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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We are all suckers for hope.He’s just being provocative, people will say, he wouldn’t really go that far. They wouldn’t really go that far.Germany in the 1920s and 30s was one of the world’s most educated, culturally sophisticated, and scientifically advanced societies.It had a strong democratic constitution with extensive civil ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Mars warming? Mars’ climate varies due to completely different reasons than Earth’s, and available data indicates no temperature trends comparable to Earth’s ...
Max Harris and Max Rashbrooke discuss how we turn around the right wing slogans like nanny state, woke identity politics, and the inefficiency of the public sector – and how we build a progressive agenda. From Donald Trump to David Seymour, from Peter Dutton to Christopher Luxon, we are subject to a ...
Max Harris and Max Rashbrooke discuss how we turn around the right wing slogans like nanny state, woke identity politics, and the inefficiency of the public sector – and how we build a progressive agenda. From Donald Trump to David Seymour, from Peter Dutton to Christopher Luxon, we are subject to a ...
I was interested in David Seymour's public presentation of the Justice Select Committee's report after the submissions to the Treaty Principles Bill.I noted the arguments he presented and fact checked him. I welcome corrections and additions to what I have written but want to keep the responses concise.The Treaty of ...
Well, he runs around with every racist in townHe spent all our money playing his pointless gameHe put us out; it was awful how he triedTables turn, and now his turn to cryWith apologies to writers Bobby Womack and Shirley Womack.Eight per cent, asshole, that’s all you got.Smiling?Let me re-phrase…Eight ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The S&P 500 fell another 5.6% this morning after China retaliated with tariffs of 34% on all US imports, and the Fed warned of stagflation without rate cut relief.Delays for heart surgeries and scans are costing lives, specialists have told Stuff’s Nicholas Jones.Meanwhile, ...
When the US Navy’s Great White Fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour in 1908, it was an unmistakeable signal of imperial might, a flexing of America’s newfound naval muscle. More than a century later, the Chinese ...
While there have been decades of complaints – from all sides – about the workings of the Resource Management Act (RMA), replacing is proving difficult. The Coalition Government is making another attempt.To help answer the question, I am going to use the economic lens of the Coase Theorem, set out ...
2027 may still not be the year of war it’s been prophesised as, but we only have two years left to prepare. Regardless, any war this decade in the Indo-Pacific will be fought with the ...
Australia must do more to empower communities of colour in its response to climate change. In late February, the Multicultural Leadership Initiative hosted its Our Common Future summits in Sydney and Melbourne. These summits focused ...
Questions 1. In his godawful decree, what tariff rate was imposed by Trump upon the EU?a. 10% same as New Zealandb. 20%, along with a sneer about themc. 40%, along with an outright lie about France d. 69% except for the town Melania comes from2. The justice select committee has ...
Yesterday the Trump regime in America began a global trade war, imposing punitive tariffs in an effort to extort political and economic concessions from other countries and US companies and constituencies. Trump's tariffs will make kiwis nearly a billion dollars poorer every year, but Luxon has decided to do nothing ...
Here’s 7 updates from this morning’s news:90% of submissions opposed the TPBNZ’s EV market tanked by Coalition policies, down ~70% year on yearTrump showFossil fuel money driving conservative policiesSimeon Brown won’t say that abortion is healthcarePhil Goff stands by comments and makes a case for speaking upBrian Tamaki cleared of ...
It’s the 9 month mark for Mountain Tūī !Thanks to you all, the publication now has over 3200 subscribers, 30 recommendations from Substack writers, and averages over 120,000 views a month. A very small number in the scheme of things, but enough for me to feel satisfied.I’m been proud of ...
The Justice Committee has reported back on National's racist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, and recommended by majority that it not proceed. So hopefully it will now rapidly go to second reading and be voted down. As for submissions, it turns out that around 380,000 people submitted on ...
We need to treat disinformation as we deal with insurgencies, preventing the spreaders of lies from entrenching themselves in the host population through capture of infrastructure—in this case, the social media outlets. Combining targeted action ...
After copping criticism for not releasing the report for nearly eight months, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released the Independent Intelligence Review on 28 March. It makes for a heck of a read. The review makes ...
After copping criticism for not releasing the report for nearly eight months, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released the Independent Intelligence Review on 28 March. It makes for a heck of a read. The review makes ...
In short this morning in our political economy:Donald Trump has shocked the global economy and markets with the biggest tariffs since the Smoot Hawley Act of 1930, which worsened the Great Depression.Global stocks slumped 4-5% overnight and key US bond yields briefly fell below 4% as investors fear a recession ...
Hi,I’ve been imagining a scenario where I am walking along the pavement in the United States. It’s dusk, I am off to get a dirty burrito from my favourite place, and I see three men in hoodies approaching.Anther two men appear from around a corner, and this whole thing feels ...
Since the announcement in September 2021 that Australia intended to acquire nuclear-powered submarines in partnership with Britain and the United States, the plan has received significant media attention, scepticism and criticism. There are four major ...
On a very wet Friday, we hope you have somewhere nice and warm and dry to sit and catch up on our roundup of some of this week’s top stories in transport and urbanism. The header image shows Northcote Intermediate Students strolling across the Te Ara Awataha Greenway Bridge in ...
On a very wet Friday, we hope you have somewhere nice and warm and dry to sit and catch up on our roundup of some of this week’s top stories in transport and urbanism. The header image shows Northcote Intermediate Students strolling across the Te Ara Awataha Greenway Bridge in ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and Elaine Monaghan on the week in geopolitics and climate, including Donald Trump’s tariff shock yesterday; and,Labour’s Disarmament and Associate ...
I'm gonna try real goodSwear that I'm gonna try from now on and for the rest of my lifeI'm gonna power on, I'm gonna enjoy the highsAnd the lows will come and goAnd may your dreamsAnd may your dreamsAnd may your dreams never dieSongwriters: Ben Reed.These are Stranger Days than ...
With the execution of global reciprocal tariffs, US President Donald Trump has issued his ‘declaration of economic independence for America’. The immediate direct effect on the Australian economy will likely be small, with more risk ...
The StrategistBy Jacqueline Gibson, Nerida King and Ned Talbot
AUKUS governments began 25 years ago trying to draw in a greater range of possible defence suppliers beyond the traditional big contractors. It is an important objective, and some progress has been made, but governments ...
I approach fresh Trump news reluctantly. It never holds the remotest promise of pleasure. I had the very, very least of expectations for his Rumble in the Jungle, his Thriller in Manila, his Liberation Day.God May 1945 is becoming the bitterest of jokes isn’t it?Whatever. Liberation Day he declared it ...
Beyond trade and tariff turmoil, Donald Trump pushes at the three core elements of Australia’s international policy: the US alliance, the region and multilateralism. What Kevin Rudd called the ‘three fundamental pillars’ are the heart ...
So, having broken its promise to the nation, and dumped 85% of submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill in the trash, National's stooges on the Justice Committee have decided to end their "consideration" of the bill, and report back a full month early: Labour says the Justice Select Committee ...
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review offers a mature and sophisticated understanding of workforce challenges facing Australia’s National Intelligence Community (NIC). It provides a thoughtful roadmap for modernising that workforce and enhancing cross-agency and cross-sector collaboration. ...
OPINION AND ANALYSIS:Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier’s comments singling out Health NZ for “acting contrary to the law” couldn’t be clearer. If you find my work of value, do consider subscribing and/or supporting me. Thank you.Health NZ has been acting a law unto itself. That includes putting its management under extraordinary ...
Southeast Asia’s three most populous countries are tightening their security relationships, evidently in response to China’s aggression in the South China Sea. This is most obvious in increased cooperation between the coast guards of the ...
In the late 1970s Australian sport underwent institutional innovation propelling it to new heights. Today, Australia must urgently adapt to a contested and confronting strategic environment. Contributing to this, a new ASPI research project will ...
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital waiting list crisis just gets worse, including compelling interviews with an over-worked surgeon who is leaving, and a patient who discovered after 19 months of waiting for a referral that her bowel and ovaries were fused together with scar tissue ...
Plainly, the claims being tossed around in the media last year that the new terminal envisaged by Auckland International Airport was a gold-plated “Taj Mahal” extravagance were false. With one notable exception, the Commerce Commission’s comprehensive investigation has ended up endorsing every other aspect of the airport’s building programme (and ...
Movements clustered around the Right, and Far Right as well, are rising globally. Despite the recent defeats we’ve seen in the last day or so with the win of a Democrat-backed challenger, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, over her Republican counterpart, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, in the battle for ...
In February 2025, John Cook gave two webinars for republicEN explaining the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. 20 February 2025: republicEN webinar part 1 - BUST or TRUST? The scientific consensus on climate change In the first webinar, Cook explained the history of the 20-year scientific consensus on climate change. How do ...
After three decades of record-breaking growth, at about the same time as Xi Jinping rose to power in 2012, China’s economy started the long decline to its current state of stagnation. The Chinese Communist Party ...
The Pike River Coal mine was a ticking time bomb.Ventilation systems designed to prevent methane buildup were incomplete or neglected.Gas detectors that might warn of danger were absent or broken.Rock bolting was skipped, old tunnels left unsealed, communication systems failed during emergencies.Employees and engineers kept warning management about the … ...
Regional hegemons come in different shapes and sizes. Australia needs to think about what kind of hegemon China would be, and become, should it succeed in displacing the United States in Asia. It’s time to ...
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 ...
Today, the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill has passed its third and final reading, but there is one more stage before it becomes law. The Governor-General must give their ‘Royal assent’ for any bill to become legally enforceable. This means that, even if a bill gets voted ...
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 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 ...
Three billion dollars has been wiped off the value of New Zealand's share market as the rout of global financial markets finally caught up with the local market. ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone One thing October 7 did accomplish was getting Israel and its allies to show the world their true face. Getting them to stand before all of humanity to say, “If you resist us, we’ll kill your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Hartigan, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Financial markets around the world have been slammed by the Trump adminstration’s sweeping tariffs on its trading partners, and China’s swift retaliation. Share markets have posted their biggest declines since the COVID pandemic ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Percy, Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland Australia faces crisis-level workforce shortfalls in security and defence. Recruiting more people to the defence force is now an urgent matter of national security. So, comments – such as those recently made ...
RNZ Pacific Autonomous Bougainville Government President Ishmael Toroama has condemned the circulation of an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated video depicting a physical confrontation between him and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape. The clip, first shared on Facebook last week, is generated from the above picture of Toroama and Marape ...
"We need to continue speaking out against the government about this. Ka whawhai tonu tātou. We all benefit as New Zealanders when our indigenous people do well – nobody loses, because we all win,” Dr Will Flavell says. ...
This Defence Capability Plan will ensure that desperately needed public services here in Aotearoa are starved of resources and primed for privatisation, while US weapons companies drain our treasury and the US military sets us up to service them ...
Three billion dollars has been wiped off the value of New Zealand's share market as the rout of global financial markets finally caught up with the local market. ...
Spokesperson for The Sensible Sentencing Trust Louise Parsons says: “We were happy to make the image changes, but find it telling that they are trying to have our billboards taken down when they simply state what their MPs advocate for - the ‘radical abolition ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Best, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, Macquarie University NOWRA photography/Shutterstock Over the weekend, Labor promised to subsidise home batteries by 30%. This would save about A$4,000 per household up front for an average battery. The scheme has a goal of ...
The Government today announced a $12 billion dollar investment in defence capability over the next four years. But at the same time NZDF is planning to slash 374 roles from the civilian workforce, coming on top of cuts late last year which saw 144 civilian ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra James, Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University News feeds have been flooded with reactions to Adolescence, Netflix’s newest viral hit. Released in March, the limited series racked up over 66 million views in just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Young Australians will shape the upcoming federal election. For the first time, Gen Z and Millennials are the dominant voter bloc, outnumbering Baby Boomers. But over the past couple of years, we’ve heard stories from around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne Two men were arrested for allegedly bringing loaded firearms into the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during Thursday’s AFL match between Collingwood and Carlton. The incident didn’t ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitie Kuempel, Lecturer, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University As climate change wreaks havoc with the world’s oceans, future production of fish, crustaceans and other aquatic organisms is under threat. Our new research shows how this disturbance will play out for ...
Pouārahi, Ivy Harper, said the Government and Te Puni Kōkiri had consistently overlooked clear research and data. The latest evaluation, completed by Ihi Research, was particularly compelling, she said. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland @logansfewd via Instagram “Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber.” So begins a series of viral videos by TikTok “cucumber guy” Logan Moffitt, who has raked in ...
The event will also feature speeches from workers and a panel of experts including Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo, Shamubeel Eaqub, Lyndy McIntyre and Ed Miller. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rod McNaughton, Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images When retail executives start swearing during earnings calls, something is clearly amiss. That’s what happened recently when the CEO of United States-based luxury furniture retailer Restoration Hardware ...
The Spinoff’s resident White Lotus geeks guess who’ll cark it in season three’s finale. (Legal disclaimer: Contains spoilers for the first seven episodes.)After eight weeks of analysing the theme song, drooling over the scenery and wondering how twisted the storylines can get, season three of The White Lotus concludes ...
The cost of unchecked influence The New Zealand public will gain many benefits from a fairer, transparent public policy making process - like a greater recognition of what the public values and more trust in government decision makers. ...
The most reliably brutal burn is to call someone average. Why? This article was first published on Madeleine Holden’s self-titled Substack. I have a painful confession: I’m responsible for not just one but two of the most viral anti-male slogans of the 2010s. I coined “dick is abundant and low value” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brian D Earp, Associate Director, Yale-Hastings Program in Ethics and Health Policy, University of Oxford Cybermagician / Shutterstock “I’m really not sure what to do anymore. I don’t have anyone I can talk to,” types a lonely user to an AI ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aruna Sathanapally, Grattan Institute The 2025 federal election coincides with a period of profound global uncertainty, as the Trump administration wreaks havoc on the free trade system and longstanding alliances. The events of recent months have underscored how, at each election, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jialing Lin, Research fellow, International Centre for Future Health Systems, UNSW Sydney Rose Marinelli/Shutterstock MyMedicare is a scheme that encourages patients to register with a regular GP practice to improve their health. But few patients have enrolled. Since its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Leihy, Ecologist, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Visitors to Australia are often shocked at having to declare an apple or wooden item under our biosecurity policies. Biosecurity policies are used to keep out pest species and diseases. But they’re expensive ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamilla Rosdahl, Senior Lecturer, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Being labelled a “nice guy” was once considered a form of flattery. Today, however, anyone privy to the world of dating and romance will know this isn’t necessarily a compliment. The term ...
Shanti Mathias scrolls through council archives and Papers Past to discover where street names come from. In Sydenham, a suburb south of Christchurch’s CBD, there are some familiar names on the road signs. Milton Street. Coleridge Street. Wordsworth Street, which, naturally branches into Shakespeare Road. There’s Tennyson Street, of course, ...
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