So RNZ has another "crime is out of control" story from, specifically, Puketapu. Quoting a person "RNZ has agreed not to name" we get little more than a sotto voce racist white crime panic. This anonymous source says they saw some people poking about, they were challenged, they left and the police were called and the cops arrived smartly. This level of "crime" is, apparently, enough for the local aspirational squatocracy to think about cos-playing Massey's Cossacks to deliver a bit of vigilante justice.
Now, places like Puketapu are deepest blue right wing country and you'll find a generous helping of groundswell type unreconstructed racists and bigots of all ages who are more than happy to be an agent provocateur if it suits them, so a little less credulity in assessing some of the claims coming out of the regions from our credulous MSM would be nice (although in a era where to paint yourself the victim is to exonerate yourself from any scrutiny in the media that might be a bit to much to expect).
But this little vignette of largely social media inspired (although the MSM is ever keen on amplifying the slightest hint of a verified heaving bosom and/or torn bodice) fear and loathing shows just how deep cooker culture has penetrated into our low information provinces, which no longer have much by the way of local MSM journalism and instead rely on an unrelieved diet of FB groups, rumour, and talkback troll farms for news. To me it is just wild that many people are now so inculcated with bad information sources they more likely to believe cookers on a FB group than they are the police commissioner when discussing crime.
One screamingly obvious learning from the pandemic and these sorts of disasters is there are huge consequences in the death of reliable and well resourced local media in New Zealand. In my youth in Hawkes Bay the region had two well functioning local newspapers with numerous reporters, the generally august and reliable Napier Daily Telegraph and that useless rag from across the way, the Hastings based Hawkes Bay Herald Tribune. Both papers reflected the political traditions of their city, and the whole media eco system was buttressed by the local ZC radio station, which featured frequent interviews with local politicians and reports on the proceedings of the council. All that has vanished. The result has been the flourishing of crony politics and sharp practice, the death of local democracy and the rise of online disinformation, misinformation and downright black propaganda.
Driving past, one of their neighbours had seen the group, who "obviously didn't look like they belonged in our house," she said. When he pulled over and asked what they were doing, they told her neighbour they "were just looking to go for a swim".
The neighbour "politely asked them to leave, which obviously is a pretty common story out there".
Oh well…..but then this?
Rebecca then rang police and a patrol car was there "relatively quickly, and the Eagle helicopter" but with a lack of details, including a number plate, there "wasn't a hell of a lot that they could do," she told RNZ.
So they got Police,Patrol car..and Eagle helicopter. But the so helpful neighbour neglected to get the number plate…or descriptions.
plus if reading it right, stupid Rebecca left a key out if "they managed to get their hands on a key". Certainly an entitled bullhorn of a woman. Having said that, break-ins at this time is even more scummy than at any other time.
The whole story was a heaving unspoken cypher for a whole lot of other issues, including the unspoken informal apartheid that exists in Napier/Hastings, the studiously ignored and well hidden abject poverty, marginalisation and "othering" of poor urban Maori that exists alongside the well heeled white colonies of ex-Aucklanders we large see in our MSM when talking about Hawkes Bay, it's crony class politics, and a post-Douglas era social order than can only be described in many cases as semi-feudal.
Agree, I perceived an unspoken malice in the woman’s allegations. Similar to the US cases where a woman phones the Police because there is a Black Man in the park…
A friend lives in Wairoa and he has two Mobsters as neighbours, while all shovelling silt together he said they laughed at the moral panic stories.
Personally, if people are without communication, petrol, water, sanitation, a usable roading bridge network, health care, access to medicine, cash, banking services, food supply etc. it is ok to help yourself to essentials from businesses–but opportunist thefts from individuals are another matter and reprehensible.
The numbers will hopefully emerge eventually as to whether there has been a crime wave or not.
There is an undercurrent of if you are the right sort of person "borrowing" the water tank from your neighbour's abandoned and wrecked place so you can gather rain water to clean your property is smart, but if you are the wrong sort poking about a red stickered property to claim a half buried bike then you are a looter and a suitable target for vigilante justice.
The bottom line is a lot of people on the right are pre-disposed to believe rumours of looting and social breakdown because their world view is formed by a belief that the “perfect” state of nature is fundamentally Hobbesian, and thus a disaster creates the perfect conditions for uncivilised competition. That, in turn, leads them to logically (for them) conclude they are living in a Hobbesian nightmare and therefore a shoot first, ask questions later mindset prevails.
Luxon and Seymour put out the call that crime is rampant. So we the obedient ones answer the call. We are scared. Crime is everywhere. The police are hopeless. This Government is hopeless. Call in the Army. Careless media repeat the feelings.
Actually I think that the politics of stoking up fear is disgusting. Shame on you Luxon, Seymour and the Mayor of Nappier.
Prime Minister rejects claims he is not taking post cyclone lawlessness seriously [23 February 2023]
“As I [PM Hipkins] have said all week, I acknowledge that when the power is out and the communications are out, there is a heightened degree of anxiety and any criminal offending in that time is going to be of extra concern to a local community. That’s the reason why we have an extra 145 police from outside the district here at the moment helping on the ground.”
…
After the media conference at the Distribution Centre in Hastings, Hipkins was set to fly to Wairoa by helicopter, but this was cancelled due to bad weather.
Cyclone Gabrielle: Govt slams 'climate of hysteria' over crime[22 February 2023] Where crime occurs, police are on the ground to support communities, but, as I [Minister Michael Wood, responding on behalf of the police minister] have also said in the primary answer to this question, police report that levels of crime are within a normal range. No crime is acceptable, and this – this time it is more stressful for communities, so we will continue to work to provide that reassurance.
And I would just urge all members of the house, ah – to support police in doing that job, and not to create a climate of hysteria that will add further to the distress of people in an already difficult situation.
Amen – imho, cynically whipping up a climate of hysteria about a supposed ‘crime wave’ ['They’re' stealing our stuff!] is unhelpful at best – more than enough ‘climate’ to worry about as is.
"“As I [PM Hipkins] have said all week, I acknowledge that when the power is out and the communications are out, there is a heightened degree of anxiety and any criminal offending in that time is going to be of extra concern to a local community."
IOW – the crime you think is happening is not really happening, it's just a 'heightened degree of anxiety'.
Really? Meanwhile, those nice people the government 'requested' pull their heads in just didn't listen.
Imho, cynically whipping up a climate of hysteria about a supposed ‘crime spike’ at this time will pay political dividends, but not in the way you might think.
Reports of looting and a post-cyclone crime spike in the Eastern District have been greatly exaggerated, and are being used as a “political football”, say police officers on the ground.
Incredible how petty the political right of New Zealand are, holding up a single, murky, roadside incident for purposes of distracting away from the huge amount of good work authorities are doing.
Why do the political right of New Zealand always concentrate on the negative?
Nice try, but no cigar. Hipkins called them “unsubstantiated rumours”, i.e., they may or may not have been true. You failed to make your point though because it wasn’t about the PM being ‘slippery’ but about “crime is rampant” in the area as alleged by Luxon and Seymour who are turning this into a political football. They are the slippery ones because they take every single incident reported in the media and blow out of proportion into Armageddon for political gain. Noted.
"Hipkins called them “unsubstantiated rumours”, i.e., they may or may not have been true. "
Hipkin's meaning was very clear. The roadworker knew what he was saying. And Newshub knew when they wrote the headline "Chris Hipkins climbs down from criticised crime claims as roadworker says politicians are 'covering backside'"
And there you have it, the PM should have jumped on the bandwagon of fear mongers and sing from the same sheet as Luxon and Seymour. This is not about the victims at all, it is about playing political football. The Opposition knew exactly what they were doing and so do the media. And since when are headlines accurate reports of the news? Seriously, you’re spinning and you’ve missed your calling as headline-writing chatbot.
Oh the Herald says it, well goodo, it must be true and tell me it isn't so, the fiercely loyal to the Labour Government Rural Community is turning against them. Shocked I say, shocked.
And yesterday, Tairāwhiti Police Area Commander Sam Aberahama – in charge of the region covering Poverty Bay and East Coast – said there had been “instances of people who have exploited this disaster to commit dishonesty offences”…..
“This is disgusting behaviour and we have zero tolerance for it. Our patrols and staff on the ground are ensuring that our community is not seeing a marked increase in criminal activity,” Aberahama said.
“But the facts are that we have had fewer reports of dishonesty offences than in the weeks before this disaster – from seven per day prior to February 14 down to four per day over the past 10 days.
The good folk of the east coast and HB are right in the middle of this. Right now. They won't be on the phone to plod. They are taking their own measures.
Yeah, right! They are too busy looking for that one silver ute with 5 people in it. And the cell towers are not working, are they? Plenty of ‘wet bus tickets’ around there, I guess, but that’s just more slash coming down the barren slopes of your biased brain. You’re on a roll, rolling out the BS.
Adam Pearse didn’t mention anything about the good folk not reporting crime in his latest piece. Quite the opposite rather, Police are coming to meet with concerned and fearful residents to discuss roadblocks etc. Looks like your non-reporting allegations is silt eroding from your barren biased imagination. Get off the grass or better yet, go back to YouTube and watch those many video’s posted by people from the left with which you have a beef.
I know it must be tough being this weeks NACT lickspittle but are you saying the good folk are too busy to call the Police but all the time in the world to talk to the Herald?
Sure, and with the roadblocks they get more traction with the Police, obviously. Unfortunately, the same roadblocks will prevent Police and other emergency services getting through, which could put lives at risk. This is a risky ‘PR strategy’ but it seems to make sense to you. Go figure.
No, exactly, and that’s why I assumed it originated from your imagination. Of course, you can support your BS assertions, but you haven’t done so. So … QED.
So you took one article and dreamed up an entire comment about something the author didn't say. I think you're losing your touch.
[You have made several claims about people not reporting crime now. You have not provided any evidence for this yet other than your own reckons, and now you claim that they are my reckons aka “dreamed up”.
Back up your claims about people not reporting crime now and inferences won’t suffice. And seeing ‘suspicious’ silver utes in the area is not seeing a crime either – Incognito]
Yes, as long as it doesn’t “impede emergency responders” and a few other provisos mentioned in the link, which you left out of your comments, for some reason … They would be supportive if it does indeed deter criminals and looters – prevention is better than cure.
"Yes, as long as it doesn’t “impede emergency responders” and a few other provisos mentioned in the link, "
So what did you base your comment above that "Unfortunately, the same roadblocks will prevent Police and other emergency services getting through," on?
My mistake; I left out a qualifier such as easily or quickly and made clear what risk this could pose to people’s lives. You don’t seem to share this concern with the Police, which was mentioned in the article you linked to. In fact, all you’re interested in is confirming your biased narrative.
"You have made several claims about people not reporting crime now. "
No, I haven't. I have suggested that is a likely scenario given what they are dealing with.
"and now you claim that they are my reckons aka “dreamed up”."
Huh? I think you're losing it.
"Back up your claims about people not reporting crime now "
You want me to prove that people aren't doing something? You're trolling now, inco. Have a strong coffee.
[Nope. You have stated numerous times that people are not reporting crimes. Don’t be dishonest about this.
I didn’t write your claims in your comments nor your ‘scenarios’. Is this some kind of game or film script to you?
Crime stats/numbers are lower, not higher. This doesn’t fit your narrative. Too bad for you. You were (t)asked to provide evidence that people were not reporting and why. You failed on both counts and have wasted a lot of my time.
I’m not trolling, I’m engaging with your BS while you’re being moderated and are in Pre-Mod. Frankly, I’ve seen enough of your BS and it is déjà vu all over again. Take three weeks off – Incognito]
"This is a risky ‘PR strategy’ but it seems to make sense to you. Go figure."
It would appear to be better than waiting for the Minister of Police.
"The Police Minister had no idea how bad it was until Newshub told him this afternoon."
""Whatever the District Commander needs to keep law and order, all she's got to do is ask but I need to get to the bottom of this. It's the first time I've heard it," he said."
If you think this is the reason why people were setting up roadblocks, to get the attention of the Minister of Police, then it was unnecessary and misguided, to say the least. You sound like Luxon and Seymour turning this into a political football at the highest level and you’re certainly playing along with them.
In the NZH article of 19 Feb that you linked to it clearly states that already “[m]ore than 100 additional officers had been brought into the district” and that more would be deployed, “[t]he Police Eagle helicopter will also be flying above the district”, and that the Eastern District commander Superintendent Jeanette Park was on the ball. In fact, as I already said, the article states that Police were talking directly with the people wanting to set up the roadblocks. You’re spinning!
Nope. You claimed that people were too busy setting up roadblocks, talking to the media, and talking to Police in the ground to report crime. It had nothing to do with the Minister being out of touch and people allegedly waiting for him – the PM had visited the area, so why would they wait for the Police Minister? It makes no sense and you are spinning, just like Luxon, Seymour and Mitchell.
You still haven’t provided anything else other than your reckons for your claims about the non-reporting. The Minister and PM are simply red herrings.
You are being moderated, not vetoed. You’re also in Pre-Mod, and your comments are pending until being released by a Mod, usually with a reply associated. This is to control the brown water flow here on this forum. If this takes too long for your liking, I’d suggest you complain to the SYSOP. You’ll find his contact details here: https://thestandard.org.nz/contact-us/.
There were "a lot of people and a lot of cars around out there that we know for sure aren't locals, and they aren't the volunteers that are doing a great job," Rebecca said. "There are people that are out there trying to take advantage of people like us that are already devastated."
Of course there’s people around. – rubber-neckers and people looking at what has been tossed out. One person's rubbish is another's treasure.
In the days when we had inorganic collections in Auckland, it was normal to see cars and vans cruising the streets looking for stuff they could restore either for themselves or to sell on. I was more then happy for them to take what they wanted. Its' called 'private enterprise' which the blue-ribboned among us are supposed to support.
But of course they are the wrong sort of entrepreneurs. They're the poor ones who usually come from the wrong side of the railway tracks.
Another output shock…25% of world beef exports set to be removed from the market.
"- Brazil's beef exports to China will be halted starting Thursday after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in the northern state of Para, the country's agriculture and livestock ministry said on Wednesday."
The enquiry's findings will be interesting considering the conflict with the likes of Pan Pac, which is owned by Oji Group, a leader in the pulp and paper industry in Japan.
I understand we signed the 'son of TPPA' which largely neuters the state's ability to take measures that may impact on the balance sheet of foreign owned companies.
Listening to people in communities like Tolaga bay can hear they are really cautious in their wording of crfiticism of logging companies, even after all the slash and debris has visited ruin upon their transport networks.
Put simply, these companies are the only jobs in town and no one want to lose that.
Same in the Far North, few like the rats and mice forestry operators, a number of peoples health and lives have suffered for years because of their exploitation.
Helen Kelly NZCTU ran a great campaign to try and sort them out. It is in the mists of time now that before Rogernomics there was a Govt. Forestry dept. that significantly existed to employ people on reasonable conditions!
I see ZB and others are moaning like their life is under threat, when we want to Tax excess greed.
As a Christian, the removal of tax on excess greed has been the most vial aspect of the last 40 odd years of liberal economics. That and flat taxes like GST.
Time to help these people, because greed is a condition that can't be curbed without help.
And talking about mmmmmm ('number needs to be blank') Waters here is an link to a piece on Neighbourly about Christchurch City Council introducing water fees.
'The Christchurch City Council's new water billing system went live on Sunday night and the first invoices for ratepayers using excess water are due to be sent out over the coming days.
The council introduced an excess water charge in October after making the decision to push ahead with the scheme in 2021.
It is not yet known how many people will get a bill, but the average charge is likely to be $83 and the maximum about $400.
Under the new rules, people will be charged a fixed rate of $1.35 for every 1000 litres they use over the 700-litre limit, which is the equivalent of 100 toilet flushes.'
Part of our discussion revolved around the inherent unfairness of this. KCDC charges for every drop used. There has been no attempt to mitigate these charges so the homeowner futilely trying to change nature by growing bowling green type grass on sand pays the same as someone looking after a family member who needs care involving the use of lots of water.
The phrase about 'treating unequal people equally does not mean you are treating them fairly' seems to apply.
Regular readers of this blog would know that I have no love for ACT, and I constantly point out their many hypocrisies on matters, their blatant populist pandering and their general disinterest in the economically disadvantaged.
My latest example of the latter was an article by Richard Prebble in yesterdays Wairarapa Times Age. I am unable to provide a link for it because I don't think it is on-line in any case. In this article he argues that government should back off and leave the cyclone recovery to local government and organisations.
In Prebble's finance-obssessed world he doesn't seem to realize that the scale of damage is way way beyond local government being able to fix it and government intervention is essential. ACT's idea of government is apparently non-government.
Just another example of why people in Hawkes Bay should be thankful that, for all the damage caused, at least the government is getting involved and helping to repair the damage. If ACT was government they would probably be told to raise the money through hangis and gala days.
If someone could find and post a link to this article I would be grateful.
If ACT was government they would probably be told to raise the money through hangis and gala days.
Well I for one am happy that ACT have moved on from the cake stalls idea.
My concern really is that ACT has been missing in action during both Cyclones. While I have no truck with disaster tourism, politicians need to see things in person, be seen being present at official briefings or even pass on straight empathy, when it is needed and relevant. I wouldn't even mind Seymour saying he had donated or supports the Red Cross & Stuff fundraiser.
Yes Let the motor mouth leader of act get a bloody shovel and help move the shite rather than flinging it about. He is a first class dork. He grinds my gears with his petty posturing.
Unfortunately, for many autogynephiliac men – those who are sexually aroused by the thought of themselves as women – the ultimate validation of their claimed identity as a woman and as a "lesbian" – (because they are the same straight boy they were before they put on a frock) – is to bully, bamboozle or blackmail some actual lesbian into a sexual relationship. The validation is just not there with another "transbian" because they actually do know what a woman is – and what one is not.
What you describe Visubversa is in my eyes is rape. Probably not a legal definition, but every lesbian I've known, do not like men in any way sexually. To "bully, bamboozle or blackmail" is coercion, meaning, ultimately it not consensual at a really core level.
So Lesbians are left once again cleaning up the mess. In this case the psychology, spiritual, and emotional damage from people who are suppose to be in the Rainbow community. Maybe their not, maybe they are just misogynistic little curs.
Unfortunately it is rainbow support organisations that say that lesbians should consider sex with males – if they claim they have a women's gender identity.
The pernicious homophobia shaming taking place is unconscionable.
The definitions of lesbian and gay have been redefined to suit a certain perspective, and the impact of this – ignored. (Sound familiar?)
As apparent with previous Standard discussions on this very topic, and this link sent to me by a NZ psychologist when I asked what support he would give to a young lesbian who was coming to terms with her sexuality and finding pressure to sleep with men:
In addition to what Molly said, even for TW that have had genital removal and reconstruction, they've still male. For many women, sex is a whole body event. Lesbians have the right to say no to sex, dating, and sharing female spaces with male bodied people irrespective of what body modifications that person has done.
The Hugo award-winning Science Fiction-focused Clarkesworld Magazine can receive over 12,000 submissions in just one year. Of course, that was before the proliferation of free online AI models that can write a dull, monotonous, though technically legible piece of fiction.
On Monday, Clarkesworld Magazine editor Neil Clarke tweeted that the company had closed all submissions, writing “It shouldn’t be hard to guess why.” Looking back over the past few weeks, it’s clear that fake spam submissions made using AI-based large language models has inundated the magazine’s editors with nearly 35 times the number of fake submissions as the same time last year. Clarke wrote that his magazine received 50 of these AI-generated submissions before noon on Presidents’ Day.
[…]
On Tuesday, Clarke said they do plan to eventually open up submissions again, but he elaborated that “We don’t have a solution for the problem. We have some ideas for minimizing it, but the problem isn’t going away.”
Something admirably humorous about this woman designer's posting of her stolen clothes and jewellery items being displayed by Sam Brinton on his social media posts without any shred of conscience:
Sam Brinton, was hired by Biden – as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy for the Department of Energy.
Critiques regarding Brinton's public posts regarding his fetishes were defended and considered immaterial to his employment. Which I agree with to an extent, but depending on the role, character does play a part and ability to maintain control over those aspects – whether it be alcohol or kink play are relevant. As well as the credibility of the organisation in regards to their role. I would suggest that his enthusiastic public posting of his pup-play and active membership of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence would have indicated that the necessary discipline was not going to be maintained to the level required.
The only comment I can find on this man, is one from Sabine in 2022. But many of us will know that he was first investigated for the theft of a women's bag from an airline carousel a couple of months after being appointed, and no public statement or censure was made.
It was only when he was caught – again – and prosecution was undertaken – that he was deemed unsuitable for the position.
It would be also good, if we can have a serious discussion about his targeted theft of women's clothes.
Where do Standardista's fall here in regards to possible motivations for this larceny?
Despite his financial situation, he stole women's clothes because that was his only method of getting women's clothes?
He stole luggage that he knew belonged to women – and part of his fetish was wearing clothes that had been worn by women?
Something else?
And an analysis of the likelihood of such public displays of kinks, – which suggest to me that further sexual kinks will be present and less likely to be able to be controlled?
Hmmm, Im guessing he stole luggage belonging to women because he wanted to wear their used clothes. He did that because it excited him. Those are my quick reckons.
I have no interest, to be honest, in his motivations. ( apart from regarding him as a tosser)
He is a simply a thief of other peoples property and hopefully is fined/punished for the crime. Lipstick or suit wearing or being a tosser is beside the point. Just another tedious thief.
ohh now theres a thought and difficult question Molly
Some random thoughts: Some of my best contributions have been through a slightly gin impaired haze. A reread the following day usually confirms that.
Ive worked for a number of CEO's , mainly female, who were certifiable nutters, or at the very least sociopaths. Notwithstanding that they were very effective and exactly the sort of CEO to deliver the results needed.
I was actually in the room when the US state department informed Clark via Cullen what their legislation would be re patent protection laws ( think Pfizer) and saw the clarity of thought of the various sociopaths on both sides in action. As for character , on both sides total excreble slimeball misfits that you certainly wouldnt want to have anything to do with socially. But no denying their effectiveness.
So, what role should character play? Well theres the sort of character we probably all respect and admire. However if you want things done for the good of all, perhaps other attributes are more worthy. And yes i realise thats probably rather unpalatable.
Actually agree with you – as far as I think I understand what you've written – with or without gin haze.
I've read a lot about the personality types of surgeons, and remember reading an article years ago outlining where sociopathic traits in cetain roles and occupations benefitted society. I think it may have been this person, interviewed recently on Triggernometry:
Some of the most honorable people I know, are/were relied on by the rest of society to do the things that most of us are uncomfortable or incapable of doing. However their self-discipline was also exceptional.
I think in this particular role, a cursory look at Sam Brinton's social media could have indicated an obvious problem with impulse control. It should have eliminated him from consideration.
Sam Brinton certainly had the means to buy women's clothes for himself. However, that is obviously not the way his fetish works. He gets off on the thrill of stealing women's clothes because they are part of his fantasy of becoming the woman who owned and wore the clothing. The fact that he does it so obviously by wearing stolen clothing where it will be likely to be photographed is also part of the thrill. We are seeing fetishised behaviour here, and with much fetishised behaviour (like drug use) more and more stimulation is required to get the same effect. The word is "autogynephilia" and that is what drives most of the gender identity movement today.
Public displays of kink can be a live sexual act that doesn't have the consent of people who see it. This is one of the concerns about AGP males. There's plenty of evidence of AGP males doing their kink in obvious ways in public, so I think it's reasonable to assume that there are more subtle forms going on as well. It's not going to be a surprise of both the theft of women's clothes and the later wearing in public at high profile events are part of the fetish.
I agree about the character and employment issue. The problem isn't that he wears women's clothes to work. It's how he does that. I suspect far more men than women can see there's a problem, but we're not allowed to talk about it because liberals increasingly think there should be no boundaries and women who talk about boundaries are prudes.
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For a while, it looked like the government had unfucked the ETS, at least insofar as unit settings were concerned. They had to be forced into it by a court case, but at least it got done, and when National came to power, it learned the lesson (and then fucked ...
The argument over US officials’ misuse of secure but non-governmental messaging platform Signal falls into two camps. Either it is a gross error that undermines national security, or it is a bit of a blunder ...
Cost of living ~1/3 of Kiwis needed help with food as cost of living pressures continue to increase - turning to friends, family, food banks or Work and Income in the past year, to find food. 40% of Kiwis also said they felt schemes offered little or no benefit, according ...
Hi,Perhaps in 2025 it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the CEO and owner of Voyager Internet — the major sponsor of the New Zealand Media Awards — has taken to sharing a variety of Anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish conspiracy theories to his 1.2 million followers.This included sharing a post from ...
In the sprint to deepen Australia-India defence cooperation, navy links have shot ahead of ties between the two countries’ air forces and armies. That’s largely a good thing: maritime security is at the heart of ...
'Cause you and me, were meant to be,Walking free, in harmony,One fine day, we'll fly away,Don't you know that Rome wasn't built in a day?Songwriters: Paul David Godfrey / Ross Godfrey / Skye Edwards.I was half expecting to see photos this morning of National Party supporters with wads of cotton ...
The PSA says a settlement with Health New Zealand over the agency’s proposed restructure of its Data and Digital and Pacific Health teams has saved around 200 roles from being cut. A third of New Zealanders have needed help accessing food in the past year, according to Consumer NZ, and ...
John Campbell’s Under His Command, a five-part TVNZ+ investigation series starting today, rips the veil off Destiny Church, exposing the rot festering under Brian Tamaki’s self-proclaimed apostolic throne. This isn’t just a church; it’s a fiefdom, built on fear, manipulation, and a trail of scandals that make your stomach churn. ...
Some argue we still have time, since quantum computing capable of breaking today’s encryption is a decade or more away. But breakthrough capabilities, especially in domains tied to strategic advantage, rarely follow predictable timelines. Just ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Pearl Marvell(Photo credit: Pearl Marvell. Image credit: Samantha Harrington. Dollar bill vector image: by pch.vector on Freepik) Igrew up knowing that when you had extra money, you put it under a bed, stashed it in a book or a clock, or, ...
The political petrified piece of wood, Winston Peters, who refuses to retire gracefully, has had an eventful couple of weeks peddling transphobia, pushing bigoted policies, undertaking his unrelenting war on wokeness and slinging vile accusations like calling Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick a “groomer”.At 80, the hypocritical NZ First leader’s latest ...
It's raining in Cockermouth and we're following our host up the stairs. We’re telling her it’s a lovely building and she’s explaining that it used to be a pub and a nightclub and a backpackers, but no more.There were floods in 2009 and 2015 along the main street, huge floods, ...
A recurring aspect of the Trump tariff coverage is that it normalises – or even sanctifies – a status quo that in many respects has been a disaster for working class families. No doubt, Donald Trump is an uncertainty machine that is tanking the stock market and the growth prospects ...
The National Party’s Minister of Police, Corrections, and Ethnic Communities (irony alert) has stumbled into yet another racist quagmire, proving that when it comes to bigotry, the right wing’s playbook is as predictable as it is vile. This time, Mitchell’s office reposted an Instagram reel falsely claiming that Te Pāti ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
In a world crying out for empathy, J.K. Rowling has once again proven she’s more interested in stoking division than building bridges. The once-beloved author of Harry Potter has cemented her place as this week’s Arsehole of the Week, a title earned through her relentless, tone-deaf crusade against transgender rights. ...
Health security is often seen as a peripheral security domain, and as a problem that is difficult to address. These perceptions weaken our capacity to respond to borderless threats. With the wind back of Covid-19 ...
Would our political parties pass muster under the Fair Trading Act?WHAT IF OUR POLITICAL PARTIES were subject to the Fair Trading Act? What if they, like the nation’s businesses, were prohibited from misleading their consumers – i.e. the voters – about the nature, characteristics, suitability, or quantity of the products ...
Rod EmmersonThank you to my subscribers and readers - you make it all possible. Tui.Subscribe nowSix updates today from around the world and locally here in Aoteaora New Zealand -1. RFK Jnr’s Autism CrusadeAmerica plans to create a registry of people with autism in the United States. RFK Jr’s department ...
We see it often enough. A democracy deals with an authoritarian state, and those who oppose concessions cite the lesson of Munich 1938: make none to dictators; take a firm stand. And so we hear ...
370 perioperative nurses working at Auckland City Hospital, Starship Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre will strike for two hours on 1 May – the same day senior doctors are striking. This is part of nationwide events to mark May Day on 1 May, including rallies outside public hospitals, organised by ...
Character protections for Auckland’s villas have stymied past development. Now moves afoot to strip character protection from a bunch of inner-city villas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories shortest from our political economy on Wednesday, April 23:Special Character Areas designed to protect villas are stopping 20,000 sites near Auckland’s ...
Artificial intelligence is poised to significantly transform the Indo-Pacific maritime security landscape. It offers unprecedented situational awareness, decision-making speed and operational flexibility. But without clear rules, shared norms and mechanisms for risk reduction, AI could ...
For what is a man, what has he got?If not himself, then he has naughtTo say the things he truly feelsAnd not the words of one who kneelsThe record showsI took the blowsAnd did it my wayLyrics: Paul Anka.Morena folks, before we discuss Winston’s latest salvo in NZ First’s War ...
Britain once risked a reputation as the weak link in the trilateral AUKUS partnership. But now the appointment of an empowered senior official to drive the project forward and a new burst of British parliamentary ...
Australia’s ability to produce basic metals, including copper, lead, zinc, nickel and construction steel, is in jeopardy, with ageing plants struggling against Chinese competition. The multinational commodities company Trafigura has put its Australian operations under ...
There have been recent PPP debacles, both in New Zealand (think Transmission Gully) and globally, with numerous examples across both Australia and Britain of failed projects and extensive litigation by government agencies seeking redress for the failures.Rob Campbell is one of New Zealand’s sharpest critics of PPPs noting that; "There ...
On Twitter on Saturday I indicated that there had been a mistake in my post from last Thursday in which I attempted to step through the Reserve Bank Funding Agreement issues. Making mistakes (there are two) is annoying and I don’t fully understand how I did it (probably too much ...
Indonesia’s armed forces still have a lot of work to do in making proper use of drones. Two major challenges are pilot training and achieving interoperability between the services. Another is overcoming a predilection for ...
The StrategistBy Sandy Juda Pratama, Curie Maharani and Gautama Adi Kusuma
As a living breathing human being, you’ve likely seen the heart-wrenching images from Gaza...homes reduced to rubble, children burnt to cinders, families displaced, and a death toll that’s beyond comprehension. What is going on in Gaza is most definitely a genocide, the suffering is real, and it’s easy to feel ...
Donald Trump, who has called the Chair of the Federal Reserve “a major loser”. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories shortest from our political economy on Tuesday, April 22:US markets slump after Donald Trump threatens the Fed’s independence. China warns its trading partners not to side with the US. Trump says some ...
Last night, the news came through that Pope Francis had passed away at 7:35 am in Rome on Monday, the 21st of April, following a reported stroke and heart failure. Pope Francis. Photo: AP.Despite his obvious ill health, it still came as a shock, following so soon after the Easter ...
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review found the NIC to be highly capable and performing well. So, it is not a surprise that most of the 67 recommendations are incremental adjustments and small but nevertheless important ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkThe world has made real progress toward tacking climate change in recent years, with spending on clean energy technologies skyrocketing from hundreds of billions to trillions of dollars globally over the past decade, and global CO2 emissions plateauing.This has contributed to a reassessment of ...
Hi,I’ve been having a peaceful month of what I’d call “existential dread”, even more aware than usual that — at some point — this all ends.It was very specifically triggered by watching Pantheon, an animated sci-fi show that I’m filing away with all-time greats like Six Feet Under, Watchmen and ...
Once the formalities of honouring the late Pope wrap up in two to three weeks time, the conclave of Cardinals will go into seclusion. Some 253 of the current College of Cardinals can take part in the debate over choosing the next Pope, but only 138 of them are below ...
The National Party government is doubling down on a grim, regressive vision for the future: more prisons, more prisoners, and a society fractured by policies that punish rather than heal. This isn’t just a misstep; it’s a deliberate lurch toward a dystopian future where incarceration is the answer to every ...
The audacity of Don Brash never ceases to amaze. The former National Party and Hobson’s Pledge mouthpiece has now sunk his claws into NZME, the media giant behind the New Zealand Herald and half of our commercial radio stations. Don Brash has snapped up shares in NZME, aligning himself with ...
A listing of 28 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 13, 2025 thru Sat, April 19, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...
“What I’d say to you is…” our Prime Minister might typically begin a sentence, when he’s about to obfuscate and attempt to derail the question you really, really want him to answer properly (even once would be okay, Christopher). Questions such as “Why is a literal election promise over ...
Ruth IrwinExponential Economic growth is the driver of Ecological degradation. It is driven by CO2 greenhouse gas emissions through fossil fuel extraction and burning for the plethora of polluting industries. Extreme weather disasters and Climate change will continue to get worse because governments subscribe to the current global economic system, ...
A man on telly tries to tell me what is realBut it's alright, I like the way that feelsAnd everybody singsWe are evolving from night to morningAnd I wanna believe in somethingWriter: Adam Duritz.The world is changing rapidly, over the last year or so, it has been out with the ...
MFB Co-Founder Cecilia Robinson runs Tend HealthcareSummary:Kieran McAnulty calls out National on healthcare lies and says Health Minister Simeon Brown is “dishonest and disingenuous”(video below)McAnulty says negotiation with doctors is standard practice, but this level of disrespect is not, especially when we need and want our valued doctors.National’s $20bn ...
Chris Luxon’s tenure as New Zealand’s Prime Minister has been a masterclass in incompetence, marked by coalition chaos, economic lethargy, verbal gaffes, and a moral compass that seems to point wherever political expediency lies. The former Air New Zealand CEO (how could we forget?) was sold as a steady hand, ...
Has anybody else noticed Cameron Slater still obsessing over Jacinda Ardern? The disgraced Whale Oil blogger seems to have made it his life’s mission to shadow the former Prime Minister of New Zealand like some unhinged stalker lurking in the digital bushes.The man’s obsession with Ardern isn't just unhealthy...it’s downright ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is climate change a net benefit for society? Human-caused climate change has been a net detriment to society as measured by loss of ...
When the National Party hastily announced its “Local Water Done Well” policy, they touted it as the great saviour of New Zealand’s crumbling water infrastructure. But as time goes by it's looking more and more like a planning and fiscal lame duck...and one that’s going to cost ratepayers far more ...
Donald Trump, the orange-hued oligarch, is back at it again, wielding tariffs like a mob boss swinging a lead pipe. His latest economic edict; slapping hefty tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, has the stench of a protectionist shakedown, cooked up in the fevered minds of his sycophantic ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
One pill makes you largerAnd one pill makes you smallAnd the ones that mother gives youDon't do anything at allGo ask AliceWhen she's ten feet tallSongwriter: Grace Wing Slick.Morena, all, and a happy Bicycle Day to you.Today is an unofficial celebration of the dawning of the psychedelic era, commemorating the ...
It’s only been a few months since the Hollywood fires tore through Los Angeles, leaving a trail of devastation, numerous deaths, over 10,000 homes reduced to rubble, and a once glorious film industry on its knees. The Palisades and Eaton fires, fueled by climate-driven dry winds, didn’t just burn houses; ...
Four eighty-year-old books which are still vitally relevant today. Between 1942 and 1945, four refugees from Vienna each published a ground-breaking – seminal – book.* They left their country after Austria was taken over by fascists in 1934 and by Nazi Germany in 1938. Previously they had lived in ‘Red ...
Good Friday, 18th April, 2025: I can at last unveil the Secret Non-Fiction Project. The first complete Latin-to-English translation of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s twelve-book Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem (Disputations Against Divinatory Astrology). Amounting to some 174,000 words, total. Some context is probably in order. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) ...
National MP Hamish Campbell's pathetic attempt to downplay his deep ties to and involvement in the Two by Twos...a secretive religious sect under FBI and NZ Police investigation for child sexual abuse...isn’t just a misstep; it’s a calculated lie that insults the intelligence of every Kiwi voter.Campbell’s claim of being ...
New Zealand First’s Shane Jones has long styled himself as the “Prince of the Provinces,” a champion of regional development and economic growth. But beneath the bluster lies a troubling pattern of behaviour that reeks of cronyism and corruption, undermining the very democracy he claims to serve. Recent revelations and ...
Give me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundGive me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundSaid I don't want to leave you lonelyYou got to make me change my mindSongwriters: Tracy Chapman.Morena, and Happy Easter, whether that means to you. Hot cross buns, ...
Te Pāti Māori are appalled by Cabinet's decision to agree to 15 recommendations to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector following the regulatory review by the Ministry of Regulation. We emphasise the need to prioritise tamariki Māori in Early Childhood Education, conducted by education experts- not economists. “Our mokopuna deserve ...
The Government must support Northland hapū who have resorted to rakes and buckets to try to control a devastating invasive seaweed that threatens the local economy and environment. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill that would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law. “This is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything. This is about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the ...
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...
Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting ...
The Green Party is proud to have voted down the Coalition Government’s Treaty Principles Bill, an archaic piece of legislation that sought to attack the nation’s founding agreement. ...
A Member’s Bill in the name of Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter which aims to stop coal mining, the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill, has been pulled from Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ today. ...
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s Members Bill to make the law simpler and fairer for businesses operating on Easter, Anzac and Christmas Days has passed its first reading after a conscience vote in Parliament. ...
Nicola Willis continues to sit on her hands amid a global economic crisis, leaving the Reserve Bank to act for New Zealanders who are worried about their jobs, mortgages, and KiwiSaver. ...
To sleep, perchance to dreamIn the shadowy chambers of Lord Winston,The great clock strikes thirteen.All remains untouched, covered with dust,As it has done since the 1970s,In a simple world where boys were boys,Ladies were mini-skirted and compliant ladies,And Italian law students ruled the streetsIn their wide lapel zoot suits.King Lux ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will launch another push on health on Sunday, announcing a re-elected Labor government would set up a free around-the-clock 1800MEDICARE advice line and afterhours GP telehealth service. The service would ...
Asia Pacific Report Activists for Palestine paid homage to Pope Francis in Aotearoa New Zealand today for his humility, care for marginalised in the world, and his courageous solidarity with the besieged people of Gaza at a street theatre rally just hours before his funeral in Rome. He was remembered ...
By Susana Suisuiki, RNZ Pacific presenter The doors of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican have now been closed and the coffin sealed, ahead of preparations for tonight’s funeral of Pope Francis. The Vatican says a quarter of a million people have paid respects to Pope Francis in the last ...
By Susana Suisuiki, RNZ Pacific presenter The doors of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican have now been closed and the coffin sealed, ahead of preparations for tonight’s funeral of Pope Francis. The Vatican says a quarter of a million people have paid respects to Pope Francis in the last ...
Once or twice a week, Dr Margaret Henley rolls up the door on a windowless storage locker in central Auckland, pulls her plastic chair up to a picnic table and sifts through the history of netball in New Zealand.She works alongside netball archivist and statistician Todd Miller, together trawling through ...
Corin DannThe time is 7:36am on Wednesday, April 23, and you’re listening to Morning Report, New Zealand’s voice of the educated left on good incomes. I’m joined now by acting Prime Minister Winston Peters. Good morning Mr Peters.Winston PetersIt was, until I saw you. I much prefer your brother.Corin DannLiam ...
When Professor David Krofcheck got an email congratulating him on winning the Oscar of the science world, he dismissed it as a hoax.“I thought it was a scam, I thought it was a phishing email,” recalls Krofcheck, nuclear physicist at Auckland University.“Yeah right, I’ve won the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was.I’ve been re-watching Girls lately, the HBO classic that perfectly captures millennial women in the most painful way. I highly recommend it especially if you haven’t watched it before. Every character on the show is deeply flawed and frustrating in their own ...
With the double-header long weekend comes a welcome chance to escape streaming slop, writes Alex Casey. Over Easter I texted my husband Joe a sentence that perhaps nobody in human history has ever texted: “hurry up geostorm is starting”. No punctuation, no capitalisation, not because I was trying to ...
April 27 is Moehanga Day, the anniversary of the day in 1806 when Ngāpuhi warrior Moehanga became the first Māori to visit England. This is his story. The wooden ship sailed down the River Thames, past smoke stacks and brick factories, until it reached a wharf in industrial south London. ...
Heidi Thomson on how her husband’s illness and Daniel Kalderimis’s book Zest have enhanced her understanding of George Eliot’s great novel.Sometimes a book finds you at just the right time. In early December my husband John had a stroke. At the time we were both reading George Eliot’s Middlemarch, ...
The musician, actor and star of upcoming documentary Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds takes us through his life in television. Musician Marlon Williams has been on our My Life in TV wish list ever since he revealed during his My Boy tour that he wrote ‘Thinking ...
When she walked dripping into the lounge, hair wet from the shower, she took one look at Hamish and dropped her towel.He was holding her phone.—How long has it been going on for?His blue eyes blazed. She wanted to pluck them out and blow on them gently, cool them off. ...
Journalist Rod Oram, who died last year, would have been delighted to see the commitment to addressing climate change shown by the 23-year-old winner of a prize established in his memory.Mika Hervel, a student at Victoria University of Wellington, is today named winner of the Rod Oram Memorial Essay Prize, ...
A citizens’ assembly of 100 Porirua locals has provided the city council with more than a dozen recommendations about how to tackle climate change and make sure the region is resilient to worsening extreme weather events.Ranging from expanding access to renewable energy and incentivising the planting of native trees through ...
Comment: Democracy globally is in crisis. Around the world we are seeing the rise of nationalism and declining trust in democratic institutions. Politicians, even in Aotearoa, undermine the authority of core institutions like the media and the courts, which are critical for a functioning democracy. To live well together, in ...
COMMENTARY:By Nour Odeh There was faint hope that efforts to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza would succeed. That hope is now all but gone, offering 2.1 million tormented and starved Palestinians dismal prospects for the days and weeks ahead. Last Saturday, the Israeli Prime Minister once again affirmed ...
An ocean conservation non-profit has condemned the United States President’s latest executive order aimed at boosting the deep sea mining industry. President Donald Trump issued the “Unleashing America’s offshore critical minerals and resources” order on Thursday, directing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to allow deep sea mining. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In this election, voters are more distrustful than ever of politicians, and the political heroes of 2022 have fallen from grace, swept from favour by independent players. A Roy Morgan survey has found, for ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor The former head of BenarNews’ Pacific bureau says a United States court ruling this week ordering the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to release congressionally approved funding to Radio Free Asia and its subsidiaries “makes us very happy”. However, Stefan Armbruster, who has ...
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 25, 2025. Labor takes large leads in YouGov and Morgan polls as surge continuesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne With just eight days until the May 3 federal election, and with in-person early voting well under way, Labor has taken a ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Butter by Asako Yuzuki (Fourth Estate, $35) Fictionalised true crime for foodies. 2 Sunrise on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Taneshka Kruger, UP ISMC: Project Manager and Coordinator, University of Pretoria Healthcare in Africa faces a perfect storm: high rates of infectious diseases like malaria and HIV, a rise in non-communicable diseases, and dwindling foreign aid. In 2021, nearly half of ...
Australia and New Zealand join forces once more to bring you the best films and TV shows to watch this weekend. This Anzac Day, our free-to-air TV channels will screen a variety of commemorative coverage. At 11am, TVNZ1 has live coverage of the Anzac Day National Commemorative Service in Wellington. ...
Our laws are leaving many veterans who served after 1974 out in the cold. I know, because I’m one of them.This Sunday Essay was made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.First published in 2024.As I write this story, I am in constant pain. My hands ...
An MP fighting for anti-trafficking legislation says it is hard for prosecutors to take cases to court - but he is hopeful his bill will turn the tide. ...
NONFICTION1 No Words for This by Ali Mau (HarperCollins, $39.99)2 Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)3 Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)
This Anzac Day marks 110 years since the Gallipoli landings by soldiers in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps - the ANZACS. It signalled the beginning of a campaign that was to take the lives of so many of our young men - and would devastate the ...
The violent deportation of migrants is not new, and New Zealand forces had a hand in such a regime after World War II, writes historian Scott Hamilton. The world is watching the new Trump government wage a war against migrants it deems illegal. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.This Sunday Essay was made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
A new poem by Aperahama Hurihanganui, about the name of Aperahama and Abby Hauraki’s three-year-old son, Te Hono ki Īhipa (which translates to ‘The Connection to Egypt’). Te Hono ki Īhipa what’s in a name? te hono – the connection to your tīpuna, valiant soldiers of the 28th Māori Battalion ...
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So RNZ has another "crime is out of control" story from, specifically, Puketapu. Quoting a person "RNZ has agreed not to name" we get little more than a sotto voce racist white crime panic. This anonymous source says they saw some people poking about, they were challenged, they left and the police were called and the cops arrived smartly. This level of "crime" is, apparently, enough for the local aspirational squatocracy to think about cos-playing Massey's Cossacks to deliver a bit of vigilante justice.
Now, places like Puketapu are deepest blue right wing country and you'll find a generous helping of groundswell type unreconstructed racists and bigots of all ages who are more than happy to be an agent provocateur if it suits them, so a little less credulity in assessing some of the claims coming out of the regions from our credulous MSM would be nice (although in a era where to paint yourself the victim is to exonerate yourself from any scrutiny in the media that might be a bit to much to expect).
But this little vignette of largely social media inspired (although the MSM is ever keen on amplifying the slightest hint of a verified heaving bosom and/or torn bodice) fear and loathing shows just how deep cooker culture has penetrated into our low information provinces, which no longer have much by the way of local MSM journalism and instead rely on an unrelieved diet of FB groups, rumour, and talkback troll farms for news. To me it is just wild that many people are now so inculcated with bad information sources they more likely to believe cookers on a FB group than they are the police commissioner when discussing crime.
One screamingly obvious learning from the pandemic and these sorts of disasters is there are huge consequences in the death of reliable and well resourced local media in New Zealand. In my youth in Hawkes Bay the region had two well functioning local newspapers with numerous reporters, the generally august and reliable Napier Daily Telegraph and that useless rag from across the way, the Hastings based Hawkes Bay Herald Tribune. Both papers reflected the political traditions of their city, and the whole media eco system was buttressed by the local ZC radio station, which featured frequent interviews with local politicians and reports on the proceedings of the council. All that has vanished. The result has been the flourishing of crony politics and sharp practice, the death of local democracy and the rise of online disinformation, misinformation and downright black propaganda.
Was this ?
Oh well…..but then this?
So they got Police,Patrol car..and Eagle helicopter. But the so helpful neighbour neglected to get the number plate…or descriptions.
Huh?
That is the one!
plus if reading it right, stupid Rebecca left a key out if "they managed to get their hands on a key". Certainly an entitled bullhorn of a woman. Having said that, break-ins at this time is even more scummy than at any other time.
That was meant for Airbnb guests only
I agree indeed. Just this story is so ..random. AND she got an Eagle Helicopter to boot.
What more is on her want list?…Martial law? Open season on people "Rebecca" (and similar) dont like the..look of? A real Clean Up as it were…
A worry….
Judith Collins
https://youtu.be/NxcjE8iI4Cc
The whole story was a heaving unspoken cypher for a whole lot of other issues, including the unspoken informal apartheid that exists in Napier/Hastings, the studiously ignored and well hidden abject poverty, marginalisation and "othering" of poor urban Maori that exists alongside the well heeled white colonies of ex-Aucklanders we large see in our MSM when talking about Hawkes Bay, it's crony class politics, and a post-Douglas era social order than can only be described in many cases as semi-feudal.
Agree, I perceived an unspoken malice in the woman’s allegations. Similar to the US cases where a woman phones the Police because there is a Black Man in the park…
A friend lives in Wairoa and he has two Mobsters as neighbours, while all shovelling silt together he said they laughed at the moral panic stories.
Personally, if people are without communication, petrol, water, sanitation, a usable roading bridge network, health care, access to medicine, cash, banking services, food supply etc. it is ok to help yourself to essentials from businesses–but opportunist thefts from individuals are another matter and reprehensible.
The numbers will hopefully emerge eventually as to whether there has been a crime wave or not.
There is an undercurrent of if you are the right sort of person "borrowing" the water tank from your neighbour's abandoned and wrecked place so you can gather rain water to clean your property is smart, but if you are the wrong sort poking about a red stickered property to claim a half buried bike then you are a looter and a suitable target for vigilante justice.
The bottom line is a lot of people on the right are pre-disposed to believe rumours of looting and social breakdown because their world view is formed by a belief that the “perfect” state of nature is fundamentally Hobbesian, and thus a disaster creates the perfect conditions for uncivilised competition. That, in turn, leads them to logically (for them) conclude they are living in a Hobbesian nightmare and therefore a shoot first, ask questions later mindset prevails.
The truth – and all the evidence of disasters backs this up – is that humans pull together in a catastrophe and looting is actually rare.
pearl clutchers
Luxon and Seymour put out the call that crime is rampant. So we the obedient ones answer the call. We are scared. Crime is everywhere. The police are hopeless. This Government is hopeless. Call in the Army. Careless media repeat the feelings.
Actually I think that the politics of stoking up fear is disgusting. Shame on you Luxon, Seymour and the Mayor of Nappier.
Aye, yes. The Fear mongers…they are the real "lovers of disaster politics". Truly despicable….
Listening to locals (like the mayor of the actual city itself) is always going to create more light than politicians.
Hipkins 'out of touch' on security risks in flood zone (newsroom.co.nz)
Roadworkers who had guns pulled on them in Hawkes Bay dispute Prime Minister’s ‘third-hand’ information claim – NZ Herald
Cyclone Gabrielle: Chris Hipkins climbs down from criticised crime claims as roadworker says politicians are 'covering backside' | Newshub
Looting, becoming common in town, is spreading into rural areas, putting already traumatised residents further on edge.
Puketapu was among the first of these areas to install roadblocks or checkpoints at access points into their village, and others appear to be following suit.
Those quotes are taken from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/opinion-the-government-risks-losing-rural-new-zealand-who-were-left-to-fight-cyclone-gabrielle-on-their-own/WGWO6VWYJVEOZEHEIMFRGMSOUA/, which is behind a paywall.
I watched news hubs hit pieces on Hipkins last night,
Blatant misrepresenting of what he said backed up by the reckons of a thcko rd worker.
It's either that or the reporter failed basic comprehension
Well if the reporter misunderstood what Hipkins said, so did a load of people on the ground in the regions.
There’s so much misunderstanding around, it’s almost like some are deliberately spreading misinformation, but fortunately you cleared it all up.
Sarcasm is mostly wasted on the braindead.
Amen – imho, cynically whipping up a climate of hysteria about a supposed ‘crime wave’ ['They’re' stealing our stuff!] is unhelpful at best – more than enough ‘climate’ to worry about as is.
"“As I [PM Hipkins] have said all week, I acknowledge that when the power is out and the communications are out, there is a heightened degree of anxiety and any criminal offending in that time is going to be of extra concern to a local community."
IOW – the crime you think is happening is not really happening, it's just a 'heightened degree of anxiety'.
Really? Meanwhile, those nice people the government 'requested' pull their heads in just didn't listen.
Cash, guns and drugs seized after gang incident in cyclone-affected Napier | Stuff.co.nz
Really Liberty Belle? "IOW", or in your words?
Imho, cynically whipping up a climate of hysteria about a supposed ‘crime spike’ at this time will pay political dividends, but not in the way you might think.
Carry on
No, Liberty is not being cynical, they are being satirical 😉
I'll believe the people actually being affected. Like the workers who had guns pulled on them, although not according to the PM, eh.
[Provide evidence that the PM denied that workers had pulled guns on them.
What is your argument with citing this incident?
You’re in Pre-Mod because I’m fed up with your BS reckons and knowing you, you will simply continue with it – Incognito]
Mod note
Incredible how petty the political right of New Zealand are, holding up a single, murky, roadside incident for purposes of distracting away from the huge amount of good work authorities are doing.
Why do the political right of New Zealand always concentrate on the negative?
People certainly are being affected. Mind you, we're still in a state of National Emergency. Best Kiwis pull together for now, don't you think?
https://www.hbemergency.govt.nz/
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/02/24/live-images-shows-rising-floodwaters-in-west-auckland/
"[Provide evidence that the PM denied that workers had pulled guns on them."
Happily.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said earlier this week that there was no first-hand account of the incident. “The reports of guns pulled at checkpoints, so far there have only third or fourth-hand accounts of it,” Hipkins said during a press conference.
and
"After earlier this week calling some reports of crime in cyclone-hit regions "unsubstantiated rumours", the Prime Minister has climbed down from those claims. Newshub's spoken to a roadworker whose crews were held at gunpoint and said Chris Hipkins doesn't know what's happening on the ground."
"The very next day, the Prime Minister addressed the nation, saying he wanted to be "careful on the issues around law and order that we're not just responding to unsubstantiated rumours". Not that he'd admit it on Thursday. When it was put to him that he dismissed crime on the ground as unsubstantiated rumour, Hipkins said "that's not true" and "that isn't actually what I said". At that Monday press conference, Hipkins said he was aware of one instance of someone being threatened with a firearm. Newshub's spoken to a roadworker whose crews were held up twice in one night. "The first staff member had a firearm pointed at him, then everything seemed alright. So then they carried on going through putting out road cones and that. And that's when the second firearm was then pointed at a second staff member." Both were reported to police in the weekend."
"But the roadworker said Hipkins' "unsubstantiated rumours" comment stung. "I was thinking it's quite a dag though because in a politician's point of view, it's all about them covering their backside. They're not here, they're not amongst it, they're not here firsthand.""
He's slippery, and he was caught out.
Nice try, but no cigar. Hipkins called them “unsubstantiated rumours”, i.e., they may or may not have been true. You failed to make your point though because it wasn’t about the PM being ‘slippery’ but about “crime is rampant” in the area as alleged by Luxon and Seymour who are turning this into a political football. They are the slippery ones because they take every single incident reported in the media and blow out of proportion into Armageddon for political gain. Noted.
"Hipkins called them “unsubstantiated rumours”, i.e., they may or may not have been true. "
Hipkin's meaning was very clear. The roadworker knew what he was saying. And Newshub knew when they wrote the headline "Chris Hipkins climbs down from criticised crime claims as roadworker says politicians are 'covering backside'"
In fact, Newshub nailed it when they said "The Prime Minister sprung too quickly into defensive politician mode on Monday with his "unsubstantiated rumours" comment. Hipkins was talking to the Opposition and went on the attack when he should have been responding to real fears in the community."
And there you have it, the PM should have jumped on the bandwagon of fear mongers and sing from the same sheet as Luxon and Seymour. This is not about the victims at all, it is about playing political football. The Opposition knew exactly what they were doing and so do the media. And since when are headlines accurate reports of the news? Seriously, you’re spinning and you’ve missed your calling as headline-writing chatbot.
She must be as bright as you then
Oh the Herald says it, well goodo, it must be true and tell me it isn't so, the fiercely loyal to the Labour Government Rural Community is turning against them. Shocked I say, shocked.
Must not let facts get in the way:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/cyclone-gabrielle-looting-mayor-says-lowlifes-should-be-jailed-forever/YQ76I3SBXRD47MXFRMYVYB5LTQ/
Do you seriously think, for one moment, that people fighting for everything they own are reporting crime right now?
Get off the grass! It’s BAU, mostly.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/131325133/claims-of-cyclone-crime-spike-a-political-football-cops-at-coalface-say
You’ve found one of National’s old tricks when crime stats/numbers are down: the reporting is down, so the real numbers must be up!
What were you saying again about confirmation bias this morning? I think you’re missing a pearl.
The good folk of the east coast and HB are right in the middle of this. Right now. They won't be on the phone to plod. They are taking their own measures.
Right now as in 5 days ago according to your link.
How do the good folk of the east coast and HB expect to see justice if they can't even be bothered reporting crime?
"Right now as in 5 days ago according to your link."
That's when they started taking measures. The crime hasn't stopped.
"How do the good folk of the east coast and HB expect to see justice if they can't even be bothered reporting crime?"
The good people of the HM and Easy Coast are rather preoccupied. And frankly, given the 'wet bus ticket' treatment criminals get, I don't blame them.
Yeah, right! They are too busy looking for that one silver ute with 5 people in it. And the cell towers are not working, are they? Plenty of ‘wet bus tickets’ around there, I guess, but that’s just more slash coming down the barren slopes of your biased brain. You’re on a roll, rolling out the BS.
You must be Right and missing a few pearls.
Adam Pearse didn’t mention anything about the good folk not reporting crime in his latest piece. Quite the opposite rather, Police are coming to meet with concerned and fearful residents to discuss roadblocks etc. Looks like your non-reporting allegations is silt eroding from your barren biased imagination. Get off the grass or better yet, go back to YouTube and watch those many video’s posted by people from the left with which you have a beef.
I know it must be tough being this weeks NACT lickspittle but are you saying the good folk are too busy to call the Police but all the time in the world to talk to the Herald?
Rebecca has the Eagle helicopter on speed-dial.
"are you saying the good folk are too busy to call the Police but all the time in the world to talk to the Herald?"
The media are pro-actively providing an opportunity. And right now, the locals likely feel they'll get more traction through the media.
Sure, and with the roadblocks they get more traction with the Police, obviously. Unfortunately, the same roadblocks will prevent Police and other emergency services getting through, which could put lives at risk. This is a risky ‘PR strategy’ but it seems to make sense to you. Go figure.
Potential Puketapu FB page:
Has a Maori stolen your washing machine?
Don’t call the police, call The Herald!
"Adam Pearse didn’t mention anything about the good folk not reporting crime in his latest piece. "
I didn't claim he did.
No, exactly, and that’s why I assumed it originated from your imagination. Of course, you can support your BS assertions, but you haven’t done so. So … QED.
"No, exactly,"
So you took one article and dreamed up an entire comment about something the author didn't say. I think you're losing your touch.
[You have made several claims about people not reporting crime now. You have not provided any evidence for this yet other than your own reckons, and now you claim that they are my reckons aka “dreamed up”.
Back up your claims about people not reporting crime now and inferences won’t suffice. And seeing ‘suspicious’ silver utes in the area is not seeing a crime either – Incognito]
Mod note
"Unfortunately, the same roadblocks will prevent Police and other emergency services getting through, which could put lives at risk. "
The police seemed quite supportive of the roadblocks.
Yes, as long as it doesn’t “impede emergency responders” and a few other provisos mentioned in the link, which you left out of your comments, for some reason … They would be supportive if it does indeed deter criminals and looters – prevention is better than cure.
"Yes, as long as it doesn’t “impede emergency responders” and a few other provisos mentioned in the link, "
So what did you base your comment above that "Unfortunately, the same roadblocks will prevent Police and other emergency services getting through," on?
My mistake; I left out a qualifier such as easily or quickly and made clear what risk this could pose to people’s lives. You don’t seem to share this concern with the Police, which was mentioned in the article you linked to. In fact, all you’re interested in is confirming your biased narrative.
"You have made several claims about people not reporting crime now. "
No, I haven't. I have suggested that is a likely scenario given what they are dealing with.
"and now you claim that they are my reckons aka “dreamed up”."
Huh? I think you're losing it.
"Back up your claims about people not reporting crime now "
You want me to prove that people aren't doing something? You're trolling now, inco. Have a strong coffee.
[Nope. You have stated numerous times that people are not reporting crimes. Don’t be dishonest about this.
I didn’t write your claims in your comments nor your ‘scenarios’. Is this some kind of game or film script to you?
Crime stats/numbers are lower, not higher. This doesn’t fit your narrative. Too bad for you. You were (t)asked to provide evidence that people were not reporting and why. You failed on both counts and have wasted a lot of my time.
I’m not trolling, I’m engaging with your BS while you’re being moderated and are in Pre-Mod. Frankly, I’ve seen enough of your BS and it is déjà vu all over again. Take three weeks off – Incognito]
Mod note
"This is a risky ‘PR strategy’ but it seems to make sense to you. Go figure."
It would appear to be better than waiting for the Minister of Police.
"The Police Minister had no idea how bad it was until Newshub told him this afternoon."
""Whatever the District Commander needs to keep law and order, all she's got to do is ask but I need to get to the bottom of this. It's the first time I've heard it," he said."
Cyclone Gabrielle: Tensions escalate in Hawke's Bay as thieves and looters target vulnerable | Newshub
Fighting a few fires today, Libertarian Smell?
If you think this is the reason why people were setting up roadblocks, to get the attention of the Minister of Police, then it was unnecessary and misguided, to say the least. You sound like Luxon and Seymour turning this into a political football at the highest level and you’re certainly playing along with them.
In the NZH article of 19 Feb that you linked to it clearly states that already “[m]ore than 100 additional officers had been brought into the district” and that more would be deployed, “[t]he Police Eagle helicopter will also be flying above the district”, and that the Eastern District commander Superintendent Jeanette Park was on the ball. In fact, as I already said, the article states that Police were talking directly with the people wanting to set up the roadblocks. You’re spinning!
"If you think this is the reason why people were setting up roadblocks, to get the attention of the Minister of Police,"
No, never claimed that. I pointed out how out of touch the Minister was, and the people on the ground would be better not waiting for him.
"You’re spinning!"
You're clearly having cognitive issues tonight. Take more time to read the comments.
BTW – if you’re going to reply to my comments, or ask for a response by way of the moderators veto, at least be honest enough to publish my reply.
Nope. You claimed that people were too busy setting up roadblocks, talking to the media, and talking to Police in the ground to report crime. It had nothing to do with the Minister being out of touch and people allegedly waiting for him – the PM had visited the area, so why would they wait for the Police Minister? It makes no sense and you are spinning, just like Luxon, Seymour and Mitchell.
You still haven’t provided anything else other than your reckons for your claims about the non-reporting. The Minister and PM are simply red herrings.
You are being moderated, not vetoed. You’re also in Pre-Mod, and your comments are pending until being released by a Mod, usually with a reply associated. This is to control the brown water flow here on this forum. If this takes too long for your liking, I’d suggest you complain to the SYSOP. You’ll find his contact details here: https://thestandard.org.nz/contact-us/.
From Pl.A's link@1.1
Of course there’s people around. – rubber-neckers and people looking at what has been tossed out. One person's rubbish is another's treasure.
In the days when we had inorganic collections in Auckland, it was normal to see cars and vans cruising the streets looking for stuff they could restore either for themselves or to sell on. I was more then happy for them to take what they wanted. Its' called 'private enterprise' which the blue-ribboned among us are supposed to support.
But of course they are the wrong sort of entrepreneurs. They're the poor ones who usually come from the wrong side of the railway tracks.
Another output shock…25% of world beef exports set to be removed from the market.
"- Brazil's beef exports to China will be halted starting Thursday after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in the northern state of Para, the country's agriculture and livestock ministry said on Wednesday."
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-para-state-confirms-mad-cow-disease-case-2023-02-22/
Luckily, I own a soon to be ex-cow.
Boggles at "ex-cow." Eat it or have a sex change?
I steer away from that debate.
Look in this time of gender/sex etc politics I am not going to heifer myself into this debate
Look OK I'll laugh for everyone, it's no problem…..I always get my own jokes!
Is Luxon using Judith Collins as a stopbank to keep Willis away from withering his whimsical leadership position?
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/luxons-puzzling-brainfade
In the words of the old blues song, "W stands for woman, woman keeps worrying me." Bald Lemon Luxon preachin' the Blues.
Old political adage: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer!
Liability Luxon hopes to stave off the inevitable coup by rewarding one of the undeserving unworthies!
I caught the end of this interview:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018879241/eastland-wood-council-supports-inquiry-into-forestry-slash
The enquiry's findings will be interesting considering the conflict with the likes of Pan Pac, which is owned by Oji Group, a leader in the pulp and paper industry in Japan.
https://www.panpac.co.nz/about/
I understand we signed the 'son of TPPA' which largely neuters the state's ability to take measures that may impact on the balance sheet of foreign owned companies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Partnership
Who would be a politician?
Listening to people in communities like Tolaga bay can hear they are really cautious in their wording of crfiticism of logging companies, even after all the slash and debris has visited ruin upon their transport networks.
Put simply, these companies are the only jobs in town and no one want to lose that.
Same in the Far North, few like the rats and mice forestry operators, a number of peoples health and lives have suffered for years because of their exploitation.
Helen Kelly NZCTU ran a great campaign to try and sort them out. It is in the mists of time now that before Rogernomics there was a Govt. Forestry dept. that significantly existed to employ people on reasonable conditions!
True that and had an expertise at managing forests planted for soilcon purposes.
This expertise seems to have been washed away by thoughts of the mighty $$$$$$$$
Toby Morris at the Spinoff has a piece about Frogs and Sandbags:

… worth reading the whole thing but the takeaway is important:
I see ZB and others are moaning like their life is under threat, when we want to Tax excess greed.
As a Christian, the removal of tax on excess greed has been the most vial aspect of the last 40 odd years of liberal economics. That and flat taxes like GST.
Time to help these people, because greed is a condition that can't be curbed without help.
Perhaps stronger than I would express Sanctuary but I agree.
And in addition these 'incomers' often call it 'the Hawkes Bay' which 'grinds my gears'.
I yell at Stuff links 'it's not the HB, its Hawkes Bay'
"I am going up to HB this weekend", I last said in 2019.
Actually it was called Hawke Bay. Not sure when/if it was officially renamed Hawkes Bay.
I understood from ages ago that it was the Bay, the geographical ocean feature that was called Hawke Bay and the province was Hawkes Bay.
Could have got that the wrong way round but there was one called Hawke and one called Hawkes (I wonder was that originally Hawke's bay?)
And talking about mmmmmm ('number needs to be blank') Waters here is an link to a piece on Neighbourly about Christchurch City Council introducing water fees.
https://www.neighbourly.co.nz/publication/the-press
'The Christchurch City Council's new water billing system went live on Sunday night and the first invoices for ratepayers using excess water are due to be sent out over the coming days.
The council introduced an excess water charge in October after making the decision to push ahead with the scheme in 2021.
It is not yet known how many people will get a bill, but the average charge is likely to be $83 and the maximum about $400.
Under the new rules, people will be charged a fixed rate of $1.35 for every 1000 litres they use over the 700-litre limit, which is the equivalent of 100 toilet flushes.'
Part of our discussion revolved around the inherent unfairness of this. KCDC charges for every drop used. There has been no attempt to mitigate these charges so the homeowner futilely trying to change nature by growing bowling green type grass on sand pays the same as someone looking after a family member who needs care involving the use of lots of water.
The phrase about 'treating unequal people equally does not mean you are treating them fairly' seems to apply.
Regular readers of this blog would know that I have no love for ACT, and I constantly point out their many hypocrisies on matters, their blatant populist pandering and their general disinterest in the economically disadvantaged.
My latest example of the latter was an article by Richard Prebble in yesterdays Wairarapa Times Age. I am unable to provide a link for it because I don't think it is on-line in any case. In this article he argues that government should back off and leave the cyclone recovery to local government and organisations.
In Prebble's finance-obssessed world he doesn't seem to realize that the scale of damage is way way beyond local government being able to fix it and government intervention is essential. ACT's idea of government is apparently non-government.
Just another example of why people in Hawkes Bay should be thankful that, for all the damage caused, at least the government is getting involved and helping to repair the damage. If ACT was government they would probably be told to raise the money through hangis and gala days.
If someone could find and post a link to this article I would be grateful.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/richard-prebble-government-must-stand-back-and-let-locals-guide-recovery-from-cyclone-gabrielle/F3WAERFNINERBKFDBC7ZKZ7G2U/ [behind pay-wall]
Thanks.
Well I for one am happy that ACT have moved on from the cake stalls idea.
My concern really is that ACT has been missing in action during both Cyclones. While I have no truck with disaster tourism, politicians need to see things in person, be seen being present at official briefings or even pass on straight empathy, when it is needed and relevant. I wouldn't even mind Seymour saying he had donated or supports the Red Cross & Stuff fundraiser.
PS No charge for this political advice David!
Yes Let the motor mouth leader of act get a bloody shovel and help move the shite rather than flinging it about. He is a first class dork. He grinds my gears with his petty posturing.
Test post
Lipstick and a skirt makes you a woman? I don't think so – and neither do most lesbians.
Just nonsense – and homophobic with it.
This is what young people are being encouraged to believe these days.
so many things wrong with that. Including the use of child-esque imagery for adults.
Those transwomen who say they
are lesbians can have lesbian sex with other transwomen .If not why not?
The fact is they seem to prefer biological women
Did anyone ask lesbians (in the true sense of same sex attraction)whether they wanted to have sex with a penis haver?
No amount of bullying and attempted conversion is going to swing it .
Unfortunately, for many autogynephiliac men – those who are sexually aroused by the thought of themselves as women – the ultimate validation of their claimed identity as a woman and as a "lesbian" – (because they are the same straight boy they were before they put on a frock) – is to bully, bamboozle or blackmail some actual lesbian into a sexual relationship. The validation is just not there with another "transbian" because they actually do know what a woman is – and what one is not.
what's wrong with bisexual women?
What you describe Visubversa is in my eyes is rape. Probably not a legal definition, but every lesbian I've known, do not like men in any way sexually. To "bully, bamboozle or blackmail" is coercion, meaning, ultimately it not consensual at a really core level.
So Lesbians are left once again cleaning up the mess. In this case the psychology, spiritual, and emotional damage from people who are suppose to be in the Rainbow community. Maybe their not, maybe they are just misogynistic little curs.
Re the damage, cue apology from a young lesbian for being taken in by a TERF:
https://twitter.com/terfalicious/status/1290087860675072002?s=20
Unfortunately it is rainbow support organisations that say that lesbians should consider sex with males – if they claim they have a women's gender identity.
The pernicious homophobia shaming taking place is unconscionable.
Rainbow Youth
Inside Out
The definitions of lesbian and gay have been redefined to suit a certain perspective, and the impact of this – ignored. (Sound familiar?)
As apparent with previous Standard discussions on this very topic, and this link sent to me by a NZ psychologist when I asked what support he would give to a young lesbian who was coming to terms with her sexuality and finding pressure to sleep with men:
https://eveywinters.com/genital-preferences-or-bigotry/
I consider this to be a politically sanctioned return of homophobia and a form of gay conversion.
An excerpt from Hannah Barnes "Time to Think" – Guardian review
https://twitter.com/jessesingal/status/1628854693022830592?s=20
Yes, I was a foundation member of Rainbow Labour and I am desolated at what has happened to it today.
Not all transgender women …many have had bottom half surgery (esp those transitioning before self ID).
Data is not easy to come by in NZ, but overseas studies place your "many" at 5 – 13%.
Demographic and temporal trends in transgender identities and gender confirming surgery – 2019:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6626314/
Link to table: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6626314/table/t1/?report=objectonly
Now, I'd consider that *a few" or "a small percentage" but I am aware that clear definitions are difficult for some at the moment.
However, we can probably agree that Self-ID will reduce your "many" to an even smaller percentage.
… and besides…
https://twitter.com/salltweets/status/1627098582154350592?s=20
In addition to what Molly said, even for TW that have had genital removal and reconstruction, they've still male. For many women, sex is a whole body event. Lesbians have the right to say no to sex, dating, and sharing female spaces with male bodied people irrespective of what body modifications that person has done.
Thanks Weka.
This is it in a nutshell.
Nice and simple.
Perhaps we are going back to that stereotype of male bodied people focussing on appearances more than female bodied people do.
Perhaps it is not a stereotype but true.
But I couldn't possibly comment.
The spammers win.
https://twitter.com/clarkesworld/status/1628059492486115328
The Hugo award-winning Science Fiction-focused Clarkesworld Magazine can receive over 12,000 submissions in just one year. Of course, that was before the proliferation of free online AI models that can write a dull, monotonous, though technically legible piece of fiction.
On Monday, Clarkesworld Magazine editor Neil Clarke tweeted that the company had closed all submissions, writing “It shouldn’t be hard to guess why.” Looking back over the past few weeks, it’s clear that fake spam submissions made using AI-based large language models has inundated the magazine’s editors with nearly 35 times the number of fake submissions as the same time last year. Clarke wrote that his magazine received 50 of these AI-generated submissions before noon on Presidents’ Day.
[…]
On Tuesday, Clarke said they do plan to eventually open up submissions again, but he elaborated that “We don’t have a solution for the problem. We have some ideas for minimizing it, but the problem isn’t going away.”
https://gizmodo.com/ai-chatgpt-sci-fi-clarkesworld-magazine-fiction-1850140486
Something admirably humorous about this woman designer's posting of her stolen clothes and jewellery items being displayed by Sam Brinton on his social media posts without any shred of conscience:
https://twitter.com/asyakhamsin1/status/1627541483245936642?s=20
Sam Brinton, was hired by Biden – as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy for the Department of Energy.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10523529/Bidens-pick-nuclear-waste-job-Southern-Baptists-son-turned-drag-queen-Sister-Ray-Dee-OActive.html
Critiques regarding Brinton's public posts regarding his fetishes were defended and considered immaterial to his employment. Which I agree with to an extent, but depending on the role, character does play a part and ability to maintain control over those aspects – whether it be alcohol or kink play are relevant. As well as the credibility of the organisation in regards to their role. I would suggest that his enthusiastic public posting of his pup-play and active membership of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence would have indicated that the necessary discipline was not going to be maintained to the level required.
https://www.exchangemonitor.com/sam-brintons-credibility-is-not-an-issue-desire-to-serve-commendable/?printmode=1
The only comment I can find on this man, is one from Sabine in 2022. But many of us will know that he was first investigated for the theft of a women's bag from an airline carousel a couple of months after being appointed, and no public statement or censure was made.
It was only when he was caught – again – and prosecution was undertaken – that he was deemed unsuitable for the position.
https://nypost.com/2022/12/12/non-binary-biden-nuclear-official-sam-brinton-fired-after-multiple-luggage-theft-charges-reports/
It is notable that he attended court soberly dressed in a suit – (perhaps no women were on his previous flight…)
https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/sam-brinton-released-without-bail-on-luggage-theft-charges/video/5f7784d5898006e4f19362b0c72a32e7
It would be also good, if we can have a serious discussion about his targeted theft of women's clothes.
Where do Standardista's fall here in regards to possible motivations for this larceny?
And an analysis of the likelihood of such public displays of kinks, – which suggest to me that further sexual kinks will be present and less likely to be able to be controlled?
Hmmm, Im guessing he stole luggage belonging to women because he wanted to wear their used clothes. He did that because it excited him. Those are my quick reckons.
I have no interest, to be honest, in his motivations. ( apart from regarding him as a tosser)
He is a simply a thief of other peoples property and hopefully is fined/punished for the crime. Lipstick or suit wearing or being a tosser is beside the point. Just another tedious thief.
Thanks, hetzer.
What considerations do you think character should play in roles of significant authority and responsibility?
ie. talking about the likelihood of impairment, or reducing public confidence. As a parallel, high alcohol consumption posts on social media.
Um, it's America. Considerations of character in roles of significant authority and responsibility?
Donald J Trump, President #45. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Etc.
ohh now theres a thought and difficult question Molly
Some random thoughts: Some of my best contributions have been through a slightly gin impaired haze. A reread the following day usually confirms that.
Ive worked for a number of CEO's , mainly female, who were certifiable nutters, or at the very least sociopaths. Notwithstanding that they were very effective and exactly the sort of CEO to deliver the results needed.
I was actually in the room when the US state department informed Clark via Cullen what their legislation would be re patent protection laws ( think Pfizer) and saw the clarity of thought of the various sociopaths on both sides in action. As for character , on both sides total excreble slimeball misfits that you certainly wouldnt want to have anything to do with socially. But no denying their effectiveness.
So, what role should character play? Well theres the sort of character we probably all respect and admire. However if you want things done for the good of all, perhaps other attributes are more worthy. And yes i realise thats probably rather unpalatable.
Actually agree with you – as far as I think I understand what you've written – with or without gin haze.
I've read a lot about the personality types of surgeons, and remember reading an article years ago outlining where sociopathic traits in cetain roles and occupations benefitted society. I think it may have been this person, interviewed recently on Triggernometry:
https://youtu.be/GL4PyLEi8jY
Some of the most honorable people I know, are/were relied on by the rest of society to do the things that most of us are uncomfortable or incapable of doing. However their self-discipline was also exceptional.
I think in this particular role, a cursory look at Sam Brinton's social media could have indicated an obvious problem with impulse control. It should have eliminated him from consideration.
Sam Brinton certainly had the means to buy women's clothes for himself. However, that is obviously not the way his fetish works. He gets off on the thrill of stealing women's clothes because they are part of his fantasy of becoming the woman who owned and wore the clothing. The fact that he does it so obviously by wearing stolen clothing where it will be likely to be photographed is also part of the thrill. We are seeing fetishised behaviour here, and with much fetishised behaviour (like drug use) more and more stimulation is required to get the same effect. The word is "autogynephilia" and that is what drives most of the gender identity movement today.
Interesting insight….however speaking of personality types the following (mis?) quote may be worth consideration
"It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so."
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-para-state-confirms-mad-cow-disease-case-2023-02-22/
haha yes indeed!
Public displays of kink can be a live sexual act that doesn't have the consent of people who see it. This is one of the concerns about AGP males. There's plenty of evidence of AGP males doing their kink in obvious ways in public, so I think it's reasonable to assume that there are more subtle forms going on as well. It's not going to be a surprise of both the theft of women's clothes and the later wearing in public at high profile events are part of the fetish.
I agree about the character and employment issue. The problem isn't that he wears women's clothes to work. It's how he does that. I suspect far more men than women can see there's a problem, but we're not allowed to talk about it because liberals increasingly think there should be no boundaries and women who talk about boundaries are prudes.