Open Mike 23/07/2018

119 comments on “Open Mike 23/07/2018 ”

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1. corodale 1

   23 July 2018 at 6:48 am

   Dr. Daniele Ganser Interview : NATO’s Secret Armies – Operation GLADIO
   Swiss historian, on terrorism and false flag attacks in Western Europe.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coIJWITJWCs
2. Sanctuary 2

   23 July 2018 at 7:25 am

   Requiem for the last National government:

   https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@environment/2018/07/12/151517/docs-culture-wars-revealed

   This story greatly interests me, firstly because to me it exposes the central, establishment media enabled big lie of the previous National administration – that Key and English were prudent, pragmatic and centrist managers of the economy. It is increasingly obvious this was simply not true. They were ideologically driven crony capitalists and reckless borrowers from the future in order to fund tax cuts for their cronies. It is clear they were deeply anti-science and sought to actively repress any inputs that failed to support their ideological commitment to a 19th century growth model. And the media, ah the complacent media – they’d rather write the laziest imaginable bullshit amateur psychoanalysis of a Jacinda Ardern doodle than do their job of investigating the gutting of the government.

   Secondly I am very interested in how deeply the US style right wing economic playbook now influences the NZ right. After all, defunding, restructuring and colonising a government service with corporate fellow travelers to the point that service is not just impotent but complicit in undermining it’s own mission in connivance with economic interests antithetical to the environment is straight out of American right wing politics.
   • Nic the NZer 2.1

     23 July 2018 at 8:27 am

     Look at my comment on stable government. There are a couple of links discussing how far the left has shifted towards rw economics.
     • corodale 2.1.1

       23 July 2018 at 6:08 pm

       Ínternational rating agencies would adjust NZs credit rating and there would be a housing crash… Classic gun-to-the-head from orthodox international banking. Business-as-usual from Basel.
   • DH 2.2

     23 July 2018 at 8:29 am

     I’m not so sure that’s a National Party theme Sanctuary, leftist Governments have been just as bad at playing that game. This says a lot;

     “The desire to listen to in-house expertise is gone. It’s much more important that we write plans and waste thousands and thousands of dollars on consultants developing so-called interface plans and task assignments than actually doing the job.”

     You could apply that statement to every branch of the civil service going back to even before the Clarke Govt. I’m sure it would give teachers, nurses and social workers an ironic laugh.

     IMO this all started when they abandoned in-house promotions in favour of paper credentials and external consultants. There was a time when the civil service did its own hiring and trained its own people, I don’t believe it’s a coincidence we’ve seen the (senior) service fall so far since they cut back on that.
     • Draco T Bastard 2.2.1

       23 July 2018 at 12:13 pm

       /agreed
     • OnceWasTim 2.2.2

       23 July 2018 at 1:17 pm

       Ain’t THAT the truth!
       BUT…..having said that, there is another risk – and its a big one. Relying on in-house advise ONLY runs the risk of taking advice from within the echo chamber.
       I’ll be interested to know how the inquiry into the Commissioner of Police turns out.
       I’m loathe to comment at the moment but it won’t surprise me if recommendations were made re the appointment without any consultation outside the bubble (which is a concern especially when you’d have to have been living under a rock not to know about various concerns that had received a lot of media attention).

       Your last paragraph though is absolutely valid. Especially when you consider that when one is trying to hire (say) IT people and the process takes 3 months, by the time an offer can be made, any candidate has long since pissed off (unless….).

       Once again, roll on a review of the ps (see comments yesterday and the day before on Open Mike). I hope you realise though that it’s currently all working as designed – template-driven Employment Consultant candidates put forward; a cursory scan of previous job references, clip the ticket, take 3 months salary and Bob’s your Aunty.
       • OnceWasTim 2.2.2.1

         23 July 2018 at 1:44 pm

         To clarify:
         “Relying on in-house advise ONLY runs the risk of taking advice from within the echo chamber.”

         And that’s really bad when the ps has become so dysfunctional at senior management level already – brought about by the decades of bullshit that have got us to where we are today. It simply compounds the problem.
         It needs to become UN-fucked before we attempt to return to something you understand.
         Let’s not try and romanticise things though. Things were not wonderful when we had the old PSOCs and what was a relatively functioning PSA Union – even that is now part of the neo-lib’s orgasm.
         They were a fucking sight better though than what we have today.
         There were problems but nothing like what we have today where it’s not unusual for public servants at any level to be completely unaware of things like a Code of Conduct – or at least IF they are, it’s just a bit of fluff we could take or leave in between taking advantage of the free internet to answer a few emails, go on Trademe or one or two dating sites, or pass a few cock pics or pornography between maaaaaaaaaates (as in the case of the NuZull Pleece not too many years ago).
         • DH 2.2.2.1.1

           23 July 2018 at 4:36 pm

           I was thinking more about institutionalised knowledge Tim (OnceWas), and professional expertise at the management level.

           Looking at it from a common sense POV the management of any department, or business for that matter, really needs to have pretty extensive industry knowledge and more specifically of the industry they’re working in. In the above DOC example I’d ideally want/expect all senior staff at DOC to have spent at least some of their junior years out in the field.

           It’s hard to envision managers who hire consultants being as effective or competent as managers who don’t need to hire consultants.
           • OnceWasTim 2.2.2.1.1.1

             24 July 2018 at 9:05 am

             Again, agreed.
             I’d need to exaggerate slightly to demonstrate my point but my father used to joke that in the late 60s and 70s, the NZ public service was run by relatively recently arrived expats from our colonial masters while all the Kiwis were running the Australian public service.
             Institutional knowledge and cultural considerations were unimportant.
             In some ways we’re going through a second round of that, but based on the economic rather than the social and cultural.

             Rebstock reports, copied immigration policies, etc. etc. etc. (We inherit all that ‘deserving and undeserving poor’ shit; immigration based on the business imperative; education based on it being a business; perpetuation of ‘class’, etc)
     • cleangreen 2.2.3

       23 July 2018 at 3:22 pm

       I also agree with DH.

       When Steven Joyce setup the “do everything” contraversial agency (MBIE) he deliberately made MBIE only use “consultants’ they could influence to cook the books with ‘cherry picked’ studies only.

       Unfortunately since labour took over this corrupt agency they have not gotten rid of this cancerous toxic ‘privateers’ consultant use element left by National.
       • OnceWasTim 2.2.3.1

         23 July 2018 at 5:23 pm

         Yep @ Cleengreen.
         Really – the long winded way I was making a point above could be put in 4 or 5 words. I’ve always thought MoBIE was the worst of the bugger’s muddles – the Munstry for everything. MSD and several others jockey for position.
         My current interest is with immigration and worker exploitation, but I was heartened to learn there are those in the building industry and others (such as people concerned with mediation services, and even the broadcast radio spectrum) who share my view. (By the way – what ANY of those things have in common as they are – cobbled together under an ‘innovative’ nomenclature bewilders me. I’ve booked into the Edna Everidge Home for the bewildered though)
         The point is though that although we may still have some ponce called Brigadier G insisting on NZBC newsreaders rOunding their vOwels and evacuating their bOwels, and practicing ‘the rain in Spain lays mainly on the plain’ before delivering a bulletin, SURE AS SHIT we’d not have had a Brendan Boyle or a Ray Smith or a David Smol or even a Ngatata Love – worse still what followed (and yes Labour did it too) , or a………..
         And actually there’s an argument you could make that evacuating your bOwel before going on air is better that what we have now – evacuating it while on air.
         There does need to be a serious review. Most good public servants actually have to take the rap for their masters’ kaka. They work in spite of them rather than because of them. Some actually live in fear of some of these masters of the Universe to the extent that they’ve come to realise that with mortgages and bills to pay, it’s easier to lick a bit of arse than make a protest for ethical behaviour
     • corodale 2.2.4

       23 July 2018 at 6:26 pm

       When will this govt announced high-level or royal Commissions on these big issues, of Social Credit and UBI? Surely this is the place to cherry-pick the people with insight. It would be a 007 level maneuver, but are there any other option?
   • Draco T Bastard 2.3

     23 July 2018 at 12:31 pm

     But there’s little concern at the top. Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage expresses her full confidence in director-general Lou Sanson. Neither of them would discuss Head’s case. But Sanson tells Newsroom DOC is in the best shape it’s been in a long time and he has “total trust” in his senior leadership team.

     When the people who actually do the work are rebelling it’s not in good shape and the minister should be firing the management for incompetence.

     (Sanson says with new money from the Budget, he’ll be recruiting three principal science policy advisers “to make sure the department has science at the core of everything we do”.)

     How about hiring some scientists rather than more advisers.
     • Patricia Bremner 2.3.1

       23 July 2018 at 2:57 pm

       1000%
3. Jenny 3

   23 July 2018 at 7:52 am

   Sacha Baron Cohen’s mockumentary that sucked in NRA and Republican supporters to promote guns for children is not that far from the mark.

   https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180721-zionist-extremists-are-now-the-mainstream-in-israel/#.W1MiCn7zgXo.facebook

   This probably explains why Cohen’s scam was so successful.

   Gunimals anybody?
   • Jenny 3.1

     23 July 2018 at 7:57 am

     In case you missed it.

     “Guns are fun”

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=QkXeMoBPSDk
     • Pete 3.1.1

       23 July 2018 at 9:18 am

       I liked the follow-up from Sarah Palin. She stopped gazing across at Russia long enough to be interviewed about her part in the show.

       I particularly liked her mentioning her disdain for middle-class Americans being mocked and then she, of all people, used the word “parody.” Um … what is she?

       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VNEJrsaOJk
     • marty mars 3.1.2

       23 July 2018 at 10:12 am

       He’s good and they are bad men those gun porn professionals.
     • Cemetery Jones 3.1.3

       23 July 2018 at 1:32 pm

       Reckon this one will make the cut?

       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_rB-3vgMMU
     • Cinny 3.1.4

       23 July 2018 at 7:48 pm

       Am watching the first episode of… “Who is America?”

       Sacha dramatically changes his appearance to take on different characters, then interview people in the states, a little bit like Borat.

       It’s super funny, highly recommend, he’s a brilliant actor.
4. mac1 4

   23 July 2018 at 8:14 am

   https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/07/sanctions-motivate-beneficiaries-to-get-jobs-simon-bridges.html

   Simon Bridges gets to criticise the government for lifting sanctions on beneficiaries.

   The article then critiques his response saying that Anne Tolley got contrary advice from her own Ministry. The reporter, Dan Satherley, then goes further and quotes The Guardian which reported a five study also proved sanctions did not work in encouraging people to “prepare for, seek or enter paid work”.

   Instead, surprise. surprise, unemployment is falling, especially in my province. The problems here are problems of growth and problems left by the previous government. Jobs cannot be filled by willing workers because not enough suitable housing is available.

   Bridges’ tour of the provinces did not tell him what he needs to know. His bashing of beneficiaries will continue, as part of his constituency wants to hear that.

   The real evidence tells us otherwise.
   • Gabby 4.1

     23 July 2018 at 12:56 pm

     Slick stayed in hotels that he didn’t pay for. Why can’t poor people just do that?
5. reason 5

   23 July 2018 at 8:23 am

   I would describe our dishonest media as complicit rather than complacent with their pro-national reporting …. complicit and censoring to nationals advantage

   They activly promoted falsehoods regarding Key …. Like the Stuff headline ” Prime minister donates salary to charity” … pure bullshit

   They helped whip up Lynch mob science behind the bogus $100 Million plus meth contamination Fraud.

   They failed to report on things like the day we achieved full tax haven status …. leaving New Zealanders confused and uniformed when the Panama papers leaker personally named John Key…

   They never really reported the fact Keys previous work before entering parliament …involved helping at gut the USA of their corporate tax take …. by creatively making usa companies become Irish ones, wink , wink ….

   And they totally failed to report on the lucky bonus key got while our prime minister ……. when his former workplace Merril Lynch was saved from going bankrupt by a forced Bank of America takeover …

   Keys large investment in worthless Merrill Lynch shares became valuable Bank of America ones …. all courtesy of USA taxpayer bailout funds …. and this magic change of Merrill into Bank of America is recorded in our parliaments register of pecuniary interests…… But no newspaper or media reporting on his dud investing …. and lucky break.

   I doubt there has ever been a New Zealand prime minister who has cost USA taxpayers the amount of money that John Key has fleeced them for ….. I can’t think of one.

   The Nats embraced corruption and toxicity with him …. our media largely joined in.
   • reason 5.1

     23 July 2018 at 8:25 am

     My above comment was meant to be in reply to Sanctuarys at 2
   • cleangreen 5.2

     23 July 2018 at 3:28 pm

     agree with you here reason; 100%
     ‘I would describe our dishonest media as complicit rather than complacent with their pro-national reporting …. complicit and censoring to nationals advantage”
   • weston 5.3

     23 July 2018 at 6:23 pm

     And maybe that was primarily because they voted for them ? Iwondered at the time of the dirty politics disclosures why nat radio was so soft on the government but later i thought cripes its because they voted for them !!
6. SaveNZ 6

   23 July 2018 at 9:10 am

   Kiwi ingenuity

   Solar panel heater made from empty cans costs almost nothing to run
   https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/how-to/105447540/solar-panel-heater-made-from-empty-cans-costs-almost-nothing-to-run
   • James 6.1

     23 July 2018 at 10:30 am

     Very cool.
   • ianmac 6.2

     23 July 2018 at 3:40 pm

     Thanks Save NZ. Could be developed further on larger scale but with a means to halt inward flow of cold air at night. Improve on the plastic sheet flap? How about a purpose built shed with a 1000 cans or copper pipes (expensive!) and ducted inwards. Perhaps use a liquid medium in each can as a reservoir of heat? Interesting.
7. SaveNZ 7

   23 July 2018 at 9:12 am

   Becoming a regular occurrence

   The New Zealand Transport Agency said a truck was blocking the middle lane of three northbound on the Harbour Bridge as of 7.20am on Monday.

   Another truck breakdown was causing delays northbound on the southern motorway.

   The breakdown was blocking one of the right-turn lanes on the northbound off-ramp to Mt Wellington Highway, NZTA said.

   https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/105676288/breakdown-blocking-lane-of-aucklands-harbour-bridge
   • SaveNZ 7.1

     23 July 2018 at 9:42 am

     I guess nobody needs to expect the plethora of truck owners and drivers to maintain vehicles, let alone pay decent pay rates for their truck drivers, exploding over Auckland and actually constantly being granted new resource consents to go back and forth daily for decades, often using our our subcontractor, after subcontractor or creating the new lower than minimum waged, ‘dependant contractor’ systems in place to keep that industry the lowest common denominator.

     How about an instant $1000 fine for business vehicles and higher fines when they spill their loads, as well as demerit points and an investigation into who owns the load. Perhaps their should be the expectation that business vehicles should be maintained to a higher standard and should not be breaking down daily on motorways and adding thousands of extra hours of unwitting commuters congestion times and police officers!

     ACC should also be calculating if there has been an increase in accidents with trucks/business vehicles in the last 4 years since the rise in fake drivers licenses being issued as well as the ahem ‘skilled truck driver’ category (for $18 p/h) to see if that industry has become a liability by creating unsafe roads and killing and maiming people, as well as the constant break downs causing congestion that are in the headlines day after day!
     • SaveNZ 7.1.1

       23 July 2018 at 10:06 am

       There seems to be plenty of interest in knowing supply chain of slave labour factories in the clothing and electronic industry for example and a corporation to maintain a supply chain to be free of exploitation.

       Sadly there seems to be a blind eye turned in this country for construction and transport in particular (maybe even now encouraged by the previous National government in the thirst for a sticker label of cheap) for the same supply chain for goods sold or made in NZ, which sound like might be some forced labourer, exploited and illegal worker delivering goods or putting that Gib on, while the end producer says, “not my problem” if my supply chain is not known within this country.

       As with Fletchers, not having a clue what is going on with subcontractors and thinking that some accounting approach and having 5 subcontractors in between with the cheapest subcontractor getting the job by using unqualified or poor labour, goods and materials, is gonna deliver good results is not exactly working out…

       Likewise the electrical firm owner, who just subcontracted the work to unqualified electrician https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/104856157/shock-finding-shoddy-wiring-put-vulnerable-housing-nz-tenants-at-risk-of-dying-in-fire putting hundreds of vulnerable people at risk, but part of the NZ way to operate without any moral obligation for supply chain and any accountability in tenders, and a trivial fine when discovered delivering illegal work.

       In Germany for example a very strong economy they take a different approach, including fair wages and conditions, well qualified people and making every worker in the building industry (even carpet layers) have a 10 year guarantee and you go to jail if you do bad workmanship and refuse to fix it!
   • Rosemary McDonald 7.2

     23 July 2018 at 10:14 am

     God knows why I remember reading this….https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/projects/auckland-harbour-bridge/AHBA-July-newsletter-WEB.pdf

     …but it contains a list of incidents causing traffic flow disruption on the Bridge in 2014-15…

     The bridge saw:
     •
     371 over-dimensional loads
     •
     326 breakdowns (plus 44
     vehicles running out of fuel)
     •
     232 incidents of debris
     •
     48 weather incidents (wind
     gusts over 60kph)
     •
     50 road closures
     •
     94 driving complaints
     •
     77 crashes
     •
     50 pedestrians
     •
     1 rabbit

     And fines for running out of fuel wee mooted back in 2009….

     http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2784302/Fines-for-running-out-of-petrol-on-motorway-mulled
     • SaveNZ 7.2.1

       23 July 2018 at 11:21 am

       I think with the hollowing out of the middle classes, maybe taxes on business who should know better should be the focus for congestion, the masses already are being given the petrol tax. Get rid of the worst performing truck businesses and raise the standards!

       Same with construction who takes the fall, the ratepayers. When construction fails, it seems to have become the norm for the council to pay for the repairs, then the homeowners themselves aka the ratepayers aka the middle classes for the most part, while the developers and dodgy businesses get away with deregistering their business and starting a new one up the next day.

       The our government just gives the developers more contracts and corporate welfare!

       Governments wonder why inequality is increasing. Time to move towards a higher quality German style approach with only quality people who get it right the first time!
       • cleangreen 7.2.1.1

         23 July 2018 at 3:46 pm

         SaveNZ very good articles you and Rosemary came here with today, as we already see now that the aging fleet of trucks are not safe any more to oeprate on the roads.

         In Germany and UK only limited models of trucks are now allowed on their roads and our country should now be more critical about the age and condition of these trucks; – many still are 20+yrs and some even older.

         Yes to ACC who now must review the contrabutions to our fund from truck owners using older, less safe trucks; – as they cost us all much more to operate on our roads.

         Often many now are causing expensive infrustructure repairs after they crash, or explode into a fireball.
   • Herodotus 7.3

     23 July 2018 at 1:48 pm

     https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=1209297And this lovely example of good nz driving skills
     And we blame tourists unfamiliar with our roads as a reason for the accident rate
8. One Two 8

   23 July 2018 at 9:16 am

   https://www.haaretz.com/whdcMobileSite/israel-news/.premium-white-helmets-rescue-shows-israel-is-pretty-deep-into-syria-1.6295222

   Humanitarian!

   A cursory glance at the search returns, shows the global ‘news’ distribution pipelines to be in perfect lock step…
9. Robert Guyton 9

   23 July 2018 at 9:27 am

   If you have time to read…

   https://www.resilience.org/stories/2018-07-18/how-the-great-transition-was-made/
   • Pat 9.1

     23 July 2018 at 10:01 am

     If i knew how to write I could have written it myself…lol
     • Robert Guyton 9.1.1

       23 July 2018 at 10:04 am

       Anyone can write, Pat 🙂
       • Pat 9.1.1.1

         23 July 2018 at 10:16 am

         some better than others….and there may have been a bit more mayhem and conflict explicit in my version.
   • Draco T Bastard 9.2

     23 July 2018 at 12:56 pm

     But the other thing triggered was widespread recognition that the old globalised and market driven economic system was clearly incapable of providing for all people, that it could not solve the big problems, in fact it was clearer than ever that it was the cause of the problems. Large numbers of ordinary people realized that they had to go local, that they had to come together to grapple with how to make their neighbourhoods, towns and suburbs capable of providing urgently needed things.

     A country can only support itself and an export led economy must result in that economies collapse.
10. greywarshark 10

    23 July 2018 at 10:08 am

    lprent
    Would you have time to set up the search system again? It has lost the ability to check for one’s own input and those containing one’s own identifier?
    • lprent 10.1

      23 July 2018 at 1:42 pm

      It has? Oh so it has…

      Ummm. Probably won’t get a chance to look at it until next weekend.

      I was planning over the weekend to go on looking for missing bits after the server move. However I wound up lazing about in bed getting rid of sniffle and sneeze.
      • veutoviper 10.1.1

        23 July 2018 at 1:48 pm

        Fair enough re lazing about getting rid of sniffle and sneeze. LOL. You do enough for us all.

        I second grey’s ‘pretty please’ re the search system being a search addict. But only when you have the time, health and inclination.

        Thanks Lynn, your hard work keeping this site running is really appreciated.
        • cleangreen 10.1.1.1

          23 July 2018 at 3:48 pm

          Here here for Iprent.
11. gsays 11

    23 July 2018 at 10:16 am

    I understand it is a particular offence to assault police, fire and ambulance staff.

    This protection does not cover nurses, why would that be?
    • indiana 11.1

      23 July 2018 at 10:42 am

      Because the nurse is protected by the same laws as if a WINZ worker was assaulted in their workplace.
      • Rosemary McDonald 11.1.1

        23 July 2018 at 10:56 am

        That’s a false comparison there indiana. A nurse is obliged to render care and treatment and draws on years of learning and practical training in order to meet a certain standard of professional ethics. A bit of history for you….http://www.nznursesstation.org/2001-09%20Kai%20Tiaki-Meanings%20behind%20the%20nursing%20medal.pdf

        A WINZ worker on the other hand….https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/87347930/aggressive-prosecution-focus-at-msd-preceded-womans-death-inquest-told

        https://thespinoff.co.nz/parenting/26-04-2018/benefit-sanctions-are-cruel-and-theyre-hurting-mothers/

        https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/10/14/heres-what-winz-are-patronisingly-saying-to-people-on-welfare-when-they-dont-think-anyones-listening/

        The last one is a particularly good read…

        “Last night I paid a visit to Jill* who used to be an unemployment case manager for WINZ. She predominantly worked with people with disabilities and mental health problems. Jill told me that “every employee at WINZ has to meet a job target. If WINZ employees push people off welfare, they a get bonus and it can be one to two thousand dollars. Keep in mind that WINZ workers are also often low paid workers who have mortgages to pay and families to support.”

        When Jill first started working at WINZ she told me that to meet these targets she was supposed to shove (and it was “shove”) her clients into any job. But having worked in the mental health sector previously, Jill was aware that this can set people up to fail and destroy self-confidence. Because of this she found short training schemes that were free and placed people on these educational programs, as she said “to buy her clients time”. She faced enormous pressure “to place people in jobs regardless of their capabilities.” In the end Jill quit after “seriously losing the will to live, sleep and eat” because “working at WINZ was just fucking awful.””
        • In Vino 11.1.1.1

          23 July 2018 at 5:23 pm

          Thanks Rosemary – it is sad that I find Jill’s story totally credible. The people who created this situation and policy should be punished in this world. Since I doubt that they will be, this is one of the rare times I hope for an omniscient creator who will bring them to justice in the next.
      • gsays 11.1.2

        23 July 2018 at 11:40 am

        Hi Indiana, do you think either/both are worthy of better protection?

        Nursing requires a certain level of trust and rapport to be an advocate for the patient.

        Here in Palmy, this weekend, a nurses was kicked by a patient.
        A patient that had been bought in by three police officers.
        All three were in the room when the assault occurred.

        Goodness knows how the nurses cope when one on one.
        Especially when your ‘back-up’ is a security guard, being paid at or close to minimum wage with no specialist training.
    • Psych nurse 11.2

      23 July 2018 at 11:08 am

      And police dogs have more protection under law than a nurse, great to be put in your place eh.
      • gsays 11.2.1

        23 July 2018 at 11:43 am

        I have never fully understood the ‘protection’ giving to police dogs.
        Especially when it is very hard for a handler to control the animal once it is off the leash and out of sight.

        And yes, a very cruel irony.
12. Sanctuary 12

    23 July 2018 at 10:17 am

    Ash Sarkar, she is so hot right now!

    https://youtu.be/-H4J7nNazO0

    “When you are leftist who says all or nothing then you’ve made your peace with nothing”
13. bwaghorn 13

    23 July 2018 at 12:02 pm

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12092499

    In the 80s nz scrapped farmer subsidies and after some pain it proved the right thing to do .
    Is it time to scrap Working For Families and Rent Subsidies . ?
    • marty mars 13.1

      23 July 2018 at 12:30 pm

      So youre pushing the hooton crap. Why bother with that toxic swill. Sad.
      We get wff and it really helps our family and you want to take that off us and make it harder for us? Maybe you just want an argument ill wait and see 🚮
      • bwaghorn 13.1.1

        23 July 2018 at 2:16 pm

        I wanted to spark a debate . However you dress them up they are subsidies to the rich . I have had wff (although the ex made sure I never saw them and she still gets them even though I do half the parenting)
        If we removed the rent subsidies but froze rents for 4 years at the level they are excluding the subsidies that would force a lot of rentals onto the market .
        • marty mars 13.1.1.1

          23 July 2018 at 2:33 pm

          We aren’t rich – you’re misinformed which I’d expect if you were slurping on hootons rubbish. You sound bitter about your personal situation.

          As for rents – you seem to want people to sink or swim – you realise people drown eh. Sure sort the rorts out but don’t fuck with poor people please.
          • bwaghorn 13.1.1.1.1

            23 July 2018 at 4:24 pm

            Angry me na .Just guilty of to much personal sharing . As draco says we need to find a better system but you would rather the status quo it would seem
            • marty mars 13.1.1.1.1.1

              23 July 2018 at 4:34 pm

              Bitter isn’t angry.

              Sure, you and draco can go find a better system lol as for me and the status quo – never really grooved to that band although some okay songs

              https://youtu.be/d1gYJDQXPOk
    • Draco T Bastard 13.2

      23 July 2018 at 2:58 pm

      Probably not. Forcing even more poverty onto the poor really won’t work.

      The government could easily get rid of rent subsidies by simply owning enough state houses so that there simply wasn’t demand for privately owned rentals.

      What we have to do is look for a better system than capitalism.
    • corodale 13.3

      23 July 2018 at 6:33 pm

      Would that come under the umbrella of a Royal Commission on UBI?
14. Gosman 14

    23 July 2018 at 12:07 pm

    An analysis of the mess Venezuela is in from a left wing perspective.

    https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/13915

    What is most interesting is that there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of a solution being offered up apart from vague solutions such as Chavez 2003 or Cristina Fernández 2013-14.

    The far left is lacking in ideas it seems.
    • One Two 14.1

      23 July 2018 at 12:28 pm

      Still pushing the same tropes around, Gosman…

      Gosman is lacking in ideas it seems…
      • Gosman 14.1.1

        23 July 2018 at 12:30 pm

        Venezuela is the gift that keeps on giving in terms of highlighting the failure of Socialism. Obviously the people there are suffering terribly so it is no laughing matter.
        • adam 14.1.1.1

          23 July 2018 at 12:37 pm

          How the free market experiment working out in Argentina for you Gossy? Oh wait it keeps falling over, and so is Argentina in a really bad way, and getting worse.

          The free market illusion the gift that keeps on giving by destroying peoples lives. The are suffering very badly, so it’s no laughing matter.
          • Stuart Munro 14.1.1.1.1

            23 July 2018 at 12:49 pm

            We don’t have to go so far afield.

            Both the property market and the cost of living blowout since Rogergnomics prove the market has utterly failed right here in New Zealand.
            • Gosman 14.1.1.1.1.1

              23 July 2018 at 12:54 pm

              Nonsense. The NZ economy is in much better shape than it was in 1984.
              • Stuart Munro …

                23 July 2018 at 1:01 pm

                On paper maybe.

                But life is shit here now.
                • Gosman …

                  23 July 2018 at 1:07 pm

                  Yet you have little actual evidence supporting that theory.
                  • Stuart Munro …

                    23 July 2018 at 2:46 pm

                    Sure I do – so does the UN.

                    You can’t hide this crap forever Gosman – like the shit in the hospital walls it will seep out. Exploding child poverty and suicide rates. Burgeoning prison population. Massive and increasing homelessness. Negative social mobility.

                    You’re the one with no evidence – just a few handfuls of poorly triangulated statistics deliberately designed to avoid identifying the shortcomings of these far-right policies imposed upon us without the ghost of a mandate, and without a record of success anywhere in the world.
                    • Gosman …

                      23 July 2018 at 2:47 pm

                      LOL! The UN!!!

                      You mean countries such as Russia, Belarus, Colombia, Brazil, and Cameroon?
                    • Stuart Munro …

                      23 July 2018 at 2:52 pm

                      Yes, the UN you backward plonker.

                      Read Mickey Savage’s recent piece, even the UN has noticed how very far backwards NZ has slid under the wretched governance of the last few decades.

                      We have a first world population with second world government.
                    • Gosman …

                      23 July 2018 at 2:54 pm

                      I think I we do a darn sight better than most of the countries that was on that UN panel. That is why the UN is a joke.
                    • Gosman …

                      23 July 2018 at 2:56 pm

                      https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-30981-1_2

                      “The results show that 73 % children aged less than five years lived with multidimensional poverty line with 25 % being affected by extreme poverty. On the other hand, 61 % of Cameroonian households were poor.”
                    • Stuart Munro …

                      23 July 2018 at 2:56 pm

                      Now you’re the one without any evidence.

                      And of course even you know a simple comparison is disingenuous. Cameroon starts from a lower base. NZ had enviable social statistics not so long ago, but your lot pissed them away without lifting our wealth (relative to our trade partners) one iota.

                      It’s fair to say all your schemes have failed us.
                    • Gosman …

                      23 July 2018 at 2:58 pm

                      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4429160/Children-brink-starvation-Belarus-orphanages.html

                      “‘Their legs are toothpicks covered with skin’: Children in Belarus orphanages are found on the brink of starvation ‘looking like Nazi concentration camp victims’ in chilling echo of Romania’s care home crisis”
                    • Gosman …

                      23 July 2018 at 3:00 pm

                      https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/22/millions-more-russians-living-in-poverty-as-economic-crisis-bites

                      “An average of 19.2 million Russians – or 13.4% of the population – were living last year on less than 9,452 roubles ($139) a month, the minimum subsistence level determined by the Russian government in the fourth quarter”
                    • One Two []

                      23 July 2018 at 4:31 pm

                      ’22’ MM…

                      Is a made up number in the headline…

                      More ‘concern’ than discern, eh Gosman…
                    • Gosman …

                      23 July 2018 at 3:08 pm

                      When did we have enviable social statistics ?
                    • Stuart Munro …

                      23 July 2018 at 3:13 pm

                      “When did we have enviable social statistics?”

                      Back when we made the top handful of the HDI. When we had >80% home ownership, and full employment measured honestly.

                      And while you’re at it – how come our standard of living relative to our trading partners has been flat? Kind of proves all your lies about Rockstar economies achieved nothing whatsoever.
                    • In Vino …

                      23 July 2018 at 5:34 pm

                      Gosman is one of those cynical right-wing liars who actually knows that Socialism/Communism has been tried or enforced only in countries that were poor to begin with. That includes Russia. Never has there been a fair trial: capitalism developed in richer, heavily-industrialised countries. Socialism has never had a fair trial in such a country, and the capitalist group quickly combine to beat down any already-poor country that tries Socialism.
                      Then he makes his one-eyed, nonsensical claims about Venezuela, etc.
          • Gosman 14.1.1.1.2

            23 July 2018 at 12:51 pm

            Argentina highlights the failure of left wing economics not of right wing ones.

            https://news.sky.com/story/why-argentinas-economy-is-in-trouble-again-11358456

            “Promising to shake the economy from the bedraggled state to which it had been reduced by his left-wing predecessor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, his first move was to overhaul the country’s official statistics – which had been distorted egregiously to hide the weak state of the economy.”

            “However, such was the dire state of the public finances, Mr Macri was forced to introduce austerity measures to bring down a budget deficit that had ballooned under Ms Kirchner.”

            “Argentina froze the price of gas, electricity and water in 2002, sparking a collapse in investment, leaving the country’s power networks in a dilapidated state.

            From being an exporter of energy, Argentina became an importer, while much public spending – instead of going on investment in infrastructure – was blown on energy subsidies to households and in corrupt payments.”

            “This was highly necessary: before Ms Kirchner came to power, social security payouts, including pensions, consumed around one-third of the government’s budget.

            Now, after years of Ms Kirchner bribing voters with borrowed money, it consumes nearly half of the budget.
            • Muttonbird 14.1.1.1.2.1

              23 July 2018 at 12:54 pm

              Fudging statistics, eh? A John Key specialty.
              • Gosman …

                23 July 2018 at 12:56 pm

                You have no evidence that the last government fudged ANY official statistics. Stats NZ does not make up or fudge statistics based on the diktats of Politicians.
                • Muttonbird …

                  23 July 2018 at 1:00 pm

                  Yes they do. Stats NZ is a mess because of political interference by the John Key government.
                  • Gosman …

                    23 July 2018 at 1:01 pm

                    Name me one reform of Stats Nz that the Labour led government has undertaken then? Given your view it is a mess surely the new government is doing it’s utmost to fix it isn’t it?

                    Who is the Minoister in charge of Stats NZ? If he hasn’t announced a wide ranging reform he should be sacked.
                  • Gosman …

                    23 July 2018 at 1:05 pm

                    I did a search on Minister of Statistics and Stats NZ and the only links I can see suggests that the Minister (James Shaw of the Greens) is less interested in reforming Stats NZ and more interested in getting questions about LGTQIB status in to the Census. Lefties must be so proud to have someone of his caliber in charge of an organisation so fundamentally broken.
                • SaveNZ …

                  23 July 2018 at 2:05 pm

                  Well I guess if you work 1 hour per week and are considered employed by the Natz and foreign buyers make up only 3% of sales while ASB report that up to 20% of their sales in Auckland are to foreign buyers but they can’t tell because a significant proportion are in trusts and companies… so it could be more…

                  Get the impression that government stats are not what they used to be… they have been extensively remodelled to provide a fake narrative…

                  Surely even the Natz supporters don’t want our councils bankrupt and corporations polluting the beaches… so come on, in everyone’s best political interests to have real statistics and to analyse the practicality and integrity of what is being measured!

                  Then do the spin, not before, so nobody now knows what is going on and the treasury can by 25% out, but not notice any mistakes…

                  Not in anybodies interest for gross incompetence and deliberate fake stats being championed in government.
                  • Gosman …

                    23 July 2018 at 2:32 pm

                    What is James Shaw doing about these “faked” Official Stats?
                    • Stuart Munro …

                      23 July 2018 at 3:15 pm

                      Never mind James Shaw – what are you doing about them?

                      Stats are our employees. Lying to us is a sacking offence. The lot of them are en pris.
                    • Gosman …

                      23 July 2018 at 3:21 pm

                      James Shaw is responsible for these people you believe should be sacked. Why isn’t he getting rid of them or at least instigating a review so that he can reform the organisation?
                    • Stuart Munro …

                      23 July 2018 at 3:24 pm

                      Why don’t you write and ask him?
                    • Gosman …

                      23 July 2018 at 3:26 pm

                      Because I’m not a nut job who thinks Stats NZ is corrupt. You are.
                    • Stuart Munro …

                      23 July 2018 at 3:28 pm

                      Tell the truth – you’re a nut job that works at Stats.
                    • Gosman …

                      23 July 2018 at 3:35 pm

                      If I was I am seemingly safe because James Shaw doesn’t seem to care about how corrupt the organisation is.
                    • Stuart Munro …

                      23 July 2018 at 3:55 pm

                      Yup – a suppurating cesspool of corruption – your native habitat.
        • Draco T Bastard 14.1.1.2

          23 July 2018 at 3:01 pm

          Venezuela is the gift that keeps on giving in terms of highlighting the failure of Socialism.

          No. It highlights the failure of capitalism. Venezuela is still capitalist after all.
          • Gosman 14.1.1.2.1

            23 July 2018 at 3:12 pm

            Except the government has been trying to implement Socialism for almost 20 years and instead of getting better it is getting worse for EVERYONE (outside the corrupt elite running the country that is).
            • Draco T Bastard 14.1.1.2.1.1

              23 July 2018 at 3:38 pm

              Yes, because of the capitalists.

              The major problem with socialism is that it keeps capitalism in place and it’s capitalism that is the problem.
              • Gosman …

                23 July 2018 at 4:23 pm

                And your alternative seems too easy to thwart.
            • Gabby 14.1.1.2.1.2

              23 July 2018 at 4:15 pm

              Somebody seems to be sticking a green backed spoke in the works gozzer.
      • cleangreen 14.1.2

        23 July 2018 at 3:51 pm

        yes One two; – Gosman does get boring picking out left issues all over the world but not looking in the same places for evil going on within the right wing camp.
    • weston 14.2

      23 July 2018 at 6:54 pm

      well what can “they “do Gosman when america has fucked more countries than most of us have had hot dinnas ?
15. roy cartland 15

    23 July 2018 at 1:18 pm

    Here’s a story about the ‘happy homeless’, who live in “luxury”, and even “prefer” it. Media doing its job I guess?

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/105559569/bridge-dwellers-a-homemade-toilet-and-semipet-rats

    “It’s a luxury pad, as far as homeless haunts go”
    “claims to already be living the dream”
    • Gabby 15.1

      23 July 2018 at 4:13 pm

      Gfoffle’s wondering if the bridge dwellers can be charged rates.
16. joe90 16

    23 July 2018 at 1:46 pm

    Aww, damn shame.

    /

    At planting time, soybeans were looking more profitable more than corn— so farmers put in more beans this year for 1st time in 3 decades. Now outlook for soybeans has worsened due to trade spat. (Dateline—Near the Offenburger residence @chuckoburger)https://t.co/yx0WgdeEvT pic.twitter.com/Q5ZGTT27hV— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) July 22, 2018

    https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs/status/1021076427146506241
17. joe90 17

    23 July 2018 at 2:00 pm

    I doubt this thuggettte won’t spend a second in Villawood because…..

    A Sydney magistrate has launched a blistering attack on alcohol-fuelled violence by women, telling one woman that “it’s about time sentences are imposed [on] females that are imposed on males for the same thing”.

    Magistrate Michael Barko on Wednesday handed British national Elizabeth Hasler 250 hours of community service for attacking her Gai Waterhouse colleague in what he called a “drunken rage of jealousy”.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/105675728/gai-waterhouse-stablehand-sentenced-for-punching-colleague-in-rage-of-jealousy

    ….white Australia….?

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/105568813/inquiry-call-after-unnecessary-force-used-to-move-kiwi-woman-in-sydney-detention-centre
18. joe90 18

    23 July 2018 at 4:24 pm

    He’s setting up his Vincent ‘Chin’ Gigante defence, isn’t he?

    To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2018

    https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1021234525626609666

    edit:

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Diw0TeJX4AAcDWT.jpg
    • marty mars 18.1

      23 July 2018 at 5:05 pm

      Yeah just saw that – cowardly weak babyman tries to act tough – oh and his fucked baby sized fingers are on the nuclear trigger. He bent the knee to putrid and now has gotta act tough.

      I’m watching a doco on the devastation of Vietnam by the yanks – so much misery caused by arrogance and lies.
      • corodale 18.1.1

        23 July 2018 at 6:41 pm

        Did you ever see the video of Trump shaving Vince McMahon’s head, in the ring on WWE? Match that Rouhani!
    • gsays 18.2

      23 July 2018 at 5:26 pm

      while i am not a trumpet, there seems to be a shade more integrity to the capital letter tweet, than the ‘pre emptive strike’ bulldust leading to bush war 2.
19. eco maori 19

    24 July 2018 at 8:37 am

    The mokopunas Generation Z are more intelligent they are more informed and they know that if we stuff the environment and economy up they will suffer and they will have to clean the mess up. They have the internet that is the equalizer for information its not hard to work out fact from fiction on the internet .
    The internet is the 21st century communication device that is the game changer for the % 99.0 to take control of OUR future for the better for all being and Generation Z is going to achive this feat . People can read my words from all around Papatuanuku and they do. Kia kaha mokopunas all this information from the internet puts a lot off presser on the mokopunas and dumb statements by some like bill bridge does not help our mokopunas wairua .Ka kite ano
20. eco maori 20

    24 July 2018 at 9:22 am

    I say some one should design a AP/ program that would fact check statements it could state who makes the statement and cross reference the information and there back ground work political views and country of origin and rate the persons statement on the level of biasness the writer has on the topic and give a list of other peoples views on the topic Ka kite ano
21. eco maori 21

    24 July 2018 at 9:48 am

    My flute keeps outing out sweet music to some to some its a pukana Ka kite ano

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/105679737/its-time-for-business-to-take-responsibility-for-low-wages
22. eco maori 22

    24 July 2018 at 10:12 am

    This link is to trump and all his supporters.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/jul/23/scientists-detect-a-human-fingerprint-in-the-atmospheres-seasonal-cycles

    Ka kite ano
23. eco maori 23

    24 July 2018 at 10:36 am

    This women’s behavior and her pears in not on and good on the Philippians for getting better treatment and rights for there Tangata Kia kaha Philippians links below.
    Ka kite ano

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/23/who-will-refund-me-kuwaiti-star-ignites-row-over-filipinos-days-off

    https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/oct/24/the-vanished-filipino-domestic-workers-working-abroad P.S Its the 21 century come on people we are all human and deserve to be treated as a Equal humans . Ana to kai
24. eco maori 24

    24 July 2018 at 11:06 am

    Eco Maori tautoko’s All mana wahine around Papatuanuku Kia kaha and stand up for your rights as know one else will get the message of equality out there as a wahine ka kite ano.

    https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jul/23/this-is-a-frightening-time-to-be-a-woman-who-speaks-truth-to-power

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