris Bishop. “The current intersection of SH2 and Wainui Road is ...
The Ocean Race will return to the City of Sails in 2027 following the Government’s decision to invest up to $4 million from the Major Events Fund into the international event, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says. “New Zealand is a proud sailing nation, and Auckland is well-known internationally as the ...
Improving access to mental health and addiction support took a significant step forward today with Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announcing that the University of Canterbury have been the first to be selected to develop the Government’s new associate psychologist training programme. “I am thrilled that the University of Canterbury ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened the new East Building expansion at Manukau Health Park. “This is a significant milestone and the first stage of the Grow Manukau programme, which will double the footprint of the Manukau Health Park to around 30,000m2 once complete,” Mr Brown says. “Home ...
The Government will boost anti-crime measures across central Auckland with $1.3 million of funding as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Fund, Auckland Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say. “In recent years there has been increased antisocial and criminal behaviour in our CBD. The Government ...
The Government is moving to strengthen rules for feeding food waste to pigs to protect New Zealand from exotic animal diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. ‘Feeding untreated meat waste, often known as "swill", to pigs could introduce serious animal diseases like FMD and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held productive talks in New Delhi today. Fresh off announcing that New Zealand and India would commence negotiations towards a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, the two Prime Ministers released a joint statement detailing plans for further cooperation between the two countries across ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the forestry sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) today during the Prime Minister’s Indian Trade Mission, reinforcing New Zealand’s commitment to enhancing collaboration with India in the horticulture sector. “Our relationship with India is a key priority for New Zealand, and this agreement reflects our ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new Family Court Judges. The new Judges will take up their roles in April and May and fill Family Court vacancies at the Auckland and Manukau courts. Annette Gray Ms Gray completed her law degree at Victoria University before joining Phillips ...
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today officially opened Wellington Regional Hospital’s first High Dependency Unit (HDU). “This unit will boost critical care services in the lower North Island, providing extra capacity and relieving pressure on the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and emergency department. “Wellington Regional Hospital has previously relied ...
Namaskar, Sat Sri Akal, kia ora and good afternoon everyone. What an honour it is to stand on this stage - to inaugurate this august Dialogue - with none other than the Honourable Narendra Modi. My good friend, thank you for so generously welcoming me to India and for our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Maslow, Associate Professor, International Relations, University of Tokyo Two months into US President Donald Trump’s second term, the liberal international order is on life support. Alliances and multilateral institutions are now seen by the United States as burdens. Europe and ...
Starving public services of resources, gutting the workforce and then proposing private market solutions has been a key strategy of this government, says Vanessa Cole, spokesperson for Public Housing Futures. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hayley Geyle, Ecologist, Charles Darwin University Sarah Maclagan/Author provided The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is one of Australia’s most iconic yet at-risk animals — and the last surviving bilby species. Once found across 70% of Australia, its range has contracted by ...
The government’s own Regulatory Impact Statement acknowledges that organic producers will bear the financial burden of adapting to the risks posed by GMO expansion. ...
The committee has "rammed it through with outrageous haste", with a report now expected tomorrow, but excluding thousands of submissions, Duncan Webb says. ...
The US president’s sweeping programme of global tariffs will hit every country abroad, including New Zealand, and dramatically raise prices at home. This is an excerpt from The World Bulletin, our weekly global current affairs newsletter exclusively for Spinoff Members. Sign up here.In a dramatic, flag-draped address from the White ...
Alex Casey talks to Bariz Shah and Saba Afrasyabi, the couple who launched a project to change 51 lives in honour of those lost in the Christchurch mosque attacks. When Bariz Shah and Saba Afrasyabi walked into Naeem’s house in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, they knew immediately that he needed their help. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Deane, Professor of Trade Law, Taxation and Climate Change, Queensland University of Technology US President Donald Trump has imposed a range of tariffs on all products entering the US market, with Australian exports set to face a 10% tariff, effective April ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hayley Geyle, Ecologist, Charles Darwin University Sarah Maclagan/Author provided The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is one of Australia’s most iconic yet at-risk animals — and the last surviving bilby species. Once found across 70% of Australia, its range has contracted by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Shutterstock Recent media coverage in the Nine newspapers highlights a surge in non-medical ultrasound providers offering “reassurance ultrasounds” to expectant parents. The service has resulted in serious harms, such as misdiagnosed ectopic pregnancies and ...
The three MPs whose rule-breaking haka caught the world’s attention didn’t attend their scheduled hearing yesterday. Constitutional law expert Andrew Geddis has the rundown of what happened, why, and what’s likely to come next. I see Te Pāti Māori and the privileges committee are in some sort of stand-off – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Turner, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland.Nido Huebl/Shutterstock Earth is the only known planet which has plate tectonics today. The constant movement of these giant slabs of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries. In ...
Meta has stolen millions of books to train its AI, including books by kaituhi Māori. What does that mean for mātauranga and its status as taonga? New Zealand authors are among the millions whose books have been pirated and scraped by Meta to train its AI. The New Zealand Society of ...
Some hoped the open of the New Zealand markets would open with a bounce as certain tariffs fell short of the worst-case scenario, but investors were met with a deflated thud.The New Zealand market fell immediately as stock market darling Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s shares were punished, with no update ...
Healthcare dominated the debate in an unusually sober and serious question time. “Hey David!” a group of high school students in the public gallery called out as Act leader David Seymour entered the debating chamber. Standing in the middle of the floor, before any other MPs had arrived, he happily ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Heaslip, Senior Lecturer in Naval History, University of Portsmouth How the Shuqiao barges may be used to ferry troops ashore. X (formerly Twitter) China’s intentions when it comes to Taiwan have been at the centre of intense discussion for years. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kiera Vaclavik, Professor of Children’s Literature & Childhood Culture, Queen Mary University of London This spring, Babe is returning to cinemas to mark the 30th anniversary of its release in 1995. The much-loved family film tells the deceptively simple but emotionally powerful ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham Netflix television series Adolescence follows a 13-year-old boy accused of the murder of his female classmate. It touches upon incel online hate groups, toxic influencers and the misogynistic online ...
I don’t want my neuroses about someone being ‘good enough’ to keep me from finding love. But choosing to be with someone who isn’t quite right seems like a death sentence.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,I’m a straight single woman in my late 20s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claudia Reyes, Postdoctoral Fellow, Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Australian National University Pavel Gabzdyl / Shutterstock The “music” of starquakes – enormous vibrations caused by bursting bubbles of gas that ripple throughout the bodies of many stars – can reveal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Clune, Honorary Associate, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney The five-week election campaign is now in full swing throughout the nation. Amid the flurry of photo opportunities and press conferences, candidates campaign in specific areas for a reason: to shore ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Whittle, ANZMUSC Practitioner Fellow, Monash University Marinesea/Shutterstock More than 500 million people around the world live with osteoarthritis. The knee is affected more often than any other joint, with symptoms (such as pain, stiffness and reduced movement) affecting work, sleep, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cornelia Sattler, Research Fellow in Ecology, Macquarie University Samantha Terrell/Shutterstock If you go walking in the wild, you might expect that what you’re seeing is natural. All around you are trees, shrubs and grasses growing in their natural habitat. But there’s ...
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Andy Sinclair is the CEO of Hyundai Motors New Zealand:
Good luck with this taking off.
Looks like a vanity project to me.
The volatility of Hydrogen,plus transportation and storage challenges will be negatives imo.
Like chocolate? Become a councillor…
Democracy is an excellent system to game. Competitive players get to spend other people's money on themselves all the time.
It is very easy to spend other people's money.
As capitalists everywhere well know–they appropriate socially produced wealth for tiny elite gain–the riches that come from the physical and intellectual labour of the worlds workers applied to natural and technological resources.
The petty indulgences of local Govt. minions while unseemly, are nothing compared to the real bludgers of society in finance capital.
What is 'socially produced wealth', and can you give an example?
A happy, healthy, and educated society.
I get that e.g. Education can be provided by the state, but ultimately that is paid for out of taxes. That's privately produced wealth, isn't it?
But the income that produces those taxes is in no small part a product of our transport, education, and health systems. So that's socially produced wealth, isn't it?
Those systems are all paid for out of taxes, so no.
But the income those taxes come from was markedly increased by all the infrastructure and systems we have available to us in this society, so yes.
Private enterprise often adds value to the capital it starts with. So does public enterprise. We have a mixed economy. Not all economic growth is due to private enterprise.
"But the income those taxes come from was markedly increased by all the infrastructure and systems we have available to us in this society, so yes."
But that infrastructure was originally funded by taxes, so no.
"Private enterprise often adds value to the capital it starts with. So does public enterprise. We have a mixed economy. Not all economic growth is due to private enterprise."
Public enterprise can only begin with the capital it taxes from the private sector. In a mixed market economy, the public sector is able to use that capital to plan and to provide the infrastructure for growth. But ultimately it is all funded by private sector income.
Now do private enterprise without public infrastructure provided by the rest of society.
"Those systems are all paid for out of taxes, so no."
You do realise the state has always had income streams other than taxation. The state used to have more than they do now but they were sold at bargain based prices to members of the business round table et al.
It also has lots of assets that were stolen – as does the private sector – Taranaki farmers for instance.
"Now do private enterprise without public infrastructure provided by the rest of society."
The rest of society are individuals and businesses paying tax.
With their personal productivity boosted vastly by public resources. IP protection, law and order, roads, schools, trades education, workers kept healthy by the public health system.
"You do realise the state has always had income streams other than taxation."
The only income stream a government can have is from private enterprise. When the government owned the post office (and it took months to get a phone), all of their income came from tax payers buying their services. The difference is that for most products and services, the private sector just does a much better job.
Any idea what the private sector is like at running airlines?
I'll give you the answer=hopeless.
"Any idea what the private sector is like at running airlines?"
Public Airlines only survive because the government is spending other peoples money. 'Flagship' carriers were replaced by private sector operators until economic shocks (eg Covid) prompted governments to intervene (again with other peoples money). But there are a number of countries desperate for the private sector to take back nationalised airlines (e.g. Air India, Malaysian Airlines).
If governments see airlines as strategic assets, then they can take an ownership share. But the operation is best left to the private sector.
EDIT:
“In conclusion, there are lots of reasons to privatize an airline, or to keep it state-owned. The crucial differentiator is the quality of that airline’s management. An airline that is owned by the government but allowed to operate as an efficient, profit-focused entity can do very well, but those that are too encumbered by politics are unlikely to succeed.”
https://simpleflying.com/pros-cons-state-owned-airlines/
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian responds to media on NATO-US role in Ukraine crisis…when you have the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson telling you..correctly…how you should be doing your job as a Journalist..you know you have lost the moral high ground…..
Why should the US stop other nations from voluntarily applying to join NATO? There is a reason nations like Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia would want to join a collective defence pact. Do you know what that reason is? I'll give you a clue – It rhymes with Tussar and it's military is currently bombing Ukraine.
Thanks for displaying your lack of Geo-Political insight and understanding for all to see..and therefore saving me the time of having to spell it out…well done.
A Ukrainian leftist gives his view
https://multipolarista.com/2022/03/14/ukrainian-leftist-war-russia-us/
"He makes many points that counter the official stories we are told to accept"
Where's an official story we are told to accept as you suggest? The fact that you even see fit to include the "even by Kyiv's own estimates" gives lie to your proposition.
It has been well known and reported that it is predominantly separatists fighting the government i.e. locals fighting locals.
If someone makes a valid point and your response amounts to "Well you just lack the special insight into geo-political affairs that I have," you've effectively conceded the point.
The U.S expressly promised Russia that NATO would not expand eastwards.
But when you think about it…why would anyone trust…the U.S.
What is happening in Ukraine at present would seem to be a darn good reason why US should not have encouraged them to join NATO.
No. What is happening in Ukraine at present and is not happening in any of the Baltic states is WHY Ukraine wanted to join NATO. Do you think Russia will try it on with Estonia anytime soon?
Agreed. While Ukraine had quite few internal issues to sort out (there clearly is a conservative right-wing fascist element within it's population and consequently it's military for instance and still lots of corruption) they like other countries that once were under the USSR yoke did not wish to go back there.
Putin had no right to invade Ukraine let alone do much of the stuff that is going on.
Meanwhile while I get it is a war scenario what the hell is this tying people to lampposts with their pants down and beating them that is going on in Ukraine. It's weird shit by scared people but I'm assuming that this does reflect the conservative nature of the country (is it religious? Is it a remnant of USSR punishment methods) that this is seen as a justified punishment. It isn't something I've come across before.
you think that's weird
How about an army medic saying he has given the order to castrate russian POWs
Long memories.
/
Nah. just bog standard genocide
https://theparadise.ng/ukrainian-tv-personality-calls-for-genocide-of-russian-children-quotes-adolf-eichmann-in-unhinged-rant/
"Frau, komm."
Yep I think that is weird as well. People clearly can do dumb shit.
It isn't medieval times but sometimes seems like it.
I kind of understand it with the terrible history of that area .Stalin’s Holodomor visited upon Ukrainians, huge emptying of the areas of the Donbas, by starvation, Russian workers sent in to keep the steel factories going.The opportunity to wreak vengeance by siding with the Nazis (western Ukrainians and not all )in WW2, aiding and abetting the mass killing of Ukrainian Jews, Roma, and Poles.
When the Russian army made its way home from chasing the Germans to Berlin, they stopped in Kiev and guerrilla warfare took off , with revenge killings on both sides .
The divisions are baked in
“A fully independent Ukraine emerged only late in the 20th century, after long periods of successive domination by Poland–Lithuania, Russia, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). Ukraine had experienced a brief period of independence in 1918–20, but portions of western Ukraine were ruled by Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia in the period between the two World Wars, and Ukraine thereafter became part of the Soviet Union as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (S.S.R.
Independence in 1991,thats when it changed its name to Ukraine according to Brittanica
https://www.britannica.com/place/Ukraine
The bitterness and rage and hatred bred from years of conquest , defeat,famine and all of that
At least here in NZ we still have the opportunity to address all our wrongs in a peaceful way (I hope)
Do yourself a favour Gosman and exercise your mind a smidgen by researching the background of this situation. Russia issued a red line ages ago. If Zelenskyy was really in control of what is regarded as the most corrupt European country, he would have pointed out the limits and told NATO and the US to fuck off to their side of the line. Instead, he was prepared to sacrifice his people to a sad and predictable fate.
In the meantime, he could also have made even a mild effort to abide by the Minsk accords. His failure to do so has ended up with a higher death toll (as per yesterdays numbers) in Donbas than in Ukraine so far. As for your 'whataboutery' Russia seems never have been a threat to any other country from the former USSR.
Regrettably, it is people like you who have encouraged our Government to prostitute the country by selling out on its supposed international morality and 'independent foreign policy' stance by sucking up to NATO/US like a domestic violence victim with a sever case of Stockholm syndrome. No doubt our Prime Minister impressed you with her 15 minutes of fame electronic cuddle-up with the President of Ukraine and her offer to provide NATO funding and protective gear to excite young Ukrainians to face off against Russian kids in a suicidal shootout as a prelude to a possible nuclear conflagration. The $5 million would have been better spent on humanitarian aid for Ukrainians than feeding the military industrial complex.
Putin still had choices. He chose to do what he did. Nobody forced him to invade another country. It is still his decision and his fault. It is also his decision to continue.
Putin still had choices.
Not really. Actions are often predetermined by strategic situations. Ukraine seems to be the meat in the sandwich in a struggle between the US and Russia for the domination of that area. The strategic implications of Ukraine's joining NATO, with respect to that struggle, would have been the determining factor in Putin's decision.
What is happening in Ukraine at present and is not happening in any of the Baltic states is WHY Ukraine wanted to join NATO
The Ukraine, and the US, are obviously not very clever, given that they failed to anticipate Russia's reaction.
The US didn't "encourage" them to join NATO, in fact NATO was reluctant to have them. It gave in to their demands, if anything. Their well-justified demands, as it turns out.
I still don't grasp while so many people think a country wanting to join an alliance it neighbour doesn't like justifies a massive unprovoked invasion. I can imagine all the usual suspects justifying a brutal Chinese attack on Taiwan by saying the US is just as bad and besides, Kiang Kai-Shek was corrupt and a thoroughly unpleasant man.
Anyway, the Ukrainians just might be on the verge of winning this war without the help of the Standard's ragtag of of appeasers, pacifists and would-be Quislings.
Thanks to the massive aid they've had US intelligence says they still have 90% of their combat power, so the attritional phase of the war is going their way. The Russians are not "regrouping" they have been defeated.
The Russian air force sortie rate into the Ukraine is dwindling in the face of a still-effective SAM network, to the point where the Ukrainians appear to now be able to embark on limited manoeuvre warfare with successful counter attacks at Makariv and Makovyshche clearing Russian forces from the M06 highway, re-opening a major supply route for Kyiv west to Zhytomyr and thence to the Ukrainian supply hub at Lviv.
If these counter-attacks develop into a counter offensive in the direction of Borodyanka with the aim of trapping Russian forces against the West bank Dnieper then a real chance of a first class Russian collapse in the decisive theatre of this war presents itself.
Putin wouldn't survive a military humiliation of that order.
What a twisted little world you gung-ho keyboard Generals live in. Far easier to stuff more arms into Ukraine that they will be paying for forever than to give in to the realities of MEANINGFUL negotiations that intelligent world leaders are attempting to get on the table. (Reluctant to include Naftali Bennett in that list but he appears to be genuine.)
Some of us 'ragtag of appeasers, pacifists and would-be Quislings.' have more humanity and concern for the Ukrainians than you could possibly muster in a lifetime judging by all your bullshit and bluster. We also lack your hypocrisy gene. Surely you are not blind to the fact that Russia is not doing anything much different to what your empire heroes have sown so many times before.
Actually, fuck it – time for a bit of nuclear conflagration to make your day. Perhaps you can arrange it.
Being a useful idiot is a tough job, you have to rationalise the most ridiculous illogic. See also "Ukraine has neo-Nazi groups similar to Russia's ones, therefore Russia must invade to 'denazify' Ukraine."
I hope you're right re the military situation. Can't help thinking the resulting peace negotiations would be the making of a "Treaty of Versailles betrayal" story for Russian fascists, though.
Way to go full dickhead.
Anti war is just that, anti-war. But that is probably a bit to much logic for you.
Most pacifists commenting here, if not all have condemned the invasion as a war crime. So you lack logic their as well.
But then again, jingoistic dogs are not know for their ability to go beyond guttural violent depravity.
[Clearly, the shoe fits, but it is still not an invitation to spew your “hyperbolized rhetoric”, which is irony in full display. Tone it down – Incognito]
Mod note
On the whole I don't think Ukraine wanted to join either. I think it was a small Neo Nazi contingent with too much influence that was pushing for it.
Stephen Cohen was professor emeritus of Russian studies and politics at NYU and Princeton. No better source.
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/americas-collusion-with-neo-nazis/
Yeah, no better source than the dude who denied the existence of a nation called “Ukraine”and who went on to assert that the crisis besetting Ukraine at the time were caused by their own internal divisions, not primarily Putin’s actions.
/
https://archive.ph/BZEKs
Is US fudging their covid death count numbers? On 13th March I said (elsewhere) they were close to hitting a million. They had something like 993 000 deaths at that stage, and > 1 500 average deaths daily. But today they're still a few thousand shy of the million. The last three days deaths reported were 327, 88, and 7.
Miraculous! A headline worthy story! Covid is vanishing!
Mar 20 reported a seven day average down to 719. The numbers don't add up.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/#graph-deaths-daily
Maybe they don't want to reach this auspicious milestone while strutting about the world stage posing as leader.
It is extremely difficult for Covid numbers to be fudged in the way you suggest as each State manages health reporting. They may take advice from Federal organisations like the CDC but it is still managed locally. What you suggest is happening would require a level of centralised control that just doesn't exist in the US health care system. You can see the reason for the fall in deaths when you look at the numbers reporting the virus. The Omicron outbreak has now subsided.
No, a far simpler explanation. This happens every week and is due to reporting (or not) around weekends. It seems to be more the case for the US than other countries.
Thanks Brigitte that makes a lot more sense than wishful thinking.
It is good to see they are coming down off a peak though.
You want numbers that don't add up? Try China.
The 'nothing to see here','Russian misinformation ' campaign run by the American msm,regarding Hunter Biden going to the Ukraine for a 'job',has come back to haunt the U.S President.
'long after all mainstream media outlets killed a legitimate story about Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop, the New York Times finally announced it had ‘authenticated’ the computer and its messages. The computer, left at a Delaware computer repair shop, is filled with damning information about Hunter’s operations, which appeared to take advantage of his family’s political power. Hunter’s only proper marketable skill was opening doors with his last name. It’s still unclear how deeply and directly Hunter’s father, Joe, is implicate….'
The shameful silence about the Hunter Biden laptop story | The Spectator
The US has been at it for a long time , ever since the wall came down
18 years ago, the Guardian was open and almost boastful about interference in Eastern European elections.All in the name of democracy of course
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/nov/26/ukraine.usa
Officially, the US government spent $41m (£21.7m) organising and funding the year-long operation to get rid of Milosevic from October 1999. In Ukraine, the figure is said to be around $14m.
Over at The NZ Herald they've had their thinking caps on, and come up with a new word of the day (no not Wordle) "An Ardernity". A clever play on words. Even the NZH are getting annoyed with the announcing a decision but we wont tell you what it is for another 48 hours.
Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: PM Jacinda Ardern under fire over big vax pass, mandates announcement delay – NZ Herald
The Herald annoyed with a Labour government ?
strange days indeed.
When I was the same mental age as Chris Bishop and David Seymour I couldn’t wait till Christmas Day to open my present even though I already knew it was a football.
Beautiful comment – thanks. Being annoyed at receiving a heads up on an impending policy announcement really is infantile. I believe the PM has rightly said that if the media don't want the heads up, she won't give it. Add to this the mania for 'certainty' where none is possible, and we really get the flavour of how deranged so many people have become over what amounts to nothing more than rational and unremarkable public health measures.
"When I was the same mental age as Chris Bishop and David Seymour".
Come, come. Such boasting really doesn't become you. It is quite beyond belief that you were ever that smart. Even if you were only half their level at your peak it illustrates the rapid drop in brain size and decline in mental acuity that occurred as you got older doesn't it?
Have you recently had Covid 19? That can also cause these problems.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01693-6
Two snotty little boys with a (political) football are upset because none of the other older kids in the street wants to play ball with them, not even Chippy. Alwyn is picking his brain because he can’t get his head around such injustice. Alwyn, blow your nose, wipe your face and go do a puzzle with no more than 8 pieces.
Remember the old joke:
How do you keep an idiot in suspense?
I'll tell you on Wednesday.
You’re killing me! Who’s in suspense?
Who’s in suspenders?
Dr Frank
There seems to be a new version of gotcha politics at play here,
The opposition hears that a new move is going through the 'about to be announced new decisions" process and demands that it happens, saying the government is slow etc. But government can't announce something until processes such as cabinet approval and regulation creation occur.
So does the government attempt to counter this barracking by announcing decisions as a heads up with detail to follow?
In this case, the PM announced the heads up saying it wasn't immediately, crucially needed.
So, the government gets barracked for 'unnecessary' delays, etc.
In the long term it's a bad thing for our democracy that this type of attack politics comes from both media and opposition.
Fair enough if reasonable, but like using the word 'shambles' and 'crises' unreasonably, the net result is public turn-off, or public distrust in ordinary government processes, and a weakening of the proper roles of media and opposition.
You don't say there's going to be an announcement. Just do it suddenly.
Then the caterwauling is all about "surprises" and "making decisions on the fly."
And predictably, out come former PM John Key to attack PM Ardern on her press releases.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-john-key-criticises-government-over-delayed-announcements-jacinda-ardern-set-to-reveal-vaccine-mandate-decisions/Y7Q2IUNO7M3RD5YJ7M75XPKYNY/
They're using John Key as an attack weapon now? National have gone back six leaders to find someone to attack Ardern? Because Luxon, and Collins, and Muller, and Bridges, and English weren't very good at it.
And what is craw-sticking about Key's attack is that this comes from a man who never issued a press release that carried bad news. That job always fell to an underling. Pffffft!
The NZH political reporter probably didn’t put a lot of thinking as such into his balanced report, which is not an opinion piece. Whoever came up with the headline may have put a bit more ‘thought’ into it.
You are too easily impressed by a silly wordplay by David Seymour, who didn’t write the report and doesn’t work for the NZH AFAIK.
If I may ask, what’s your thought on the matter of having to wait 48 hours? Care to share?
David Seymour thinks New Zealand is the missing link to the world being putting right. No doubt his supporters will be on board with the big bold Act, us saving Ukraine.
"Act Party leader David Seymour wants New Zealand to send missile launchers to Ukraine – and has called New Zealand the "weakest link in the West" in its response to the Russian invasion.
"Asked what he would have done if he were in government, Seymour said he would have called Australia to ask what they were doing."
It's the sort of talk of an 8 year old boy when the question is 'you hear a noise downstairs at night what do you do?' The kid of course gets up and goes downstairs, tackles the burglar and scares them away. Or these days would he get under the blankets and call Australia?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russia-invasion-of-ukraine-act-partys-david-seymour-calls-for-nz-to-send-missile-launchers/ELKZ75S6EPQLDCOMTUE6TRSJ7A/
Considering the amount of training we do together it makes sense to see what our closet ally is up to and work in with them
It occurred to him to imply that there'd been no communication with Australia about Ukraine and that he had come up with a genius, novel notion.
Michael walker and Barnaby Raine host Tysky Sour interview with a very anti russian young woman from Kakiev more about Ukraine the Zazanin Zaghari story pommie politics Pinochet conservatives and more !
He has a tendency to get a bit over excited but he dials it back and is right on the money on this:
Great stuff puck i,ll let you off for making me watch all that kung fu crap !!
It makes you wonder how much of what we think we know is merely what the corporations want us to think
It's hard when someone keeps doing things to suggest he's an idiot, from being thought an idiot.
Brian Tamaki in full flight on his travels with Freedom & Rights.
"Making clear he was not aiming for political office, he said he wanted NZ's official religion to be Christianity – and for all other religions to be outlawed."
So we're to be free and have choice except we can't choose our religion?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/destiny-church-founder-brian-tamaki-calls-on-flock-to-lease-their-vote-to-new-political-movement/R7P4NGQ5QU7G3RYEQTZWI5VLBI/
Kudos to the government for taking their time with the proposed hate speech laws. Better yet would be if they ditch them altogether.
better than rushing them through.
Hmm, I wonder what group of people, who experience some of the worst targeted abuse in society, are missing from this list.
legislation won't stop people from being dicks.
i note that discrimination based on wealth & privilege is normal and encouraged by a major political party.
Should speech that some pointy head deems insulting be hate speech, in your opinion? Because Chris Faafoi didn't seem to know.
Nope. NZ already has laws against inciting violence. Inciting "hate" is too nebulous and subjective, and very likely to cause stupid outcomes as in Scotland where they have police visiting private citizens who write rude things on Twitter. What a waste of time and effort.
The legislation was drafted in response to the Christchurch mosque massacre, but I suspect that the Muslim community feedback was not supportive.
However I expect it will be forced through sooner or later because it is an important part of the woke millennial cultural project to force their rather cultic belief system on everyone.
Agreed.
Russia Ukraine conflict:
Potentially if genuine this analysis this could inform the Ukraine conflict. Something we don’t see in MSM
https://www.bitchute.com/video/hQ2SvStulvPf/
“RUSSIA ALREADY VICTORIOUS? | U.S. COL. DOUGLAS MACGREGOR'S ASSESSMENT OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT
Russia is likely more victorious than Western media indicates. Russia is slowed by their intention of saving as many civilians as possible, which Western media will not acknowledge.
In addition to the above:
Ukrainian war ….. hypersonic weapons and Russia v USA v China
The puzzle….. so it’s all about timing of your military advantage
I wonder …. who has won this race ….Russians or US or China.
Very much noted US news via RNZ underplay Russians exhibiting real use of hypersonic weapons….
(maybe NZs 4th estate and Labour/National are Bidens bitches or fluffers)
If you then assess the above with the below
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40584/the-army-has-finally-revealed-the-range-its-new-hypersonic-weapon
The U.S. Army has finally provided an official range for its future Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, or LRHW. This range figure notably means it would have been prohibited under the now-defunct Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF, that the United States and Russia were parties to until 2019. This disclosure also follows criticism earlier this yearfrom a senior Air Force officer about the utility of this weapon, especially in the Pacific region.
"The Long Range Hypersonic Weapon provides a capability at a distance greater than 2,775 km," an Army spokesperson said, according to Breaking Defense. This means that the LRHW can strike targets at least 1,725 miles away. For comparison, the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missile, the longest-range ground-based missile system currently in Army service, can only reach targets out to 300 kilometers, or close to 186 miles.”
”US ARMY
One of the first inert Long Range Hypersonic Weapon missile canisters, which are now being used for training purposes, arrive at an undisclosed US Army base in 2021.
The complete LRHW missile consists of a large rocket booster with an unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle on top. The rocket is used to loft the conical boost-glide vehicle to a desired speed and altitude. The vehicle then detaches and comes zooming back down toward its target along an atmospheric flight trajectory at hypersonic velocity, defined as anything above Mach 5.
Hypersonic boost-glide vehicles are designed to have a high degree of maneuverability, especially compared to traditional ballistic missiles, even those with advanced maneuverable reentry vehicles. This makes them ideal for striking time-sensitive or other high-value targets protected by dense enemy air and missile defenses and doing so on short notice, even at extended ranges. The combination of speed and maneuvering makes it very difficult for opponents to spot and track these weapons, let alone try to defend against them, including just trying to relocate critical assets or otherwise seek cover.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40584/the-army-has-finally-revealed-the-range-its-new-hypersonic-weapon ”
Question 1
Potentially if genuine and meant with accurate and informed analysis this could inform wider questions of the Ukraine conflict.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/hQ2SvStulvPf/
“RUSSIA ALREADY VICTORIOUS? | U.S. COL. DOUGLAS MACGREGOR'S ASSESSMENT OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT
Question 1 Is US behind Russia in hypersonic weapons technology?
Question 2 If you corner a wild animal…. (NATO surrounding Russia via Ukraine) What do you expect the result will be…?????
It’s like a psychotic parent (US) taking a child (Ukraine) to a wild dog and saying hey “child” take it’s territory (bone) it’s not going to bite. The sickness is that the parent knows full well the dog will bite (as its in its natureg). The worst thing is the parent gets some sick physiological kick out of it…(aka power advantage).
Question 3 Why did US et al not push Ukraine to be a non military Swiss like state? What was the point of the destruction in Ukraine?
Question 4 Has Biden (Obama et al) effectively thrown Ukraine under a bus to benefit there world view
Question 5 Who benefits (follow the money and power)
[Less is generally more – I reckon that very few will read long comments and all the (embedded) links in these. 10 or more links will hold up any comment in Auto-Moderation until a Moderator makes the time to review & release it – Incognito]
Mod note for you.
Fair point…. Less is more
Ive always thought 'better out than in ' so in general im not in favour of censorship .Youre link to the Bitchute site which is using a genuine Greyzone piece to make its point tells us that you by association are surely imbued with the same fairly ugly antisemitism which coupled with your incoherent comment gives us a reasonable idea of who you are .Congratulations for revealing yourself as a complete fuckwit !
Weston…. OMG did you eat a bad sandwich, suck on a car tail pipe or just get out of bed the wrong way. Ya logic circuits are fried mate. you said to me:
” Greyzone piece to make its point tells us that you by association are surely imbued with the same fairly ugly antisemitism which coupled with your incoherent comment gives us a reasonable idea of who you are .Congratulations for revealing yourself as a complete fuckwit !”
Did you even bother to watch the interview?
No, probably note…. Spending too much time with ya head up your own arse (carbon monoxide and methane not a good combo for clear thoughts)
How the f$&&k did you arrive at “antisemitism”
Good luck with that …. Maybe take some Prozac to calm ya farm and a chaser of viagra to make your mind now, shall we say, firm (or less flaccid)
Hugs kisses …. Watch the video… use analytical thought, get back to me mate
Ive already watched that video karl on Grey zone itself so i didnt need it second hand plus the site had sidebars labled jew this an jewery that why was i suposed to be impressed ?
you still need to check the user name (and email fields) when commenting from whatever device this comment was done on. As you can see.
For some reason im having a few glitches commenting karl so if u get this twice you,ll know why .Ive already watch the vid on greyzone itself so didnt need to go to Bitchute to watch it .The side bars or the click bait pics on that site are rabidly antisemetic suggesting that jewery are responsible for this an that and this persons a filthy jew etc Its not my cup of tea karl why did you think it would impress anybody ?
if you make a mistake in your name or email address, the TS system will treat you as a new commenter and hold your comment back for manual release.
Thanks Weka i think ive sorted it
Weston….. what hell are you on
Ok i didnt look at all the multiple embedded links in yr comment karl just the bitchute one did u not notice the all the stuff to the side ?
Weston…. So you seem to be trying, the “let’s distract tactics” so no one will look up the interview….due to fear of being called a Nazi
The interview is clearly not
However….
Whats your informed opinion on
“DOUGLAS MACGREGOR'S ASSESSMENT OF THE UKRAINE CONFLICT”
Can your synapses coordinate to provide an articulate response….or has the lobotomy proven to problematic
Hugs kisses Karl
tick… tick…. Waiting
Not my worry what others might make of it karl particularly although im pretty sure it wouldnt go down well .the actual interview i thought was thoughtfull balanced and relevant most if not all the stuff from greyzone is .
Weston, glad you took the time to review the video. It provides an alternative perspective that is not being let out in NZs MSM.
I had no idea that the site that hosted the video Bitchute was controversial (never visited it before). Now I understand your initial response.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitChute
Saying that however..if it wasn’t for the “freedom” to host that video it may never get the air time it deserves and people wouldn’t stumble across it.
Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook are all definitely playing in the pig pen of propaganda to. RNZ / Herald seem to also play in the pen, seemingly parrot Bidens BS to a large extent. An alliance to Democrats…some digging to done there.
However alternative sites need to exist to promote freedom of speech
Elon Musk had the bulls to say this regarding censorship:
”Starlink has been told by some governments (not Ukraine) to block Russian news sources,” he tweeted.
“We will not do so unless at gunpoint,” Musk added. “Sorry to be a free speech absolutist.”
Additionally Twitter has been going all out jihad on the satirical site babylonbee for taking the piss out of msm, wokeness and Biden. Banning them for satire. Babylonbees response rather funny I thought as Twitter do allow Taliban (no hypocrisy there ehh)
https://babylonbee.com/news/taliban-spokesman-finally-banned-from-twitter-after-sharing-babylon-bee-headline
KABUL—Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem Warda has finally been banned from Twitter this week after carelessly sharing a satirical headline from The Babylon Bee.
"Wallahi, I just thought the joke was funny," said the bloodthirsty terrorist PR rep. "A man who thinks he's a woman? Whoever heard of such a thing? Those Babylon Bee people are so fun and crazy, even though they're infidels who must die a painful death by our hands."
At the end of the day probably a critically thinking population is the best defence against “hate” not curbs on freedoms of speech.
The issue is getting a critically thinking population. Maybe the “powers” at be don’t really want that. But hey, that’s another debate
That’s enough bla blaa blaa from me
Take care…. It’s a crazy world