Today it was announced that we should prepare for more leading combat roles for SAS members in Afghanistan!
So let me get this straight; Osama bin laden is dead, chucked of a boat in the Indian ocean, women have been liberated and the Afghan people are forever grateful for their “Liberation” (As MSM propaganda will have you believe) and we have been at war for almost 10 years in that God forsaken hell hole contaminating the country for the next 4.5 billion years with Depleted Uranium and now we are to take on more lead roles fighting the “Taliban”?
And all this when the Pentagon plans to stay in Afghanistan forever while selling the war as ended to the US citizens?
So again: Why is nobody here asking questions?
Such as why should we send more soldiers to their deaths when the “International” communities are saying no to requests of the US to stay involved and Aeroplane pilots and Engineers are staking their careers in TV ads in the US to demand a new and independent investigation into the events of 911?!
Could it be that we have now officially become part of the Global US army and that they need our soldiers to die in Afghanistan while they spread more destruction and death in Libya and soon too in Syria?
Do Kiwi’s want to be part of the war crimes of the international money master elites and do they want to help rich oil barons steal the oil from every country around the world were it is found?
I must say, it’s going very well in Libya. The new regime have entered the outer suburbs of Tripoli to be greeted by jubilation from the citizens. Gaddafi will be dead or gone in days, which is excellent news. And in Kabul, our soldiers continue to do the hard yards training the locals despite the risks. You’ve really got to admire our guys for upholding NZ’s international reputation as being some of the world’s best fighters.
As for airline pilots and engineers risking their jobs talking bollocks, well, that’s their choice. Personally, I prefer my pilots to be sane, so no downside there that I can see.
For those of you who don’t have blinkers on and want to know about the reality of the war in Libya Here is a link about how the NATO is supporting Muslim extremists in Libya while fighting those same Muslim extremists in Afghanistan and here is another one about how the MSM is lying about what they are doing in Libya and here is a leaked plan about what they are planning for Libya after they conquer it with their illegal war of aggression.
TVOR, Good for you to be proud of the killing capacity of the NZ soldiers while they fight Muslim extremists in Afghanistan while NATO is fighting with the same Muslim extremists to steal the Libyan oil and gold. God, you’re soo stupid.
here is another one about how the MSM is lying about what they are doing in Libya
I’m watching the rebels rolling into Tripoli and people celebrating in the streets on SkyNewsUK right now. The contradicts your second link completely. Strange watching the reporters rolling through the streets and seeing Gaddafi’s spokespeople denying it at the same time. Apparently Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, has been captured and his presidential guard has surrendered.
Edit: I’m not saying I agree with NATO, or not. Just that it’s very strange to see something on TV at the same time as reading a link that so clearly denies it.
Here are a few issues to remember when watching this footage:
First of all NATO has been bombing the only water supply to Tripoli several weeks ago, they bombed food supplies and hospitals making the lives of the People living in Tripoli a living hell so they would be relieved to find that that may come to an end.
Second the Muslim extremist rebels are closely aligned to tribes traditionally opposing leadership from Gaddafi’s tribe and many of those could be living in Tripoli accounting for the people welcoming them at the outskirts of Tripoli.
I will be watching and reading as I usually do but to be honest in a city of more then a million people the turn out struck me as less then overwhelming.
I’m guessing it;s all pretty fragile and there may be fighting yet to come. Notable is that NATO have given a warning to the rebels that they remain intent on protecting civilians – a warning not to exact revenge maybe? Surely Gaddafi is gone. It’s the forming of a new government and cohesion between opposition forces that’s the focus now. Interesting times.
Edit: Al Jazeera is reporting that two of Gaddafi’s sons, Saif al-Islam and Al-Saadi, have been arrested and another son, Muhammad, has surrendered. Gosh it’s moving fast.
And for your information NATO is an extension of the US empire army they just did not want to be the one calling the war so France and England took the lead on this one.
Interesting. Here are photos of the events in Libya. The masses shown celebrating the “liberation” are photographed in Benghazi which is the town where the rebellion started and most definitely of the tribe opposing Gaddafi. Photo’s of rebels entering Tripoli do not show huge masses greeting them.
In fact 375 people have died and a 1000 wounded in the fighting indicating opposition to the rebellion.
Here are a nice couple of photo’s of Chemtrails as they are caught on film around the world and here is a clip of Germany at least admitting they are releasing tons of toxic chemicals in the air to influence weather patterns and here is Ron Polland, Ph.D telling in a press conference that he is the one who created the short form birth certificate and that it is a forgery.
I will have you know I live rurally were I try to live as sustainable, toxin free and of the grid as possible without returning to the stone age and will continue to do so but while hundreds of weather modification businesses in the US alone are playing with the planets weather patterns I will keep my opinion about what is causing the Chaotic weather patterns of the last 10 years firmly close to the chest knowing there are idiots like you around.
Ha! You’re a truther, a birther and and a climate change denier, trav and yet you reckon I’m the one with the blinkers on. Funny old world, eh?
And you’re a pro-war, militaristic creep, with a hate-on against brown people, or is it just Muslims you loathe? Your blinkers are red white and blue, and I am sure you masturbate to the Star Spangled Banner. Words can’t describe how loathsome I find your militaristic rants.
And you’re an idiot, Deb. Where did I say I was in anyway opposed to “brown people”? Go on, give me an example of racism of any kind. Here’s a time saving hint: don’t bother. There aren’t any.
Ev is indeed a truther, birther and climate change denier. If you have an issue with that fact, take it up with her.
I am not militaristic in any sense, but I respect the fact that our armed forces have always punched above their weight in every war since we were a country, even the dodgy ones. That, in part, gives us the international respect that allows us to be able to lead the world in other areas, such as the peace and nuclear free movements. We are seen as honest brokers with significant moral authority, because we have always carried our load and more.
And as for the red white and blue blinkers, I have never been to the States, have no interest in going and if the welcome at airports still starts with ‘are you now or have ever been …’ then they’re not letting me in anyway.
And you’re an idiot, Deb. Where did I say I was in anyway opposed to “brown people”? Go on, give me an example of racism of any kind. Here’s a time saving hint: don’t bother. There aren’t any.
I inferred your racism from your many enthusiastic posts about killing Muslims, most of whom are brown.
Ev is indeed a truther, birther and climate change denier. If you have an issue with that fact, take it up with her.
I have no issue with Ev, so stop trying to turn her and me against each other. It won’t work, we’re not as stupid as you seem to think. My issue is with you.
I am not militaristic in any sense, but I respect the fact that our armed forces have always punched above their weight in every war since we were a country, even the dodgy ones. That, in part, gives us the international respect that allows us to be able to lead the world in other areas, such as the peace and nuclear free movements. We are seen as honest brokers with significant moral authority, because we have always carried our load and more.
What utter tripe! Respect, honest brokers and all the rest? Just Shonkeys impious hope… 90% of recent posts by you have shown you creaming your jeans about our military and that of the USA. You don’t have to have been there, to pin all your hopes and dreams on the Evil Empire…
So no evidence that I’m a racist then, Vicky32? Just your own feeble fantasy again? Just for the record, can you point me to one of my many enthusiastic posts about killing Muslims? Nah, don’t bother. You can’t, because you are making it up. You, on the other hand, clearly do have issues with bigotry. I recall you are proudly homophobic and your references to Fatty Garner and Fatty McRoberts suggests you have problems in other areas, too. Rather than make shit up about me, why don’t you get help for those character flaws?
And as for the masturbatory references, I can only repeat that I am not your posh Pommie boyfriend from long ago so please keep the wanking to yourself.
I will stop using your name, as it’s entirely your business what you prefer to be called by so I’ll stick to Vicky32 in future.
So no evidence that I’m a racist then, Vicky32? Just your own feeble fantasy again? Just for the record, can you point me to one of my many enthusiastic posts about killing Muslims?
Seriously? You’re pro every war against Islam that’s going. Either because you’re right wing, racist or a screaming terrified atheist. Pick one. I’ll get help when you do. Your idols Garner and McRoberts have lost weight recently, so I will stop calling them fatty, if you demand it.
And as for the masturbatory references, I can only repeat that I am not your posh Pommie boyfriend from long ago so please keep the wanking to yourself.
Nasty and personal! I don’t know what “posh Pommie boyfriend” you’re referring to, but it’s just like you take what was probably a throw-away line to bash me with. I thank God you are not my boyfriend, I would never consider you for a micro-second. FYI the person you’re probably referring to, was a husband, not a boyfriend, and my current boyfriend is an Italian. Care to dish out any anti-Italian remarks? I can help you out with them if you wish..
Cheers for the response. Just to clarify, you have no evidence what so ever that I am a racist, but you ‘think’ I support every anti-Islamic war going. Again, I’d love to see the evidence of that, which I guess will be hard because I don’t think they are any, though the Sudanese secession had elements of religious factionalism.
Citations, please. Show me where I’ve ever said anything specifically anti-Islamic. Not just anti-religious in total, but specifically against Islam. And also where I’ve ever said anything nice about Garner and McRoberts.
I do think that Paulo di Canio is a twat though and gelato would be better if it came in Hokey Pokey flavour. Does that count as anti-Italian?
Ciao for now!
Well actually this is one reason why you are a racist:
You have not taken any interest in finding out who Gaddafi is in the bigger picture and have not asked a single question as to why NATO and the US are attacking every fucking Muslim country that takes their fancy.
Another reason for calling you a racist is the fact that you have absolutely no doubt that 19 young mostly Saudi males would have wanted to engage in terrorist attacks in the US even though science clearly shows that to be impossible and…
You are a racist for believing everything in the MS media about Muslims and their “Crazy” religion and their perceived aggressiveness while I who have lived with tens of thousands of Muslims for decennia never have encountered any aggression not to me as a woman and not amongst themselves and not towards Jews and Christians until 911 happened and they were criminalised and ostracised.
Same for the many women that lived in the same neighbourhoods and for my mother who travelled alone across Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan and did not have a single bad experience with the many many total strangers she encountered and was always treated with the utmost courtesy.
You are above all a racist because you assume that the “Western” democratic way is the only way and that we are entitled to attack other countries with brown people because they are not organised the same way while being utterly and totally ignorant of the said countries and their cultures.
Operating out of the Libyan cities of Benghazi, Darna, and Tobruk, Libyan rebels themselves have admitted that many of their members are drawn from Al Qaeda. The London Telegraph has reported that Libyan rebel leader Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi had admitted many of his fighters had just returned from fighting US forces in Iraq. The Telegraph also reported that Hasidi himself had “earlier fought against “the foreign invasion” in Afghanistan, before being captured in 2002 in Peshwar, in Pakistan. He was later handed over to the US, and then held in Libya before being released in 2008.” A United States Army West Point report confirms indeed that fighters drawn from the Libyan cities of Benghazi, Darna, and Tobruk were second only to Saudi Arabia in contributing forces to fight US troops in Iraq. (Prison planet)
Saudi Arabia uses its influence differently now. Terrorism is a tool. States clamp
down on terrorism that serves them no useful purpose, so Nation State will help
each other where terrorists are not useful to them in some way.
Cold war meant terrorism was part of the cold war to over throw states.
After the wall, terrorism has been about extending the pre-peak oil market.
Now peak oil has arrived, terrorism is about food and energy security,
Europe, US, China, Saudi, all need state democratic states where terrorists
cannot hold the world to blackmail.
Libya sits in the way of substantial expansion of alternative energy sources.
The world is changing, get over it. Terrorism is being used to push the
necessary changes and will be heavily clamped down by middle eastern
muslim ‘soon to be’ democratic states after they have served their purposes.
This is what Assad, Gaddafi don’t understand or cannot accept.
Get out of the way already.
Several writers have noted the odd fact that the Libyan rebels took time out from their rebellion in March to create their own central bank – this before they even had a government. Robert Wenzel wrote in the Economic Policy Journal:
I have never before heard of a central bank being created in just a matter of weeks out of a popular uprising. This suggests we have a bit more than a rag tag bunch of rebels running around and that there are some pretty sophisticated influences.
Alex Newman wrote in the New American:
In a statement released last week, the rebels reported on the results of a meeting held on March 19. Among other things, the supposed rag-tag revolutionaries announced the “[d]esignation of the Central Bank of Benghazi as a monetary authority competent in monetary policies in Libya and appointment of a Governor to the Central Bank of Libya, with a temporary headquarters in Benghazi.”
Gina
Right now there is more oil available for consumption than ever before yet the price is rising because of market manipulation. Oil is now traded as a commodity on markets and apparantly traded thousands of times before it reraches the markets. High oil prices and high demand prevent the US Dollar from collapsing due to the Opec rule stipulating all oil must be traded in American dollars. If the price of oil Doubles then countries need to get twice the the amount of US dollars thus creating demand for the dollar and preventing collapse. I have heard several reports that the 1970’s oil crisis where the price of oil quadrupled was actually a deliberate ploy to save the US dollar. And it seems that any country that starts trading in a different currency is attacked sanctioned and threatened. I.E. Iran, Iraq. They are deemed part of the Axis of evil by the US.
I must say, it’s going very well in Libya. The new regime have entered the outer suburbs of Tripoli to be greeted by jubilation from the citizens. Gaddafi will be dead or gone in days, which is excellent news.
Well, there’s no doubt where you’re coming from, is there? You fit so comfortably with the standard mainstream point of view, you just have to work in finance or human resources! You may say it’s “going very well” in Libya only if you’re either very naive, very conformist or fascistic. To judge by some of the other things you’ve said, I vote for the latter. Why aren’t you out there killng brown people, women and children? A keyboard warrior, oh I see. Send your son if you have one, but your genes where your nasty martial little mouth is. War is evil. Those who support it are even more evil.
Reducing people down to behavioural responses is an over simplistic approach.
And I’m not comfortable with the ‘evil’ moniker as it gets bandied around too much and has a bunch of judeochristian interpretations associated with it.
But some stuff that people do, a toxic mix of callous, calculating and cruel, is pretty close to evil.
There’s no such thing as evil, Deb. There is just human behaviour.
I disagree, and please, please before one of us dies, stop calling me Deb! I have never intentionally signed myself Deb, only when my log-in was malfunctioning… I am not the other woman who signs herself Deb, by what I have seen of her posts, she and I are ideologically opposed. There is such a thing as evil, Dick, and I see that you are wilfully naive, at the very least. (I am not talking about supernatural evil, I believe in it, but I see thaty most do not), I am talking about human evil, of which there is more than enough to go around.
Paula Bennet has already hit the campaign trail door knocking in Glen Eden and handing out her personal businesss cards. It appears that she has started in the area the she faired the worst and had a guy with her ticking off households that took her card so that they would be targeted with campaign literature.
I wouldn’t shake her hand or accept her card, she said that if there was anything I wanted that they would like to know and help out, so I told her to get off my property lol.
It came out so fast I missed the opportunity to go off at her.
There is something UNCLEAN abouut these buggers coming to your door. Bit like Jehovahs Witnesses, you try to be civil but you just want them to fuck off.
A downside to living rural, apart from the slow broadband, is that I don’t get any politicians walking down my driveway. They wouldn’t enjoy the debate I would start, that’s for sure! Asset sales are complete and utter crap, enough said.
Well its the same in Taupo .The blousy L.Upton spends more money advertising than you can imagine.She dominates one of the local papers ,which can only be described as a blue rag, Its a bit annoying but what can one do ? She is a double for a comedic bar maid , a vivious know all . The farmer population preferers her to our former MP Mark Burton who was a far superior MP than this hopeless women will ever be ,Such is the way most farmers vote .Of course they pay very little tax and its such as MP Upton that make that possible.
Meanwhile in Rotorua Todd ‘Nice but dim’ – body double for Boris Johnson – McClay drives round it his 4×4 texting as he drives.
BTW – the mayor of Taupo is another tory fruit loop!
“Fat Boastful Blogger Beaten by Old Man with Broken Leg”
Whale should have put in as much effort in training as he has done in blogging since he lost!! Obviously trying his best to bury the post where he admits defeat.
Oh, but wait!! He doesn’t have the grace to admit defeat-
“The result is in. Trevor Mallard challenged me to a cycle race. He said I would be too chicken to accept the challenge. I wasn’t and today I finished the challenge.”
No Whale – a Race Challenge is about Winning, not Just Racing!!He lost the race to the Cripple Duck- but is too juvenile to admit it.
After months of arrogantly spewing boasts out his blowhole he couldn’t deliver the goods – against an opponent he repeatedly said wouldn’t be good enough.
“Nevermind. I am fit, have lost weight and what is abundantly clear is that trevor Mallard has spent 3 months training his arse off to make sure he didn’t lose a bike a race against a fat blogger.”
All of a sudden when the battle is won – it was all unfair, poor old Fat Blogger.
Ungracious to the last.
Whale should man up and realise the proof is in that he’s a nasty boaster, a bad competitor, and a lousy loser.
News reports state that the dead NZ SAS soldier was shot by a .50cal round. Now, I may be wrong but I think it unlikely that the Taliban would be using these.
Well grumpy if the Americans were around it well could be. USA forces are well known for their “friendly fire”. Ask any old time Royal Marine who were involved in WW11.
What would friendly fire in WW1 have to do with the yanks? They only turned up at the end, remember? I’d say it would be the Poms, and particularly the RAF, who are most associated with historical friendly fire incidents. Including a rather infamous WW2 one in Egypt where hundreds, including many Kiwis, were killed. Mind you, the yanks probably went a bit OTT in the ‘nam, so it may all even out in the end.
My Dad (Royal Navy, Pacific Fleet then the Normandy landing) told me the following saying:
When the British fly over the Germans hide;
When the Germans fly over the British hide;
When the Italians fly over no-one hides;
When the Yanks fly over, everyone hides.
Of course, British soldiers/airmen/sailors had their issues with the Americans in WWII.
What would friendly fire in WW1 have to do with the yanks? They only turned up at the end, remember? I’d say it would be the Poms, and particularly the RAF, who are most associated with historical friendly fire incidents. Including a rather infamous WW2 one in Egypt where hundreds, including many Kiwis, were killed. Mind you, the yanks probably went a bit OTT in the ‘nam, so it may all even out in the end.
Oh man, and I use the term advisedly, you are so predictable… Sigh…
Overdue, but welcome:
“Police have dropped all charges against an autistic man accused of burgling a Christchurch property soon after the February earthquake.”
Defence counsel for autistic man who stole light globes – “He said the physical act was admitted, but issues of mental health and capacity had to be considered.”
I would suggest also these should have been considered – issues of relevance, triviality and lack of balance in police mission and decision-making, and an attitude of prejudice and authoritarianism.
Surely ordinarily Police would have. Just as it could be argued that there was no fence,
lock door, and the lightbulbs were unlikely to be used tipped this autistic over the edge,
but also anyone watching him might very well have been otherwise burdened. So
Should Police have known that something like this would have happened? Yes and No.
Since they were already hard pressed by the Earthquake.
Shit happens, the only problem I have is he was locked up, but that seems to be
due to the rigidity of the rules and not Police but parlliamentary hangups with their
own nasty controlling egos rather than reality for people on the ground.
And as we are all aware we have no human rights when it comes to parliamentarians
making abusive and obscene laws. Government signed the convention but can
discriminate anyway.
aerobubble I think you are being too kind to the police. I am shocked at this breach of reason and reasonableness on their part. And the thing is – even the building’s owners were not fazed. There must be some testosterone rush which affect the police in emergency situations like this (and remember women have some of this hormone too.. Or that part of our brains called an amygdala which goes on alert at moments of stress (the fight or flight reaction) before the reasoning part takes over and perhaps this has happened in this case.
I sort of disagree, police by wanting to refer the man to a psychologist are
essentially handing the defense their case. There was reasonable suspicion in
the minds of Police that intent was dubious. As to the brain, everyone of us
has a hang up of some kind, even not having any is itself called narcissism.
I can see how stressed Police may have acted authomatically in the stressful
Earthquake city context, a bout of organizational aspbergers.
Police should know surely that past behaviour is heavily predictable for future
behaviour. The individual was somewhere he should not have been, doing
something that was dangerous, bricks may have fallen on him. Now
Police surely should have twigged that someone stealing light fixtures,
risking their life to do so, was a form of self harming and so more suidical
than criminal. Police should not be seeking evidence for guilt, they should
be building a case from the ground up, and if they had they would have
realized this individual has serious problems in their life.
Yes. I hope we find out why he ended that night like that. He says he can’t
remember. It looks really bad for Police to lock someone away for do something
suicidally stupid because he couldn’t help himself. But hey, that’s also what JK
does all the time with ignoring the global debt, peak oil and climate change.
So what’s new? Well trust in our government to govern. At first I didn’t
see the problem but now I think about it, it goes to the heart of conscientious
people. If you see someone driving irratically then thanks to the anti-drink
drive campaigns you think they are a drunk not having a heart attack.
When someone is found in a earth quake shaken building risking their lives
people ordinarily assume thanks to MSM that they were a theif, who else
would risk their life. But it turns out that the face of crime was a minority
group, what a surprise! Even Police should have known better. We are taught
to see crime everywhere and so don’t give people the benefit of the doubt.
JK did so when he pushed the youth card that stops youth saving money
and getting ahead.
This has been a sad but disgracefull business. How have we allowed this not only to happen but too have go so far.
I would suggest to the police and all who have been involved in this sad.sad episode that they take this young fellow out to a slap up feed and to some other pleasant event.
No. I think he should be allow to store his light fixtures on JK’s lawn and get a job at
the local recycle center with first dibbs on anything bright and sparkerly.
Hooten and Pagani having a lively discussion on radionz. Hooten thinks that the government retaining 51% ownership of our infrastructure companies means that we aren’t losing them not shooting us in the foot. Business people would tell him that a firm loses control at much less than 51%. Hooten says that overseas companies aren’t going to buy them because Mums and Dads will buy them. (Then they will be offered a higher price and sell them overseas.) The Maori consortium should be a major player if shares are allocated away from government.
Hooten quote – “They [government companies] are not being sold.” Also “Helen Clark didn’t like big ideas.”
Somehow he feels Air NZ, Contact, Mercury etc.. are minor and unimportant. Apparently we should be grateful they are not selling all the schools, hospitals and water supply structures (well not yet).
I heard all that too. Hooton is a swingeing little ratty apologist for the neanderthals.
But he also said National was going to provide 210,000 new jobs in the next two years.
well pull the other one.
And there was no need for English or Key to front up on Q&A to debate Asset Sales. “Cunliffe just tells lies and anyway why discuss such policy when it has already been laid out for months. Nothing left to discuss.” (paraphrased.)
Oh. And Hooten’s parting shot was that “John Key wants the Labour front bench to stay the same.” Yeah right. As if the question of Phil’s leadership is not in the interests of Key.
I live in a very exciting world, RL. It is the nihilistic tedious beige “give me your money because I deserve it” socialist dregs like you that are drab no-hopers.
“It is the nihilistic tedious beige “give me your money because I deserve it” socialist dregs like you that are drab no-hopers.”
Ahhhh…..Moral nihillists = Nact
I don’t want your money, I pay way easily enough in tax and get my own money back and I’m not a drab no-hoper – my hope is that we can rid ourselves of the right wing hypocritcal scourge we currently have calling the shots around here. (See….I have a goal and it’s very colourful)
We need wealth creators, we need poorer people to strive to take risks,
spy opportunity and cease on them. Opportunities abound, green energy,
better use of technology to capture carbon savings, move away from
centralized media…
The people who have money, influence, are of course rightly afraid
(as opposed to the poor who have no share in it). The now wealth gained
their money by shift goal posts in growing markets, housing, shares, etc.
They don’t have the right stuff for the new economy, since it requires
openmindedness, tolerance, progressive thinking, balance between
libertarian and society needs.
And really when you thought you’d down everything right being a blind
follower of market orthodoxy, neo-liberals most brown nosing fellow
traveller, of course you are a bit miffed that the world call on wealth
far exceeds the amount of value that can compensate it.
The choice for NZ is old stale National visionless world, or seizing on
the newer policies (that should have introduced decades ago).
I watched a program about planned/forced obsolescence called The Light Bulb Conspiracy on the weekend. It documented the terrible consequences of our modern consumerist societies, the waste produced and how that waste is currently causing environmental problems that cannot continue to be ignored…
Also, I had a friend who had his own skateboard company; when asked “what size wheels were fastest” he pointed out that once per year the big players get together, decide that years standard and then mass market accordingly. There is only a finite market for any product, therefore they need to make more ‘trendy’ new models to keep their business model working.
Every new niche has the same transition. A mutation means that a species can bloom from
a abundant resource until they wear it down and shift to a more sustainable usage pattern.
Once we have dug the pristine ores and fuels of the world up, we have to transition to
recycling them. Its a green concept and so our elites are loathed to understand anything
tainted by anti-God evolution. So thank the theists for the unusal harshness of any
civilisation collapse, as per usual given the history of human societies.
There is a reason the founding fathers pushed religion out of the constitution and government.
No test of faith thank you should be on all US currency.
its funny how rugged individulists thing that they did everyhting themselves and that they and only they are entitled to anything.
so tell me John D did you make the computer you use and do you think its right pay the person who made your underwear and sneakers a pittance so that you can walk around displaying your command over resources and what a wonderful person you are..
Imperatorfish has an intriguing post on the respect of John Key from within. (Hope Imperatorfish doesn’t mind.) It is what some of us suspect and wonder about the support for the installation of Brash.
“The intriguing part was when we began talking about John Key and his popularity. My friend let slip that, while Key may well be the Second Coming in the eyes of many in the public, within caucus he is not universally loved. He’s regarded as too centrist and timid for some within caucus, and many within the party have been urging Key to take a stronger stand on privatisation and welfare reform.”
Yeah the dry combustible neo-liberals in his caucus and behind the scenes think Key has been far too soft and cautious.
And he can stand up to them because he has the money and personal networks backing him up. (Definitely one good thing about his wealth – Key will not be easy to buy off).
Simon Power’s exit is another sign that the voices of moderation in the NAT caucus are being shut down.
Comment on 16 March to PeteG (it wasn’t a compliment)
“I don’t know if you were around for the election when Peter Dunne came back from the dead – you’re sounding exactly like him when he was dubbed ‘Mr Commonsense’”
All credit to MS putting up the idea that PeteG was working for someone though 😉
MS doesn’t deserve any credit, he was so far off the mark it was hilarious. Up until now I’ve been working for myself only, floating ideas, testing a things out, and having a bit of fun.
In the end it’s hardly surprising that common sense finds common ground.
Pragmatic politics.
Just a bit of fun Pete. If MS didn’t speculate about who you were working for, I wouldn’t have speculated about who you sounded like. It’s worth remembering Peter Dunne labeled his ideas as ‘commonsense’ in that debate not anyone else.
I don’t see any commonsense in them at all – pretty self-serving IMO. Anyway, I hope the campaign is a useful experience for you.
lol
I seem to recall United Future had the candidate who wasn’t a citizen and the MP who wasn’t a doctor – now they have the candidate who’s not a supporter
Pete, Politics101 – own your mis-speaks. In the words of John Key (well, maybe not exactly) – I always find that if you’re in a hole it’s best to stop digging.
Does this mean he has resigned as a member of the party he was trying to start?
Was he trying to do a Don Brash style takeover of UF (i.e., giving them an ultimatum that he might resign from his current party if they offer him the leadership) but had to settle for a position on the list?
On 3 News, Fatty McRoberts insists that Ghaddafi is dead and gone, and that John Key has got in touch with the rebels to “offer our help” to them.
WTF????????????????????????????????????????????
There is something so completely dodgy about it all… “The regime was defiant to the end… but they were out-gunned” 3 News says joyfully.
How long will it take before we know what the heck’s really going on?
Look for reports of western oil corporations moving in. They’ll already be on the ground in areas which have been rebel held for the last several weeks.
Libya has massive oil reserves and Ghaddafi’s likely mistake was not playing ball with TPTB.
I dunno. I think the West have any problem with Gaddafi’s dishing out of oil concessions . I suspect the ease of getting them may have delayed the west helping the rebels earlier.
I reckon this is all about revenge for Gaddafi’s 30 years of supporting terrorism in the west (long memories, the Brits and the U.S.), they’ve made a few attempts to assasinate/depose him before this, and Sarkosy and Cameron trying to up their popularity rating at home (both were looking to take the focus off unpopular measures and recessionary fears).
It was a big call to lose the concessions they had, and probably part of the intervention deal with the rebels for business as usual.
CV, don’t forget of course the new “Central Bank” that was set up for/by the rebels months ago when NATO started their “involvement”.. OK, well the MSM publicised part of their involvement anyway..
Ghaddafi outlived his usefulness to someone, hence the events in Tripoli. As did Saddam and Mubarak before him. Assad in Syria is about to be hung out to dry in turn.
Bahrain and Yemen however are different stories, they are still of some use, so those dictatorships will stay, as will the al-Saud dynasty.
What are you saying? that we can’t have a relationship because we are incapable because of our differences?
If you love me, then it an easy relationship. You just have to love me, love yourself, write brilliant independent journalism and be happy.
There are no difficulties is there?
We create difficulties for no reason.
If you love me then, you have to honour that- you have to love me properly and I will love you and protect you and honour you too.
[lprent: You really need to use the reply button and to write something relevant. Some of your comments spent some time in spam because they look like a robot wrote them as they seem rather disconnected from the conversation. ]
[lprent: You really need to use the reply button and to write something relevant. Some of your comments spent some time in spam because they look like a robot wrote them as they seem rather disconnected from the conversation. ]
Tell him that last year I made my own version of Prosciutto di Parma (No match to the real thing of course but still pretty darn good) and Guanciale. We so miss Italy (visited Friuli amongs others and had the most divine home cooked food and home made grappa) and good food. I’m grateful my hubby loves good food and indulges my every whim when I go off on a tangent and come up with truffle omelets and other “strange” food but oh, we miss Europe and fooood! 🙁
It sounds lovely! He gives me recipes and directs me to where I can see lovely pictures… (He lives in Salento, sadly, not here, at least not at the moment..) and he’s obsessed with dieting, but he’s not fat! At least not yet… 🙂
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Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
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The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
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The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
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While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
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A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
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In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
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Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
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Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
We repeat our call for criminal justice policy to be based on evidence, something the three strikes regime neglects to recognise – with no evidence that it either reduces crime or assists with rehabilitation. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara With only four more seats in the 50-member Parliament yet to be officially declared, there is no outright winner in the Solomon Islands elections. As of Monday, the two largest blocs in the winner’s circle, independents and the incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh ...
Two/fiftyseven is a multi-purpose space hidden in the heart of Wellington that is paving a way for sustainable building and responsible landlording in Aotearoa and beyond.By 2060 the world is predicted to double its entire building stock, which equates to building an entire New York City every 34 days, ...
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In the 16 years since it was bought by the government for $690 million, KiwiRail has had several overhauls and turnaround plans worth billions of dollars. Its ambitions as a successful, profitable operator of tourism, freight and ferries have often been derailed by disasters from earthquakes to cyclones, mine explosions ...
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By Russell Palmer, RNZ News digital political journalist New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters is putting off recognition of Palestine as a state, despite opposition Labour’s formal request that he make the move. Peters said diplomatic recognition of Palestine was a matter of “when not if”, but doing so now ...
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By Salwa Amor in Istanbul Palestine solidarity activists are preparing a flotilla to deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, vowing to break Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory on board the Akdeniz, a seven-deck passenger ship. Currently docked in Istanbul, the ship will carry 800 people from more than ...
Why is nobody asking questions?
Today it was announced that we should prepare for more leading combat roles for SAS members in Afghanistan!
So let me get this straight; Osama bin laden is dead, chucked of a boat in the Indian ocean, women have been liberated and the Afghan people are forever grateful for their “Liberation” (As MSM propaganda will have you believe) and we have been at war for almost 10 years in that God forsaken hell hole contaminating the country for the next 4.5 billion years with Depleted Uranium and now we are to take on more lead roles fighting the “Taliban”?
And all this when the Pentagon plans to stay in Afghanistan forever while selling the war as ended to the US citizens?
So again: Why is nobody here asking questions?
Such as why should we send more soldiers to their deaths when the “International” communities are saying no to requests of the US to stay involved and Aeroplane pilots and Engineers are staking their careers in TV ads in the US to demand a new and independent investigation into the events of 911?!
Could it be that we have now officially become part of the Global US army and that they need our soldiers to die in Afghanistan while they spread more destruction and death in Libya and soon too in Syria?
Do Kiwi’s want to be part of the war crimes of the international money master elites and do they want to help rich oil barons steal the oil from every country around the world were it is found?
I must say, it’s going very well in Libya. The new regime have entered the outer suburbs of Tripoli to be greeted by jubilation from the citizens. Gaddafi will be dead or gone in days, which is excellent news. And in Kabul, our soldiers continue to do the hard yards training the locals despite the risks. You’ve really got to admire our guys for upholding NZ’s international reputation as being some of the world’s best fighters.
As for airline pilots and engineers risking their jobs talking bollocks, well, that’s their choice. Personally, I prefer my pilots to be sane, so no downside there that I can see.
For those of you who don’t have blinkers on and want to know about the reality of the war in Libya Here is a link about how the NATO is supporting Muslim extremists in Libya while fighting those same Muslim extremists in Afghanistan and here is another one about how the MSM is lying about what they are doing in Libya and here is a leaked plan about what they are planning for Libya after they conquer it with their illegal war of aggression.
TVOR, Good for you to be proud of the killing capacity of the NZ soldiers while they fight Muslim extremists in Afghanistan while NATO is fighting with the same Muslim extremists to steal the Libyan oil and gold. God, you’re soo stupid.
And for those of you who are actually capable of learning something new here is a 15 minute video from Architects and Engineers for a new investigation into the collapse of WTC 7
here is another one about how the MSM is lying about what they are doing in Libya
I’m watching the rebels rolling into Tripoli and people celebrating in the streets on SkyNewsUK right now. The contradicts your second link completely. Strange watching the reporters rolling through the streets and seeing Gaddafi’s spokespeople denying it at the same time. Apparently Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, has been captured and his presidential guard has surrendered.
Edit: I’m not saying I agree with NATO, or not. Just that it’s very strange to see something on TV at the same time as reading a link that so clearly denies it.
I’m watching Sky online.
Here are a few issues to remember when watching this footage:
First of all NATO has been bombing the only water supply to Tripoli several weeks ago, they bombed food supplies and hospitals making the lives of the People living in Tripoli a living hell so they would be relieved to find that that may come to an end.
Second the Muslim extremist rebels are closely aligned to tribes traditionally opposing leadership from Gaddafi’s tribe and many of those could be living in Tripoli accounting for the people welcoming them at the outskirts of Tripoli.
I will be watching and reading as I usually do but to be honest in a city of more then a million people the turn out struck me as less then overwhelming.
I’m guessing it;s all pretty fragile and there may be fighting yet to come. Notable is that NATO have given a warning to the rebels that they remain intent on protecting civilians – a warning not to exact revenge maybe? Surely Gaddafi is gone. It’s the forming of a new government and cohesion between opposition forces that’s the focus now. Interesting times.
Edit: Al Jazeera is reporting that two of Gaddafi’s sons, Saif al-Islam and Al-Saadi, have been arrested and another son, Muhammad, has surrendered. Gosh it’s moving fast.
Yes well done to Britain, France and Italy in invading another sovereign nation again.
Who will next be subjected to English bombs do you think?
Syria.
And for your information NATO is an extension of the US empire army they just did not want to be the one calling the war so France and England took the lead on this one.
Interesting. Here are photos of the events in Libya. The masses shown celebrating the “liberation” are photographed in Benghazi which is the town where the rebellion started and most definitely of the tribe opposing Gaddafi. Photo’s of rebels entering Tripoli do not show huge masses greeting them.
In fact 375 people have died and a 1000 wounded in the fighting indicating opposition to the rebellion.
Ha! You’re a truther, a birther and and a climate change denier, trav and yet you reckon I’m the one with the blinkers on. Funny old world, eh?
Here are a nice couple of photo’s of Chemtrails as they are caught on film around the world and here is a clip of Germany at least admitting they are releasing tons of toxic chemicals in the air to influence weather patterns and here is Ron Polland, Ph.D telling in a press conference that he is the one who created the short form birth certificate and that it is a forgery.
I will have you know I live rurally were I try to live as sustainable, toxin free and of the grid as possible without returning to the stone age and will continue to do so but while hundreds of weather modification businesses in the US alone are playing with the planets weather patterns I will keep my opinion about what is causing the Chaotic weather patterns of the last 10 years firmly close to the chest knowing there are idiots like you around.
And you’re a pro-war, militaristic creep, with a hate-on against brown people, or is it just Muslims you loathe? Your blinkers are red white and blue, and I am sure you masturbate to the Star Spangled Banner. Words can’t describe how loathsome I find your militaristic rants.
And you’re an idiot, Deb. Where did I say I was in anyway opposed to “brown people”? Go on, give me an example of racism of any kind. Here’s a time saving hint: don’t bother. There aren’t any.
Ev is indeed a truther, birther and climate change denier. If you have an issue with that fact, take it up with her.
I am not militaristic in any sense, but I respect the fact that our armed forces have always punched above their weight in every war since we were a country, even the dodgy ones. That, in part, gives us the international respect that allows us to be able to lead the world in other areas, such as the peace and nuclear free movements. We are seen as honest brokers with significant moral authority, because we have always carried our load and more.
And as for the red white and blue blinkers, I have never been to the States, have no interest in going and if the welcome at airports still starts with ‘are you now or have ever been …’ then they’re not letting me in anyway.
@TVOR – Are you taking issue with Deb or vicky32?
Vicky 32 has ‘signed’ comments as Deb on occasion, but I’m not sure if the poster using Deb as a handle is the same person.
[lprent: There is also a different Deb who is not Vicky32. ]
I inferred your racism from your many enthusiastic posts about killing Muslims, most of whom are brown.
I have no issue with Ev, so stop trying to turn her and me against each other. It won’t work, we’re not as stupid as you seem to think. My issue is with you.
What utter tripe! Respect, honest brokers and all the rest? Just Shonkeys impious hope… 90% of recent posts by you have shown you creaming your jeans about our military and that of the USA. You don’t have to have been there, to pin all your hopes and dreams on the Evil Empire…
By the way, I have asked before that you stop calling me Deb. I might be forced to call you Dick! 😀 Now, since you ignored my request I am begging.
So no evidence that I’m a racist then, Vicky32? Just your own feeble fantasy again? Just for the record, can you point me to one of my many enthusiastic posts about killing Muslims? Nah, don’t bother. You can’t, because you are making it up. You, on the other hand, clearly do have issues with bigotry. I recall you are proudly homophobic and your references to Fatty Garner and Fatty McRoberts suggests you have problems in other areas, too. Rather than make shit up about me, why don’t you get help for those character flaws?
And as for the masturbatory references, I can only repeat that I am not your posh Pommie boyfriend from long ago so please keep the wanking to yourself.
I will stop using your name, as it’s entirely your business what you prefer to be called by so I’ll stick to Vicky32 in future.
Seriously? You’re pro every war against Islam that’s going. Either because you’re right wing, racist or a screaming terrified atheist. Pick one. I’ll get help when you do. Your idols Garner and McRoberts have lost weight recently, so I will stop calling them fatty, if you demand it.
Nasty and personal! I don’t know what “posh Pommie boyfriend” you’re referring to, but it’s just like you take what was probably a throw-away line to bash me with. I thank God you are not my boyfriend, I would never consider you for a micro-second. FYI the person you’re probably referring to, was a husband, not a boyfriend, and my current boyfriend is an Italian. Care to dish out any anti-Italian remarks? I can help you out with them if you wish..
Vicky,
Does he cook?
Cheers for the response. Just to clarify, you have no evidence what so ever that I am a racist, but you ‘think’ I support every anti-Islamic war going. Again, I’d love to see the evidence of that, which I guess will be hard because I don’t think they are any, though the Sudanese secession had elements of religious factionalism.
Citations, please. Show me where I’ve ever said anything specifically anti-Islamic. Not just anti-religious in total, but specifically against Islam. And also where I’ve ever said anything nice about Garner and McRoberts.
I do think that Paulo di Canio is a twat though and gelato would be better if it came in Hokey Pokey flavour. Does that count as anti-Italian?
Ciao for now!
Well actually this is one reason why you are a racist:
You have not taken any interest in finding out who Gaddafi is in the bigger picture and have not asked a single question as to why NATO and the US are attacking every fucking Muslim country that takes their fancy.
Another reason for calling you a racist is the fact that you have absolutely no doubt that 19 young mostly Saudi males would have wanted to engage in terrorist attacks in the US even though science clearly shows that to be impossible and…
You are a racist for believing everything in the MS media about Muslims and their “Crazy” religion and their perceived aggressiveness while I who have lived with tens of thousands of Muslims for decennia never have encountered any aggression not to me as a woman and not amongst themselves and not towards Jews and Christians until 911 happened and they were criminalised and ostracised.
Same for the many women that lived in the same neighbourhoods and for my mother who travelled alone across Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan and did not have a single bad experience with the many many total strangers she encountered and was always treated with the utmost courtesy.
You are above all a racist because you assume that the “Western” democratic way is the only way and that we are entitled to attack other countries with brown people because they are not organised the same way while being utterly and totally ignorant of the said countries and their cultures.
So no evidence I’m a racist then? Bugger!
I didn’t realise the Taliban were in Libya.
I agree with VoR, publish the names and employing airlines of those pilots – I too, like my pilots to be sane!
The pilots are happy to identify themselves here
Saudi Arabia uses its influence differently now. Terrorism is a tool. States clamp
down on terrorism that serves them no useful purpose, so Nation State will help
each other where terrorists are not useful to them in some way.
Cold war meant terrorism was part of the cold war to over throw states.
After the wall, terrorism has been about extending the pre-peak oil market.
Now peak oil has arrived, terrorism is about food and energy security,
Europe, US, China, Saudi, all need state democratic states where terrorists
cannot hold the world to blackmail.
Libya sits in the way of substantial expansion of alternative energy sources.
The world is changing, get over it. Terrorism is being used to push the
necessary changes and will be heavily clamped down by middle eastern
muslim ‘soon to be’ democratic states after they have served their purposes.
This is what Assad, Gaddafi don’t understand or cannot accept.
Get out of the way already.
TVOR – why send our SAS to support US/EU oil hunts?
We’re not, CV, and we shouldn’t go if we are asked. You trying to make a point?
Oh the small matter of Libya having the second largest oil reserves in Africa, after Nigeria.
Are the SAS in Libya?
If our PM is asked for them by Obama they will be. Perhaps as part of a wider reconstruction, peacekeeping or whatever exercise.
Ok, gotcha. I don’t think I’d have a problem with a peacekeeper or reconstruction role, but that’s not what the SAS do, that’s regular army work.
Viper at first glance Libya appears to about oil and that is part of the equation but take a look at this article by Ellen Brown.
http://www.readersupportednews.org/opinion2/289-134/5625-libya-all-about-oil-or-all-about-banking
Libya: All About Oil, or All About Banking?
Several writers have noted the odd fact that the Libyan rebels took time out from their rebellion in March to create their own central bank – this before they even had a government. Robert Wenzel wrote in the Economic Policy Journal:
I have never before heard of a central bank being created in just a matter of weeks out of a popular uprising. This suggests we have a bit more than a rag tag bunch of rebels running around and that there are some pretty sophisticated influences.
Alex Newman wrote in the New American:
In a statement released last week, the rebels reported on the results of a meeting held on March 19. Among other things, the supposed rag-tag revolutionaries announced the “[d]esignation of the Central Bank of Benghazi as a monetary authority competent in monetary policies in Libya and appointment of a Governor to the Central Bank of Libya, with a temporary headquarters in Benghazi.”
Gina
Right now there is more oil available for consumption than ever before yet the price is rising because of market manipulation. Oil is now traded as a commodity on markets and apparantly traded thousands of times before it reraches the markets. High oil prices and high demand prevent the US Dollar from collapsing due to the Opec rule stipulating all oil must be traded in American dollars. If the price of oil Doubles then countries need to get twice the the amount of US dollars thus creating demand for the dollar and preventing collapse. I have heard several reports that the 1970’s oil crisis where the price of oil quadrupled was actually a deliberate ploy to save the US dollar. And it seems that any country that starts trading in a different currency is attacked sanctioned and threatened. I.E. Iran, Iraq. They are deemed part of the Axis of evil by the US.
Well, there’s no doubt where you’re coming from, is there? You fit so comfortably with the standard mainstream point of view, you just have to work in finance or human resources! You may say it’s “going very well” in Libya only if you’re either very naive, very conformist or fascistic. To judge by some of the other things you’ve said, I vote for the latter. Why aren’t you out there killng brown people, women and children? A keyboard warrior, oh I see. Send your son if you have one, but your genes where your nasty martial little mouth is.
War is evil. Those who support it are even more evil.
There’s no such thing as evil, Deb. There is just human behaviour.
Reducing people down to behavioural responses is an over simplistic approach.
And I’m not comfortable with the ‘evil’ moniker as it gets bandied around too much and has a bunch of judeochristian interpretations associated with it.
But some stuff that people do, a toxic mix of callous, calculating and cruel, is pretty close to evil.
I disagree, and please, please before one of us dies, stop calling me Deb! I have never intentionally signed myself Deb, only when my log-in was malfunctioning… I am not the other woman who signs herself Deb, by what I have seen of her posts, she and I are ideologically opposed. There is such a thing as evil, Dick, and I see that you are wilfully naive, at the very least. (I am not talking about supernatural evil, I believe in it, but I see thaty most do not), I am talking about human evil, of which there is more than enough to go around.
Paula Bennet has already hit the campaign trail door knocking in Glen Eden and handing out her personal businesss cards. It appears that she has started in the area the she faired the worst and had a guy with her ticking off households that took her card so that they would be targeted with campaign literature.
I wouldn’t shake her hand or accept her card, she said that if there was anything I wanted that they would like to know and help out, so I told her to get off my property lol.
It came out so fast I missed the opportunity to go off at her.
There is something UNCLEAN abouut these buggers coming to your door. Bit like Jehovahs Witnesses, you try to be civil but you just want them to fuck off.
Bahaha I was going to but had my wife breathing down my neck telling me not to.
A downside to living rural, apart from the slow broadband, is that I don’t get any politicians walking down my driveway. They wouldn’t enjoy the debate I would start, that’s for sure! Asset sales are complete and utter crap, enough said.
Should have taken her card so she’d waste money sending you campaign material.
Well its the same in Taupo .The blousy L.Upton spends more money advertising than you can imagine.She dominates one of the local papers ,which can only be described as a blue rag, Its a bit annoying but what can one do ? She is a double for a comedic bar maid , a vivious know all . The farmer population preferers her to our former MP Mark Burton who was a far superior MP than this hopeless women will ever be ,Such is the way most farmers vote .Of course they pay very little tax and its such as MP Upton that make that possible.
Meanwhile in Rotorua Todd ‘Nice but dim’ – body double for Boris Johnson – McClay drives round it his 4×4 texting as he drives.
BTW – the mayor of Taupo is another tory fruit loop!
Some new pics to send to friends and foes alike.
Why is New Zealand at war in Afghanistan?
Good question……the best I can find is that Helen Clark sent us there to get brownie points with NATO and the US/UK to get a job at the UN……….
The same reason that the British were there ,the Russian were there ,the Yanks were there and all the rest .WS
“Fat Boastful Blogger Beaten by Old Man with Broken Leg”
Whale should have put in as much effort in training as he has done in blogging since he lost!! Obviously trying his best to bury the post where he admits defeat.
Oh, but wait!! He doesn’t have the grace to admit defeat-
“The result is in. Trevor Mallard challenged me to a cycle race. He said I would be too chicken to accept the challenge. I wasn’t and today I finished the challenge.”
No Whale – a Race Challenge is about Winning, not Just Racing!!He lost the race to the Cripple Duck- but is too juvenile to admit it.
After months of arrogantly spewing boasts out his blowhole he couldn’t deliver the goods – against an opponent he repeatedly said wouldn’t be good enough.
“Nevermind. I am fit, have lost weight and what is abundantly clear is that trevor Mallard has spent 3 months training his arse off to make sure he didn’t lose a bike a race against a fat blogger.”
All of a sudden when the battle is won – it was all unfair, poor old Fat Blogger.
Ungracious to the last.
Whale should man up and realise the proof is in that he’s a nasty boaster, a bad competitor, and a lousy loser.
And about to be nailed for being a sickness beneficiary who should go and get a job instead of drawing a benefit!
News reports state that the dead NZ SAS soldier was shot by a .50cal round. Now, I may be wrong but I think it unlikely that the Taliban would be using these.
Could it have been “friendly fire”?
That’s what investigations are for.
Well grumpy if the Americans were around it well could be. USA forces are well known for their “friendly fire”. Ask any old time Royal Marine who were involved in WW11.
I’ve heard of friendly fire incidents even in WW1. The f**king Americans are hopeless.
What would friendly fire in WW1 have to do with the yanks? They only turned up at the end, remember? I’d say it would be the Poms, and particularly the RAF, who are most associated with historical friendly fire incidents. Including a rather infamous WW2 one in Egypt where hundreds, including many Kiwis, were killed. Mind you, the yanks probably went a bit OTT in the ‘nam, so it may all even out in the end.
My Dad (Royal Navy, Pacific Fleet then the Normandy landing) told me the following saying:
When the British fly over the Germans hide;
When the Germans fly over the British hide;
When the Italians fly over no-one hides;
When the Yanks fly over, everyone hides.
Of course, British soldiers/airmen/sailors had their issues with the Americans in WWII.
Oh man, and I use the term advisedly, you are so predictable… Sigh…
Yep, I’m predictably correct. Look up friendly fire and WW1 and educate yourself.
Overdue, but welcome:
“Police have dropped all charges against an autistic man accused of burgling a Christchurch property soon after the February earthquake.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/5484757/Charges-dropped-against-autistic-looter
Defence counsel for autistic man who stole light globes – “He said the physical act was admitted, but issues of mental health and capacity had to be considered.”
I would suggest also these should have been considered – issues of relevance, triviality and lack of balance in police mission and decision-making, and an attitude of prejudice and authoritarianism.
Surely ordinarily Police would have. Just as it could be argued that there was no fence,
lock door, and the lightbulbs were unlikely to be used tipped this autistic over the edge,
but also anyone watching him might very well have been otherwise burdened. So
Should Police have known that something like this would have happened? Yes and No.
Since they were already hard pressed by the Earthquake.
Shit happens, the only problem I have is he was locked up, but that seems to be
due to the rigidity of the rules and not Police but parlliamentary hangups with their
own nasty controlling egos rather than reality for people on the ground.
And as we are all aware we have no human rights when it comes to parliamentarians
making abusive and obscene laws. Government signed the convention but can
discriminate anyway.
aerobubble I think you are being too kind to the police. I am shocked at this breach of reason and reasonableness on their part. And the thing is – even the building’s owners were not fazed. There must be some testosterone rush which affect the police in emergency situations like this (and remember women have some of this hormone too.. Or that part of our brains called an amygdala which goes on alert at moments of stress (the fight or flight reaction) before the reasoning part takes over and perhaps this has happened in this case.
I sort of disagree, police by wanting to refer the man to a psychologist are
essentially handing the defense their case. There was reasonable suspicion in
the minds of Police that intent was dubious. As to the brain, everyone of us
has a hang up of some kind, even not having any is itself called narcissism.
I can see how stressed Police may have acted authomatically in the stressful
Earthquake city context, a bout of organizational aspbergers.
Police should know surely that past behaviour is heavily predictable for future
behaviour. The individual was somewhere he should not have been, doing
something that was dangerous, bricks may have fallen on him. Now
Police surely should have twigged that someone stealing light fixtures,
risking their life to do so, was a form of self harming and so more suidical
than criminal. Police should not be seeking evidence for guilt, they should
be building a case from the ground up, and if they had they would have
realized this individual has serious problems in their life.
What about the investigation into the officer/s who assaulted the poor lad leaving him with a black eye or two?
Or do we all just quietly ignore that ………………….
Yes. I hope we find out why he ended that night like that. He says he can’t
remember. It looks really bad for Police to lock someone away for do something
suicidally stupid because he couldn’t help himself. But hey, that’s also what JK
does all the time with ignoring the global debt, peak oil and climate change.
So what’s new? Well trust in our government to govern. At first I didn’t
see the problem but now I think about it, it goes to the heart of conscientious
people. If you see someone driving irratically then thanks to the anti-drink
drive campaigns you think they are a drunk not having a heart attack.
When someone is found in a earth quake shaken building risking their lives
people ordinarily assume thanks to MSM that they were a theif, who else
would risk their life. But it turns out that the face of crime was a minority
group, what a surprise! Even Police should have known better. We are taught
to see crime everywhere and so don’t give people the benefit of the doubt.
JK did so when he pushed the youth card that stops youth saving money
and getting ahead.
This has been a sad but disgracefull business. How have we allowed this not only to happen but too have go so far.
I would suggest to the police and all who have been involved in this sad.sad episode that they take this young fellow out to a slap up feed and to some other pleasant event.
No. I think he should be allow to store his light fixtures on JK’s lawn and get a job at
the local recycle center with first dibbs on anything bright and sparkerly.
Hooten and Pagani having a lively discussion on radionz. Hooten thinks that the government retaining 51% ownership of our infrastructure companies means that we aren’t losing them not shooting us in the foot. Business people would tell him that a firm loses control at much less than 51%. Hooten says that overseas companies aren’t going to buy them because Mums and Dads will buy them. (Then they will be offered a higher price and sell them overseas.) The Maori consortium should be a major player if shares are allocated away from government.
Hooten quote – “They [government companies] are not being sold.” Also “Helen Clark didn’t like big ideas.”
Somehow he feels Air NZ, Contact, Mercury etc.. are minor and unimportant. Apparently we should be grateful they are not selling all the schools, hospitals and water supply structures (well not yet).
I heard all that too. Hooton is a swingeing little ratty apologist for the neanderthals.
But he also said National was going to provide 210,000 new jobs in the next two years.
well pull the other one.
And there was no need for English or Key to front up on Q&A to debate Asset Sales. “Cunliffe just tells lies and anyway why discuss such policy when it has already been laid out for months. Nothing left to discuss.” (paraphrased.)
Oh. And Hooten’s parting shot was that “John Key wants the Labour front bench to stay the same.” Yeah right. As if the question of Phil’s leadership is not in the interests of Key.
. Funny how ‘wealth creators’ never want to pay their fair share.
I presume you exclude yourself from this category.
How would you describe yourself then? Someone who takes other peoples wealth?
[lprent: Diversion comment – to Open Mike. ]
If your only measure of humanity, or the value of people, is wealth JohnD … you live in a very narrow, drab world.
… you live in a very narrow, drab world.
I live in a very exciting world, RL. It is the nihilistic tedious beige “give me your money because I deserve it” socialist dregs like you that are drab no-hopers.
“It is the nihilistic tedious beige “give me your money because I deserve it” socialist dregs like you that are drab no-hopers.”
Ahhhh…..Moral nihillists = Nact
I don’t want your money, I pay way easily enough in tax and get my own money back and I’m not a drab no-hoper – my hope is that we can rid ourselves of the right wing hypocritcal scourge we currently have calling the shots around here. (See….I have a goal and it’s very colourful)
We need wealth creators, we need poorer people to strive to take risks,
spy opportunity and cease on them. Opportunities abound, green energy,
better use of technology to capture carbon savings, move away from
centralized media…
The people who have money, influence, are of course rightly afraid
(as opposed to the poor who have no share in it). The now wealth gained
their money by shift goal posts in growing markets, housing, shares, etc.
They don’t have the right stuff for the new economy, since it requires
openmindedness, tolerance, progressive thinking, balance between
libertarian and society needs.
And really when you thought you’d down everything right being a blind
follower of market orthodoxy, neo-liberals most brown nosing fellow
traveller, of course you are a bit miffed that the world call on wealth
far exceeds the amount of value that can compensate it.
The choice for NZ is old stale National visionless world, or seizing on
the newer policies (that should have introduced decades ago).
Blah humbug.
Destroyed by Forced Obsolescence
I watched a program about planned/forced obsolescence called The Light Bulb Conspiracy on the weekend. It documented the terrible consequences of our modern consumerist societies, the waste produced and how that waste is currently causing environmental problems that cannot continue to be ignored…
Whilst on light bulbs http://iansescapevalve.blogspot.com/2010/09/austerity-new-black.html
The bit near the end – America closed its last light bulb factory about a year ago; they are all now made overseas – go figure!
Also, I had a friend who had his own skateboard company; when asked “what size wheels were fastest” he pointed out that once per year the big players get together, decide that years standard and then mass market accordingly. There is only a finite market for any product, therefore they need to make more ‘trendy’ new models to keep their business model working.
Every new niche has the same transition. A mutation means that a species can bloom from
a abundant resource until they wear it down and shift to a more sustainable usage pattern.
Once we have dug the pristine ores and fuels of the world up, we have to transition to
recycling them. Its a green concept and so our elites are loathed to understand anything
tainted by anti-God evolution. So thank the theists for the unusal harshness of any
civilisation collapse, as per usual given the history of human societies.
There is a reason the founding fathers pushed religion out of the constitution and government.
No test of faith thank you should be on all US currency.
its funny how rugged individulists thing that they did everyhting themselves and that they and only they are entitled to anything.
so tell me John D did you make the computer you use and do you think its right pay the person who made your underwear and sneakers a pittance so that you can walk around displaying your command over resources and what a wonderful person you are..
Imperatorfish has an intriguing post on the respect of John Key from within. (Hope Imperatorfish doesn’t mind.) It is what some of us suspect and wonder about the support for the installation of Brash.
“The intriguing part was when we began talking about John Key and his popularity. My friend let slip that, while Key may well be the Second Coming in the eyes of many in the public, within caucus he is not universally loved. He’s regarded as too centrist and timid for some within caucus, and many within the party have been urging Key to take a stronger stand on privatisation and welfare reform.”
http://www.imperatorfish.com/
Yeah the dry combustible neo-liberals in his caucus and behind the scenes think Key has been far too soft and cautious.
And he can stand up to them because he has the money and personal networks backing him up. (Definitely one good thing about his wealth – Key will not be easy to buy off).
Simon Power’s exit is another sign that the voices of moderation in the NAT caucus are being shut down.
Ooops. Imperatorfish made that story up. Fooled the ever hopeful me.
Pete George is going for Parliament! He is number 3 on United Future’s list.
He is part of the “first wave” of candidates to be announced. I am not sure why they think they need future waves.
No doubt he and the coiffured ones are the best of mates and are looking forward to the worm turning.
Figuratively.
Well, at least they will have someone available to ‘state the obvious’ when Peter Dunne is otherwise engaged or feeling poorly.
Jeez, that was so unexpected ! (not)
*Sigh*
Well knock me down with a feather! not.
But who is he going to vote for, seeing as he doesn’t make up his mind until election day? http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13042011/#comment-319558
Ha!
To quote …
I don’t make up my mind which way I’ll vote until election day.
Mind you if by some extraordinary chance I was a member of the United Future party I would probably feel the same …
And I think I might take credit for picking it first? ….
http://thestandard.org.nz/labour-exposes-planless-key/#comment-308643
Comment on 16 March to PeteG (it wasn’t a compliment)
“I don’t know if you were around for the election when Peter Dunne came back from the dead – you’re sounding exactly like him when he was dubbed ‘Mr Commonsense’”
All credit to MS putting up the idea that PeteG was working for someone though 😉
MS doesn’t deserve any credit, he was so far off the mark it was hilarious. Up until now I’ve been working for myself only, floating ideas, testing a things out, and having a bit of fun.
In the end it’s hardly surprising that common sense finds common ground.
Pragmatic politics.
Who are you implying has common sense? You? Dunne?
Can’t be both of you, unless personal opportunism has somehow been rebranded “common sense”?
Just a bit of fun Pete. If MS didn’t speculate about who you were working for, I wouldn’t have speculated about who you sounded like. It’s worth remembering Peter Dunne labeled his ideas as ‘commonsense’ in that debate not anyone else.
I don’t see any commonsense in them at all – pretty self-serving IMO. Anyway, I hope the campaign is a useful experience for you.
So Pete Squirrel when you said
I don’t make up my mind which way I’ll vote until election day.
were you telling fibs?
No, I haven’t even thought about voting yet. Have you already decided?
Let’s see, you are number 3 on the United Future list and you have not thought about who you will vote for …
I think someone has taken over PeteG’s email account and is posting highly satirical comments from him.
Please can someone ring him and tell him what is happening?
Eh? You’re the UF candidate for Dunedin North and you haven’t even made up your mind who you’re voting for?
lol
I seem to recall United Future had the candidate who wasn’t a citizen and the MP who wasn’t a doctor – now they have the candidate who’s not a supporter
Sounds “pragmatic” and “common sense” to me.
Pete, Politics101 – own your mis-speaks. In the words of John Key (well, maybe not exactly) – I always find that if you’re in a hole it’s best to stop digging.
Wasn’t that “if you’re in a hole, don’t sell your ladder?” 😛
I heard that yesterday, Brash was it? It’s much more appropriate in this case – a certain symmetry methinks.
Does this mean he has resigned as a member of the party he was trying to start?
Was he trying to do a Don Brash style takeover of UF (i.e., giving them an ultimatum that he might resign from his current party if they offer him the leadership) but had to settle for a position on the list?
It’s served it’s purpose and is no longer required as a party, but will continue as a tool.
As, indeed, will you!
Classic! LOLed and ROFLed at the same time!
On 3 News, Fatty McRoberts insists that Ghaddafi is dead and gone, and that John Key has got in touch with the rebels to “offer our help” to them.
WTF????????????????????????????????????????????
There is something so completely dodgy about it all… “The regime was defiant to the end… but they were out-gunned” 3 News says joyfully.
How long will it take before we know what the heck’s really going on?
Look for reports of western oil corporations moving in. They’ll already be on the ground in areas which have been rebel held for the last several weeks.
Libya has massive oil reserves and Ghaddafi’s likely mistake was not playing ball with TPTB.
I dunno. I think the West have any problem with Gaddafi’s dishing out of oil concessions . I suspect the ease of getting them may have delayed the west helping the rebels earlier.
I reckon this is all about revenge for Gaddafi’s 30 years of supporting terrorism in the west (long memories, the Brits and the U.S.), they’ve made a few attempts to assasinate/depose him before this, and Sarkosy and Cameron trying to up their popularity rating at home (both were looking to take the focus off unpopular measures and recessionary fears).
It was a big call to lose the concessions they had, and probably part of the intervention deal with the rebels for business as usual.
Al Jazeera have a 3 min summary of Gaddafi’s relationship with the west.
CV, don’t forget of course the new “Central Bank” that was set up for/by the rebels months ago when NATO started their “involvement”.. OK, well the MSM publicised part of their involvement anyway..
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MD14Ak02.html
Ahhhh thanks for reminding me. That was very very odd. It suggests that bankers were influencing Rebel activities.
I read somewhere else that the Libyan Central Bank kept a strangle hold on the money supply in the country. Foreign bankers could not get a look in.
Bet you they will be able to now.
Ghaddafi outlived his usefulness to someone, hence the events in Tripoli. As did Saddam and Mubarak before him. Assad in Syria is about to be hung out to dry in turn.
Bahrain and Yemen however are different stories, they are still of some use, so those dictatorships will stay, as will the al-Saud dynasty.
Certainly!
dream on dickhead!
No you didn’t.
I know Ian.
What are you saying? that we can’t have a relationship because we are incapable because of our differences?
If you love me, then it an easy relationship. You just have to love me, love yourself, write brilliant independent journalism and be happy.
There are no difficulties is there?
We create difficulties for no reason.
If you love me then, you have to honour that- you have to love me properly and I will love you and protect you and honour you too.
[lprent: You really need to use the reply button and to write something relevant. Some of your comments spent some time in spam because they look like a robot wrote them as they seem rather disconnected from the conversation. ]
So is that your happiness- I think it is.
Peekaboo I see you!
[lprent: You really need to use the reply button and to write something relevant. Some of your comments spent some time in spam because they look like a robot wrote them as they seem rather disconnected from the conversation. ]
Divinely, yes! 🙂 We swap recipes…
Tell him that last year I made my own version of Prosciutto di Parma (No match to the real thing of course but still pretty darn good) and Guanciale. We so miss Italy (visited Friuli amongs others and had the most divine home cooked food and home made grappa) and good food. I’m grateful my hubby loves good food and indulges my every whim when I go off on a tangent and come up with truffle omelets and other “strange” food but oh, we miss Europe and fooood! 🙁
It sounds lovely! He gives me recipes and directs me to where I can see lovely pictures… (He lives in Salento, sadly, not here, at least not at the moment..) and he’s obsessed with dieting, but he’s not fat! At least not yet… 🙂