It’s the only way we’ll get some decency and better behaviour back into these money making messaging houses. Fine them, money is the only language they respond to.
The issue is they wouldn’t know how to behave like a serious responsible media outlet, they know that after moving toward a driven from the top model.
Collins passed up on a regulator stating they can look after themselves…..she should be made to eat that statement every time she pops her nasty head above the national parapet.
The govt must have bollocks, timings pretty good. Granny’s just handed them a starter for 10. Flush out the horror show that is RNZ currently also.
This kind of thing has been playing on my mind, and likely others, for the week.
Tales for the Terrorist.
Somewhere, isolated in a reinforced concrete cell, sits NZ’s public enemy number one. Of all the things we’d like to say to him kindness and compassion might not even make the list.
Let’s be clear here, I am coming from a place of revenge and vengeance, I want this man to suffer 50 lifetimes worth of shame and guilt. But as he has no shame, other measures are called for.
I want this man to have paraded before him the media of love and compassion. The murals of Muslim heroes, the story of Eggboy, the coverage of the outpouring of love and solidarity New Zealanders have shown in this time of need.
In Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’, Alex was subject to ‘therapy’ consisting of enforced media of atrocities and violence. I want this terrorist to suffer a similar fate but flipped around. The media of love and kindness, relentlessly portrayed.
I want him to see the hakas, the Mob members who’ve ditched the Nazi regalia, the social media mouthpieces who have suddenly gone silent as they furiously delete and delete. I want him to see that he has brought into light a cancer we needed to excise – and that the scalpels are out.
I want daily press releases of white supremacists getting locked up read to his cell. I want Trumps downfall broadcast to him in detail.
I want him to see the image of Jacinda hugging a woman adorning the highest building in the world. I want him to see Arabic commentators from around the world praise her. I want him to see commentators of hate being shamed and called out. I want him to hear of all the divestment from platforms of hate.
I want him to know his literary efforts are pathetic, and also banned. That his name is fading, and all his stupid chan buddies are due for a door knock.
I want to remind him he started something his dumb brain could never comprehend. A movement of love and compassion spreading virally through the world.
I want him to see me today, a white man, planting flowers for the local Mosque.
I want him to know he is the loser every day for the rest of his pathetic life.
Yesterday BBC announced that Teresa May was left in a dark dim room with no windows in Brussels sitting in that room left alone for five hours waiting for a meeting with the EU to request an extension of the Brexit deal.
Looks as if Brussels is teaching the British leader how isolated she will be, when UK leaves the EU?
They are staunch arse-holes that I would be glad to also leave on my plate as they are also demanding UK pay $32Billion EU to leave without a deal!!!!!!!.
cleangreen
You are letting your emotions stop you from looking at the whole picture. It may be helpful if on this thread we looked at matters from the EUs point of view and
that of stability in Europe of nations that are doing as well as can be expected in these times. We have had an example right in our country of government throwing aside a system for a promise of another supposedly better one. I am not impressed with the new system yet it seems we are stuck with it, and getting stucker by the moment. It seems a new situation, and deserves a new word – ‘stucker’ which rhymes with sucker.
Okay ScottGN
A very therapeutic, short and sweet rant. After the release of emotion, then comes the application of reason. A short fart and then work at the other end of the body eh!
You can spare me the condescending drivel greywarshark.
Your comment at 2.1.1 is meaningless rubbish really.
cleangreen was merely making the observation (as have a fair few others too) that Brussels, in their efforts to remind other eurosceptic-minded members that leaving is going to be really, really tough haven’t really given brexit voters in the UK much reason to reconsider.
The PM May, the Tory government and in fact the whole political establishment in the UK has, become a total, dysfunctional mess but the EU grandees in Brussels should take some responsibility for that state of affairs too.
Your drivel is better than mine ScottGN. If cleangreen decided I was wrong he can say so himself. You don’t have to pile in with your sour negative beating up. I don’t like the way that this is happening on this blog. So just talk about the subject. I was jokey. You could be too if you knew how. If you disagree – put your own POV up as you have and don’t think that you can take me down as seems to be an attitude amongst some here.
Not interested in taking anyone down greywarshark. I was simply trying to communicate the idea that I agreed with cleangreen. Maybe I shouldn’t have replied to your reply to cleangreen, anything, anywhere to do with Brexit seems to have become hyper difficult as the mess has intensified. Sorry if I missed your jokey tone, though I find that humour often gets missed in these sorts of environments.
I wanted to demonstrate what a set of ‘bad actors’ the EU lot are, and by treating one of the most ‘enduing nations’ of Europe who stood up for those nations enslaved under the NAZI regime, in two bloody wars that bankrupted Britain after they restored Germany to economic health after the Marshall Plan was agreed to in 1946/47.
So now that Britain has chosen to take its own path, let them do this with the dignity they greatly deserve, not shut their leader in a dark windowless room without company for 5 hours.
That is disgraceful to say it kindly.
I as a Auckland born kiwi, married an English Rose in Toronto in 1976 and we have a very enduring partnership today that has taught me to respect the English for their ‘enduring grace and kindness so I felt the need to stick up for my English part of our family here.
Incidentally I was born on the very day the British and Americans marched into Paris to ‘Liberate’ Paris and take the City back from the NAZI’s. 25th August 1944.
He wanted to sow discord and hate and see his name everywhere. I’d like him to see that he failed. He imagined a media filled with revenge attacks and chaos. He failed. He utterly failed.
I want him to see all the Muslim leaders applaud as Winston tells them he’ll spend the rest of his life in isolation. I want him to see close ups of their smiles.
I’ve read your comments, you are much smarter than this one.
I’m a bit concerned that (some of) my motives in the post are from a dark place. The desire for revenge is understandable but ultimately adds pain to pain. My concerns for me are not my largest concern however.
Many people are feeling a desire for revenge. So we are not alien, and it is healthier to be honest about this crap.
Love and hate emanating from the same soul. It can be confusing. They say the two cannot exist together. I think we’re more complex than twee proverbs.
The desire for revenge in people who (at the very least perceive they) have been minimized is palpable. The word utu has been used lately and it is not an invalid thought.
When you harm a stoic people they show strength and mana as they lend their persecutors seemingly endless rope. But when you attack their guests you cross the line. Lifetimes of restraint might be pulled taught like crossbow strings, to be unleashed by such a heinous insult.
I ask Maori people and other minorities who’ve had a gutsful:
Please consider that we must fight the institutions to stamp out institutionalized racism. That the time is ripe for reform, not revenge. That the fuse point has been lit and we might implode and destroy ourselves or explode into the world an example it desperately needs.
We who have inhaled the long white cloud
To dream upon its hills
Do you remember then the call to peace
To embrace our Mother Earth.
“I ask Maori people and other minorities who’ve had a gutsful:
Please consider that we must fight the institutions to stamp out institutionalized racism. That the time is ripe for reform, not revenge. That the fuse point has been lit and we might implode and destroy ourselves or explode into the world an example it desperately needs.”
I’m Māori.
“That the time is ripe for reform, not revenge.”
Why you think that applies to me, let alone all Māori people and other minorities, is an good example of entrenched racism.
How casual and well-meaning, but ultimately misplaced is your comment, where you indulge and openly acknowledge personal revenge scenarios, and then follow up with a exhortation to Māori to control themselves.
Have a look again at your comment WTB, and see if you recognise it.
Thanks WTB. I appreciate you taking the time to consider my comment.
“I do not assume that includes you and apologise if my statement was too broad.”
Using the term Māori and other minoritieswas lazy and racist, whether you meant that generalisation or not.
It is an accepted turn of phrase to use the collective Māori, when speaking about anything to do with Te Ao Māori, or any group or individual within it. This acceptance unfortunately feeds the prejudice as news items and commentary is often dealing with negative actions or issues, and so the collective gets the blame in this way, every time.
” I was replying to a call for utu that I have heard from three sources now.”
Three Māori individuals or sources do not speak for the Māori race or indeed Māori tikanga – that excuse is quite lame.
You have got it absolutely spot on in your last sentence: “I should have appealed to all people considering a violent reaction.”, but I’m not yet sure that you understand how entrenched this is in NZ to speak in this way about Māori, and other minority groups.
(I used to do it myself without thinking, and had to train myself to do otherwise. Still slip up every now and then, though.)
A friend and I took Margaret Mutu’s Te Ao Maori at Auckland University. It was an eye opener for sure. We suffered white guilt for some time I had no idea. After the guilt I felt quite furious.
In my wild youth they called me n***** lover in various places and I got a couple of my scars defending my right to not be a nazi.
So now, how could I possibly be patronising 😀 (joking)
So easy to be mindless aye. Today I went to do some planting work, threw on some socks only figuring they were thermal when I got out in the sun. Talk about sweat and suffer. Why? It was at a Moslem Temple and I didn’t know if bare feet would be wrong or shirtless even though we were outside and I was too shy to ask thinking they must’ve had enough patronising white folks for the day… Such a dick.
I’ll screw three things up tomorrow. And hopefully learn four.
“Why? It was at a Moslem Temple and I didn’t know if bare feet would be wrong or shirtless even though we were outside and I was too shy to ask thinking they must’ve had enough patronising white folks for the day… Such a dick”
… and such a lovely person. The human condition.
Gardening is such an inclusive activity and endeavour, what an ideal way to practice common-unity. (BTW, A much better way to spend the day than mine, walking into scaffolding poles and trying to install guttering.)
I’m surprised to learn that we’re feeding that wolf.
“One evening, an elderly Cherokee brave told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.
One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other wolf is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.’
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked, ‘Grandpa, which wolf wins?’
The old Cherokee simply replied, ‘The one that you feed.’”
There is a classic example of inappropriate and unhelpful “whataboutery” in the Weekend Herald opinion section. The reference to Nigeria is exactly what the Snope article is referring to – I have others referring to the same “incident” so clearly they are quoting from the same website.
If I could give one suggestion … that is to do a couple of quotes from your link …. for the people who do not click through .
That way their view / information makes it onto TS pages ….
“Memes about how many people have been killed by Muslims are definitely going around” on social media in the aftermath of New Zealand, said Elon University computer science Professor Megan Squire. “It’s whataboutism. It’s just classic, ‘Hey, look over there’ misdirection.”
“Research shows that crimes committed by Muslims receive vastly more media attention than similar acts committed by non-Muslims.”
“A January 2019 report published by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found that every fatal act of violence resulting from extremism in the U.S. in 2018 was linked to far-right ideologies. ”
“The ( NZ ) killings also coincided with a surge of anti-Muslim hate crimes in other regions of the world, including the United Kingdom and Canada, while in the U.S., such crimes have spiked to all-time highs. ”
“Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Warwick in England have found a strong statistical correlation between tweets posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on Islam-related topics and anti-Muslim hate crimes.
The New Zealand massacre drew attention to what Suleiman sees as related problems: the proliferation of anti-Muslim hate speech on the internet, the mainstreaming of such rhetoric, and the willingness of some who consume such material to take that online activity into the real world with acts of violence and intimidation.”
Changing the names from the usa link …. and seeing if the NZ shoe fits …
Some people doubt the scale of Islamophobia in the media, claim it is limited to certain views of Karl du Frense, Ian Wishhart and Judith Collins, and believe the far-right attitudes come from extreme rather than mainstream sources. This thread aims to challenge such assumptions.
Islam as an ideology, as practised in Islamic nations and as taught in many western countries, is fundamentally incompatible with a modern liberal democracy. There are many Muslims who are calling for an Islamic reformation, unfortunately their voices are, as yet, not being heard.
““A January 2019 report published by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found that every fatal act of violence resulting from extremism in the U.S. in 2018 was linked to far-right ideologies. ””
Which is a good illustration of why the ADL have zero credibility. Firstly because they have conveniently limited the ‘acts of violence’ to those that caused death, and secondly because they missed at least one causing death by a convert to Islam who stabbed 3 people (killing 1) on 12th March 2018.
“…while in the U.S., such crimes have spiked to all-time highs. ””
If that is true, it is hardly surprising given the hatred being preached across the US by Islamic leaders, particularly anti-Semitic diatribes.
Your a dishonest fool Shadrach …. Islamic extremism has been financed and fueled ever since we called Osama Bin Laden a freedom fighter ….. ” The Muslim Terrorist Apparatus was Created by US Intelligence as a Geopolitical Weapon ”
” Brzezinski. He confirms what opponents have charged: that the US began covert sponsorship of Muslim extremists five months *before* the Soviets invaded Afghanistan.”
…” they have used it continuously; and that we are seeing the fruits of this policy. Most recently we have seen the real essence of the Brzezinski doctrine in the horrendous events this past week in Russia (culminating in the school attack) and Israel (the double bus bombing).”
exceropt of a interview with Brezinski ,,,Brezinski can be compared to Kissinger…..
“Le Nouvel Observateur: And also, don’t you regret having helped future terrorists, having given them weapons and advice?
Zbigniew Brzezinski: What is most important for world history? The Taliban or the fall of the Soviet Empire? Some Islamic hotheads or the liberation of Central Europe and the end of the cold war? ”
Le Nouvel Observateur: “Some hotheads?” But it has been said time and time again: today Islamic fundamentalism represents a world-wide threat…
And here is our Muslim ‘extremists’ who you are fear-mongering against Shradrach …. you could learn something from them …. your a disgrace to normal NZers
True that!
And those wolves are inherent in everyone and across faiths and religions.
Sikhs (for example) have the 5 Virtues and the 5 Thieves, others have something similar.
The Virtues: Sat, Santokh, Daya, Nimrata and Pyaar – or loosely – Truth, Contentment, Compassion, Humility/Benevolence and Love
The Thieves: Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh and Hankaar – or loosely – Lust, Anger, Greed, Attachment (to materialism), and Ego/Pride
It seems the Thieves are constantly being fed both consciously and unconsciously, and too often it’s all too hard for the Virtues to survive
Reminds me of one bit of lore i know coming from Confucius:
The Three Ways of Acquiring Wisdom – one being taught it as you grow up, the second observing and learning from events and others around you, and the third by personal experience – the bitterest.
For NZ as an entity we have just had an example of the third. It will be bitter indeed if we can’t acquire wisdom as a result of it.
I don’t (now) subscribe to any religion although I do occasionally go to a couple of places of worship with friends and family, and I subscribe to the concept of the ‘Virtues and Thieves’.
The reason being that too often I see various values (not necessarily those as defined above) becoming ritualistic rather than actual belief and practice. Especially so when I see a couple of our politicians constantly veering toward thievery and generally hell bent on making life hard for others. I’m not sure how else to explain it.
Good rave Owt. And I can see why minorities get angry. But I would rather they stick to methods of politeness; and also why we
should try everything along that line until it shows its getting nowhere. And then contemplate other ways.
Think of how the Brit women acted to get the vote.
They had asked for it and been put off.
They served in one of the early wars, Boer and/or WW1 to show that they were individuals who could act as loyal citizens and then asked for the vote and were put off.
They had to sacrifice themselves, make a nuisance of themselves that couldn’t be brushed off. They chained themselves to monuments to formal, pompous government. They were jailed. They went on a hunger strike. They were force-fed with tubes put down into their stomachs. One threw herself onto the public racetrack to die under the Queen’s racehorse.
That was acting against the establishment without making everyone a victim.
But it is better if we can be firm and stick to the kaupapa, like Tuhoe. Be invaded by the country’s forces and put through the trauma of that and being taken to Court. And hold firm and get your Treaty settlement. That is an example of superior strategy and high collective control and mana equal to Ghandis. That has not been understood and honoured by most NZs.
I don’t know if this actually speaks to your comment. But I just wanted to say it all anyway. Let’s press forward being kind to each other, and trying to keep on track, so we can work collectively and well to initiate what we can after thinking, deciding, planning – to cope with the frightening future. We may have to sacrifice ourselves, have a shorter life than we and others expect, but look for worthy, good-natured companions. Without bloodshed and grief that could be avoided.
I like the French group singing with Edith Piaf who seem to represent the strength and togetherness of the French after WW2 and belief that they have something good that will triumph over the dark past. Their religion is to the fore in this video, with nostalgic model village, which has brought dark moments itself, yet one feels that they will overcome this also.
I’m not in total disagreement with you @ grey.
But I also remember how we used to treat the battered wife (the woifey, the missus, the possession) constantly being given the biff and told to get back in the kitchen.
At one time, we’d remind her of the sanctity of marriage, then marriage guidance – which if nothing was resolved, a few more appointments, then a few more, then a few more might help.
Now the best advice is to get the hell out of there in the first instance. And in some cases it takes a bloody crane to get her to do so.
Yesterday’s Open Mike was a bit of an eye-opener to me I have to say.
Consider https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-23-03-2019/#comment-1599314.
After all the hand wringing, and in a lot of cases, exercising of egos and all that went on in that thread – I got 2 replies: WtB and Anne – both of whom I pick have suffered a bit of shit in their lives.
Realistically, the guy that assaulted my ‘second/extended’ family member is not going to change without a fight. (He’s sooooo tuff).
I posted it because I was interested in the reactions.
I (actually he, the victim – because it’s his decision) has a few options – such as an assault complaint, the HRC, and even INZ who could, and should rescind the prick’s visa.
But like others have experienced, results in the past haven’t been all that flash.
just a P.S.
The only thing I feel the need to comply with are the terms and conditions of this site, although I do appreciate some might be offended within those confines.
(I’m half expecting an @ Wayne to pop up at any moment with some sage advice preaching an Alfred Lord Fuckywucky’s idea on law – I’ll remember the Good Lord’s real name the minute I hit the key )
“The story was first published in a 1978 book called “The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life,” by Billy Graham. Graham admitted he invented the story for a sermon some 40 years ago.
…The story was meant to drive home the concept that we are all born with evil inside us. Our inner darkness, or the “original sin” if you will.
…Which is ironic, because he used a Native American elder to tell a story that a Native American elder would never tell because it’s centered in Christian belief not Native American beliefs.”
Hi Marty.
That’s an interesting bit of background information. I’m not surprised the wolf story is a construct – it sounds “twee”, like the starfish on the beach and other stories of that nature. I didn’t read it as “original sin” at all, more the tendency to catastrophise, attack, blame, plot revenge, replay horror scenes in our minds; all things that humans do (I think) and suffer accordingly. One “wolf” is that soul-destroying behaviour, the other, forgiveness and avoidance of indulging in such thoughts. The response from the Muslim community in New Zealand seems to be to have chosen the life-affirming path, where others are churning through thoughts of revenge and punishment.
That’s how I see it anyway. I’m pretty sure there are religious leaders who have noticed the phenomenon and preached forgiveness as a tool for freeing one’s self of the wolf that gnaws.
“In Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’, Alex was subject to ‘therapy’ consisting of enforced media of atrocities and violence. I want this terrorist to suffer a similar fate but flipped around. The media of love and kindness, relentlessly portrayed”
Don’t know if this would work, but I do quite like the idea, maybe done over a long period of time in very slow and subtle ways, carefully curating all his movie, book, media intake etc, of course at the same time have the right people dive deep into the reasons why he ended up internalizing so much hate and anger.
Adrian That is an interesting idea. Alex was left very sensitive and almost like a goat in a pride of lions, and on a measure of mind strength as vulnerable as he was callous and vicious before.
But your idea could give a new meaning to brain ‘washing’. Wiping the layers of dirt and festering nasty ideas away. Trying to fill his brain for a length of time with positive things, visualisation of himself as a powerfully good person, and overcoming the bad things he comes across, or tolerating the small things as not to make them seem part of a bad tapestry but more like occasional insect bites.
If it worked he might come out being like Superman or Batman or one of the Heroes in popular culture. That would be better I think.
Incognito
One of my reckons is that we are probably so smart that we can do all our own brainwashing, or not. Uncertainty. I would like to come here and be filled with positivity when I get up to rush off and spread it around.
Unfortunately I am not smart, and keep coming here and try to put positivity in, and get negativity back. Some times I turn and try putting negativity in to see if its like a match and I can strike a wee flame of positivity, but rising damp usually prevails. I keep trying though. How long is too long? Why should I give my good stuff away, and get brown things that some say are beans back. Will they grow I wonder, and if so, into what?
One calls it brainwashing, another calls it (re-)education.
If we know how turn (convert) somebody who has committed atrocities into a ‘Super Hero’ why do we wait, why don’t we get on with it and turn all of us into super heroes? My guess is that we don’t know shit about these things and increasing societal problems are not just signs, they are evidence of our ignorance, denial, and refusal to learn and adapt. Just look at our bulging prison population, or (domestic) violence, or …
Due to its dualistic nature, there is no positivity without negativity. You need both to get work done.
You keep trying till you give up but you will never stop moving.
I have the permaculture people to thank, it was their idea and I asked to help. It was very cathartic for me.
You might like what happened next too.
At the bus stop going home I caught an obviously distressed guys eye and smiled. He came over and sat down, and no bull, the conversation goes
“How are you today”
“Well I’ve taken all my medication, but I’m still really upset.
My girl said she loved me then went off with her ex. Mum says there’s plenty of fish in the ocean but I’m still really sad”
“Well of course you are sad. Losing someone hurts.”
“Yes” and he smiles.
His halitosis was peeling paint off the bus seat.
“It’s good you’ve recognized that taking your medication is important when you are feeling hurt, but what about your other self care. Have you eaten today?”
“No”
“Yeah it’s hard to even think of eating sometimes. But it’s important, especially when we’re upset, to take care of ourselves. When I’m upset, I eat pies. Mince and cheese, yum. I like to eat the pie and think about the pie and be grateful for the wonderful pie.”
He laughs.
My bus was pulling in.
“I’m sorry, I have to go, will you be OK”
“Yes” he says.
He gets up and moves off, across the front of the bus as I board. I watch him cross the road, head up, he turns the corner and goes into Wendys.
Less of the old softy eh!
Maybe a bit more of what is the natural (before a shitload of dysfuntion and artificial construct came along to disrupt it all).
And try not to laugh when they all end up wearing their various colosotmy bags trying to keep it all in, within their own perceptions of a polite company.
MSM for example are scurrying around now if you hadn’t noticed (as is dear wee Soimon) trying hard to present themselves as people familiar with a bit of humility – some with an even harder row to hoe, trying to protest their membership to the human race.
And Jesus ….. even Soimon is trying his best to redeem himself by calling for a Royl Kwoiry whilst toding his best not to appear as a cunning shithouse rat who’s more familiar with scuttling up a darinpipe.
I’m not sure of the Caci Clinic’s base hourly rate, nor that of the spin doctor’s fee, or even what the newly discovered Murry is expected to pay to gai membership.
The mathematics of it all should be obvious, even tho’ we might not live to see it all play out
@PB – you really really are awful (but I like you)
Climate change now showing it’s devastating effects in Southern Africa now sadly.
BBC today showed that helicopters flew over central Africa and it looked like an inland sea and the aid rescue was abandoned when the Helicopter failed to locate the “usual land markers” as they were all submersed under water. https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-africa-47609136
Here is a guy telling climate change like I don’t want to know about. Got to take my medicine though, knowing that it might not make me better but I have to at least listen.
This is what the world will be like if we do not act on climate change.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17aE91SBMoY
Big Think
Published on Mar 14, 2019
– The best-case scenario of climate change is that world gets just 2°C hotter, which scientists call the “threshold of catastrophe”.
– Why is that the good news? Because if humans don’t change course now, the planet is on a trajectory to reach 4°C at the end of this century, which would bring $600 trillion in global climate damages, double the warfare, and a refugee crisis 100x worse than the Syrian exodus.
– David Wallace-Wells explains what would happen at an 8°C and even 13°C increase. These predictions are horrifying, but should not scare us into complacency. “It should make us focus on them more intently,” he says.
David Wallace-Wells is a national fellow at the New America foundation and a columnist and deputy editor at New York magazine. He was previously the deputy editor of The Paris Review. He lives in New York City. His latest book is The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming (https://goo.gl/ih35YX)
Increased solar activity could be related: “BIG SUNSPOT: Four days ago, sunspot AR2736 didn’t exist. Now the rapidly-growing active region stretches across more than 100,000 km of the solar surface and contains multiple dark cores larger than Earth. Moreover, it has a complicated magnetic field that is crackling with C-class solar flares…”
It seems that on the day of the massacre in Christchurch, that the police and the SAS were coincidentally conducting a full blown mass shooting incident exercise in the city. And could not have been better prepared to react to the mass shooting when it broke out.
‘Only Thing That Stops A Bad Guy With A Gun Is A Good Guy With A Gun’
Is the NRA now advocating that all muslims should be armed?
‘After the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012NRA chairman Wayne LaPierre doubled down on its pro-gun stance, rejecting any gun control and blaming violent video games instead’
‘”Isn’t fantasising about killing people as a way to get your kicks really the filthiest form of pornography.”
When these ‘men’ at gun clubs are firing their MSSA at silhouettes of people Wayne, what are they fantasizing about? can you be sure about what they are thinking? perhaps some of your members are getting kicks out of exactly that?
The NRA would have everyone at every mosque and church and temple armed with loaded weapons. All would be facing towards the doors so they could not be surprised by evil entrants with murderous intent behind them.
Yet with all that expert firepower on the spot, guns contributed somewhere between very little and precisely zero to stopping and apprehending the fuckwit.
He was driven off from his second attack at the Linwood mosque by a good man who grabbed the nearest solid object as a makeshift weapon. Then as he was driving away, skilled police driving stopped his car and officers manhandled him out of the car and onto the ground.
I have yet to see any reports that even a single shot was actually fired at the fuckwit. At most, it’s possible that having a gun pointed at him in his disabled car might have persuaded him to get out of his car relatively quietly rather than trying to grab one of his remaining guns to carry on his fuckwittery.
edit: But “good man with a gun” fantasies contributed to making the situation even worse, when at least one private citizen turned up with a gun, diverting police attention and resources to dealing with an apparently expanded threat.
The ‘good man with a gun’ theory explodes quickly as good men probably won’t all arrive at the same time. The first good man to arrive finds the bad man shooting. The second good man to arrive sees two people shooting, the third good man finds……you get the picture. Even if the first good man puts the shooter down, the second good man to arrive sees a man with a gun and people down. I don’t think he’s going to conduct an interview to determine if the armed man standing is good or bad. And the problem escalates from there.
How to solve a moral dilemma and avoid an existential crisis.
When not sure whether you are a good or a bad guy, find a good guy, tell them they are a good guy, and then ask them whether you are a good guy. The answer will set you free.
When not sure whether you are a good or a bad guy, find a bad guy, tell them they are a bad guy, and then ask them whether you are a bad guy. The answer will set you free.
“‘Only Thing That Stops A Bad Guy With A Gun Is A Good Guy With A Gun’”
The Christchurch lunatic thought he WAS “the good guy with a gun” FFS.
When it comes to front-line law ‘n order I would prefer on the whole to leave the determination of who are the good guys and the bad guys to an uncorrupted, tax-payer funded police force.
NRA are lunatics – declare them a terrorist organisation and arrest and deport any one of them who comes here.
Fossil fuel execs recorded having a giggle at a Ritz Carlton ….but her emails!
Trump himself was a driving force behind deregulating the energy industry, ordering the government in 2017 to weed out federal rules “that unnecessarily encumber energy production.” In a 2017 order, Zinke called for his deputy secretary—Bernhardt—to make sure the department complied with Trump’s regulatory rollbacks.
The petroleum association was just one industry group pushing for regulatory relief — the American Petroleum Institute, the U.S. Oil and Gas Association and the Western Energy Alliance also were active. But since IPAA created its wish list, the Interior Department has acceded to nearly all its requests:
* Rescinded fracking rules meant to control water pollution.
[…]
* Withdrawn rules that limit climate-change causing methane gas releases.
[…]
* Abandoned environmental restoration of public land damaged by oil development.
[…]
* Ended long-standing protections for migratory birds.
[…]
“Scott Pruitt, he came from Oklahoma, and we have a lot of friends in common and I thought that’s what we were going to talk about, we did that for about three minutes,” Russell said. “And then he started asking very technical questions about methane, about ozone … and if Scott Pruitt thought he was going to go deep nerd …”
The audience began laughing.
“And what was really great is there was about four or five EPA staffers there, who were all like, ‘Write that down, write that down,’ all the way through this,’’ Russell continued. “And when we left, I said that was just our overview.”
The audience laughed again.
“So it’s really a new world for us and very, very helpful.”
this is what you get when you vote for a destroyer rather then a bridge builder who may not build the best bridges but who at least does not burn down the last bridge usable.
So no they and all his enablers and facilitators and excuse makers shall reap the misery they planted.
Its gonna suck for us too, but chances are we will be better prepared as we don’t expect anything but a burned to the ground earth.
This academic specialising in history and watching the white supremacist movement gave a learning experience to me. I knew that there were large groups devoted to the idea, but didn’t take in the breadth. It seems a cult, a bit like Exclusive Brethren in that they divide off from society in their commitments to each other, just interfacing with society as required to do well; are actually hostile to society, but keeping this hidden most of the time.
Professor Kathleen Belew: Christchurch terrorist driven by classic white power ideologies
The Associate Professor of U.S. History and the College at the University of Chicago is the author of Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America. In the book she says the soldiers of white power — which the alleged Christchurch mosque shooter claimed to be — “are not lone wolves but highly organised cadres motivated by a coherent and deeply troubling worldview of white supremacy, anticommunism and apocalypse”.
She joins the show to look at the case of the Christchurch shooter and how his tragic story is just the latest in a shocking series of violent events carried out by a small section of society hellbent on starting a race war
This weeks episode of The Listening Post … first story up the medias reaction to the terrorist attack in ChCh. It’s a MUST watch, the story on ChCh is excellent, IMHO.
If the scum bag grew up in Aussie, did the media play a part? Rupert Murdoch…. the narrative his publications spin is in part to blame for the tragedy in ChCh.
Murdoch has been using his media monopoly in Aussie to fuel Islamophobia for decades. Lining his pockets with click bait headlines which distort reality and push a much more sinister agenda.
Media as accessory to the crime?
Nothing comes from nothing: we trace the history of Islamophobia in the western media
(first story up, around 10 mins long)
the politicians role, growing up under Howard in OZ, Bush in the US and the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and the beginning of endless war would have also had an affect.
Cinny, that episode highlights why I try and call out the fish wrap aka the herald every time they publish some blatantly biased political propaganda by the usual poodles who we are now all hopefully aware of.
The “white redemption” angle is interesting and needs further investigation. The media versus the media, screening by the media, at a media outlet near you could be the bleeding edge journalism of the times.
I would have to think that Jacinda Ardern’s response was purely her humanity on display and not some act to be part of an organised “white redemption” by media. The media, wittingly or unwittingly, have been using the Goebbels playbook for over half a century.
“While the whole country is mourning, and we as a nation are having to confront the white supremacy which we let grow in our backyard, we at The Pantograph Punch think it is of the utmost importance to ensure we are continuing to centre the voices of our Muslim brothers and sisters. Following the terrorist attack on the Muslim community in Ōtautahi, we’ve compiled an incomplete reading list of voices to listen to, from Muslim perspectives surround the attacks, how to combat white defensiveness and how to talk about tragedies to our children.”
Heat the pot and it will boil over – stochastic terrorism.
Using the Anti-Defamation League’s Hate, Extremism, Anti-Semitism, Terrorism map data (HEAT map), we examined whether there was a correlation between the counties that hosted one of Trump’s 275 presidential campaign rallies in 2016 and increased incidents of hate crimes in subsequent months.
To test this, we aggregated hate-crime incident data and Trump rally data to the county level and then used statistical tools to estimate a rally’s impact. We included controls for factors such as the county’s crime rates, its number of active hate groups, its minority populations, its percentage with college educations, its location in the country and the month when the rallies occurred.
We found that counties that had hosted a 2016 Trump campaign rally saw a 226 percent increase in reported hate crimes over comparable counties that did not host such a rally.
Of course, our analysis cannot be certain it was Trump’s campaign rally rhetoric that caused people to commit more hate crimes in the host county. However, suggestions that this effect can be explained through a plethora of faux hate crimes are at best unrealistic. In fact, this charge is frequently used as a political tool to dismiss concerns about hate crimes. Research shows it is far more likely that hate crime statistics are considerably lower because of underreporting.
We found that counties that had hosted a 2016 Trump campaign rally saw a 226 percent increase in reported hate crimes over comparable counties that did not host such a rally.
Is anyone really surprised with this? His rallies are little more than a rant of vitriol; spouting violence, bigotry, and hate. The true believers are numbed beyond reason and emerge from these rallies full of mindless cant. Whatever he says – that is what they will believe. The Trumpist cult is here and now, full of religious fervour, and willing to do his bidding.
Air NZ has parted company with Virgin over Tasman. Virgin had a consequent drop in business and may have to revert to its budget arm Tiger.
Airnz also seems to be cuddling up to Qantas, a koala bear with sharp teeth. But it is playing a long game which it hopes will win, but Qantas has slit our tyres before.
Earlier,Air New Zealand was pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Virgin, lifting its equity stake to 26 per cent, and answered the call for more cash five years ago at a time when it was fighting a brutal domestic capacity war with Qantas, then on its knees because of international losses….
About seven million passengers last year crossed the Tasman, regarded as one of the most hotly contested airline routes in the world.
For Virgin, the Tasman represents about 5 per cent of its capacity – it makes its money flying the dense eastern Australian domestic routes. But for Air NZ, the Tasman is where it has around 22 per cent of its seats. It has to get it right….
Luxon and Virgin Australia’s chief executive John Borghetti, who by one account haven’t spoken in two years…
Borghetti – who missed out on the top job at Qantas in 2010 -and Luxon are polar opposites.
Both has their own style: Borghetti, with his tailored Italian suits and fast cars, is different to Luxon, a non-drinking Christian (and someone who has previously talked of his interest in a decidedly un-flashy car – a 1966 Riley Elf). The pair clashed when Luxon sat on the Virgin board…
Virgin is now in improving financial shape, in August posting its best underlying result in 10 years, and Borghetti is due to leave the airline within the next year.
Airnz had reps in Australia, who seem to have built up kudos with Qantas . Former Air New Zealand executives Lesley Grant and Andrew David were among the Qantas team, there with Air NZ’s chief revenue officer Cam Wallace.
The Australian airline carries about 24 million passengers a year, with about 5 per cent of that capacity on the Tasman routes….
Air New Zealand, which has about 39 per cent of Tasman traffic, is operating now more widebody jets across the Tasman now and has put more capacity into Brisbane.
There is no room for complacency in the airline market obviously. It appears that there will be competitive pricing across the Tasman for the near future.
Just thinking re above the viewpoint is all about growth still. And somewhere in the articles I was reading it said that Australia is the biggest by far for incoming passengers to NZ. We could start introducing Visas and have a range of results, including cutting our airline traffic between countries to a manageable level. And
perhaps look at having our AirNZ employees working for the country’s best interests and not their own. I find it hard to think that they could think entirely clearly about NZ when they might be offered a job in Qantas for being a good co-operative player between the two companies when the individual thought fit.
No argument with what you’ve just said. Also, the more your remaining meat consumption is shifted away from ruminants (cows, sheep, deer, goats) to non-ruminants like chicken, pork, horse, the better for the environment and climate.
I just enjoy seeing obnoxious sanctimonious show-off prats get busted for hypocrisy.
Attached are about 1800 comments. About halfway through they became more and more vile and include calls for the “assassination of NZ PM”. No, I’m not going to use her name.
The majority of the vile comments come from people with English sounding names and good English skills.
I’m a little concerned about the safety of our Prime Minister, particularly after the global praise for her leadership. It’s at times like these, when a socially conscious leader is drawing huge support that they are most at risk.
I hope her detail and the police in general have recognised the increased threat from right wing extremists against Jacinda Ardern. Already frothing at the bit, I suspect some will begin to go into full meltdown at the sight of among other things, her image on the tallest building in the world embracing Muslins, and the idea she would be nominated for a Nobel peace prize.
I’m sure the authorities are well aware and protection has been hugely increased. The thing is, it’s going to have to continue at an optimum level for a long time.
I hope this event and the PM’s response has helped them take a step back and review their values but I suspect most will double down.
They are already arguing that their speech is being threatened but just how much oppressive speech by the most powerful group in the world should be let go?
The same chilling fears for Jacinda Ardern’s safety also struck me. Without wanting to sound bloodthirsty, I think, or hope, that even the nuttiest Super-Right nutter would have to consider that Jacinda is the mother of a young child, one of the most popular PMs we have had at this time, and anyone who hurt her would be likely to have a very hard time in prison, maybe be lucky to make it to court alive (look at Lee Harvey Oswald), and be bloody lucky to live comfortably afterwards… I hope the fear goes both ways and works as a deterrent.
Horribly uncivilised, but some people work at that horribly uncivilised level – like that cretin last Friday.
Stuff’s editors’ picks: Parliament’s mass staff walkout.
Stuff’s most popular: Nearly 30 back office workers have quit Parliament in three months.
The headlines in Stuff’s politics section: Parliament’s mass staff walkout. Parliament’s back office staff are quitting in droves, costing taxpayers almost $250,000.
Turns out it the exact number is 28, five of whom were executives and it included one retirement. This is from a total of “just over 700 staff” with no data given for the ‘normal’ churn.
It’s understood many of those who have left worked in human resources.
I got a very different impression from those headlines.
After a very quick search I found that “the average turnover rate is around 10 percent” and that last year the turnover was at an all-time high of 16%.
I think that someone expressed an opinion about parliamentary staff and how they would find it hard to change from their basic behaviour over the last nine years of National. Perhaps that accounts for the 16% that left last year. There may be a chance of having a new approach to the politicians passing through, and the people they administer policies to.
Yes, but I was intrigued how these headlines raise an expectation (with me) before even reading the article. The manufacturing (of consent or discontent) process acts through very simple cues, especially when placed ‘at eye level’.
It has now moved to the National section on Stuff’s landing page (online front page), with a photo. So, clearly they (?) want people to read it …
Actually I’v quickly done the maths on the back of my overdue tax return: don’t answer the above question unless you’re sure you know the correct answer.
I know in real life a few people who were in the area at the time. I know, in real life, one or two people who did watch the full thing with more professional background than someone who will use the term “official narrative”.
I chose not to view it because I already knew enough. So the correct answer is “fuck off”.
Certainly sounds like a Nazi puncher – they could use you on the streets in France right now, where the Army has been given the go to shoot the unarmed civilians…
…and by “professional”, do you mean people who will work for money? What happened to respect for unpaid, and charity work? Your politics would benefit from more time with women’s-rights-groups.
Kia ora The AM Show duncan your m8 have had some there true chameleon colours revealed lately there is more dirt to come Iam manukāwhaki coffee social media muppet.
Ka pai to the new social media on line movie makers the old movie maker have been controlled so only content is positive for the 00.1 % and every other class voice is silence a lot of good people use film to get the truth out to the PEOPLE PEOPLE PEOPLE The new Age is here and now.
The west coast mayor is a climate change denier fool.
duncan We know you are lieing you go on the net all the time to read my post you and your m8s have been attacking social media because it gives Eco Maori part of my Mana that is quite plain to see but social media is like Eco Maori all ready out of the box and know one CAN STOP US.
I know I have Bill Gates attention he thinks it OK the Way of the world’s society is at the minute YEA RIGHT.
If the billionaire were socially considering they would be pouring billion in to protecting our Mokopunas future by putting money into green energy and 3 world nation not just drip feeding these problems.
There you go wanker airing this dick heads story he was probably a kid taken into state care abuse by the state hence he commtied those crimes the IDIOT is and was never going to get out of jail with the proal system this is just another kick of dirt in the face of Maori it could have been dead a buryed years ago. But it show how incredibly incompetent the police force is they set up Porter they set him up and new someone was still at large committing these crimes against Wahine WTF.
royal cover up commission look at the little Pike River Mine desaster they got everyone’s to sign a letter of confidentiality What are they hiding. The force is covering its Ass its CORRUPT.
So long as the school systems changes start dilivering better OUT COMEs for the Maori and the lower classes its OK.
The education system is not giving Maori tamariki a fair start up they ladders of Life everyone’s else has a huge head start over OUR Tamariki we need to install a culture in Maori that education is a MUST to achieveing a good life this will lift Maori Mana we need Maori doctors nurses coders every professional sector is lacking in Maori people in them that has to change .
What a load of shit mark just because your lot get the best out of the education system it ain’t delivering the same results for Maori and NZ future will be stained by not correcting the wrongs of a racily biest education system.
Artificial intelligence is a program that learns by its mistakes but a supercomputer can make trillions of choice in second it could run the word once Quntam computers are master no data will be safe they are storing all the world data even the incypted data they are storing that so when they master Quntam computers they will be able to de code the data no secrets in the world will be kept SAFE.
Yes I say that the people the spy’s have been focusing on are not a threat Maori green Muslim people ights these are leftys people they are pro peace that tell me that the spy’s agree with the Alt ight white supremacists that is plan to SEE that backs up my words against these fools. Can see that ational shonky loaded the spy’s up with his redneck m8s and focuses them on people who would take his power away from him plan to see that. Ka kite ano
This is what we have to focouse on human caused climate change not trump brexit all the other bullshit the oil barrons throw up to stop the world taking there power of control on the world with CARBON it is the comidity that controls the world these greedy fools will burn our world for there neanderthal power.
Thanks to Chinas manufacturing power solar wind are cheaper than carbon thermal power green energy uses a fraction of the water that carbon thermal power uses .
Sir David Attenborough has announced his new documentary topic: climate change.
The “urgent” one-off film will focus on the various threats climate change poses and any possible solutions.
Titled Climate Change: The Facts, the new documentary will feature footage from around the world, showcasing the damage and impact global warming has already had on our planet, as well as interviews with climatologists and meteorologists.
He will work to explore the science behind extreme weather conditions experienced all around the world, with a focus on the wildfires in California at the end of 2018.
The NZ UN justice system.
How recruitment works all the boss are Christian so people with the same self righteous ideology rise to the top fast Maori join the force he/she see undignified behaviour he/she is told to ignore it that the system image is protected first and formost.
They are not happy they leave after 6 years because they joined the forces to make a better society for Maori they can see that they were pushing shit uphill.
A bright snot nose self righteous Christian joins his dad was a cop he has been bullied at school has a problem with brown people he rise quickly up the ranks because he has the same opinion as the boss he gets a job with the sis or gcsb be for she /he is 30 years old he now has all the power of and minupulating of the NZ JUSTICE SYSTEM at his fingers tips he can bribe narks under cover witness who one can not defend themselves from to sing a tune against someone Gisborne man his boss has sighted him on a person Next Minute Eco Maori and he loses his marbles his m8 takes over
You see people there is know protacal for people to be given a promotion in the force its up to the bosses who give there redneck m8 all the rizes in rank and pay hence we end up with a justice system that treats the lower classes like shit instead of doing there job and protecting the People
And Maori the lower classes of people have a impossible task at rising up the ranks of the unjustified system.
Ka kite ano
This is after trump has thrown a spanner in the green energy works and tryed to atificaly in flate carbon prices the carbon barons OWN HIS ASS
Around three-quarters of US coal production is now more expensive than solar and wind energy in providing electricity to American households, according to a new study.
“Even without major policy shift we will continue to see coal retire pretty rapidly,” said Mike O’Boyle, the co-author of the report for Energy Innovation, a renewables analysis firm. “Our analysis shows that we can move a lot faster to replace coal with wind and solar. The fact that so much coal could be retired right now shows we are off the pace.”
The study’s authors used public financial filings and data from the Energy Information Agency (EIA) to work out the cost of energy from coal plants compared with wind and solar options within a 35-mile radius. They found that 211 gigawatts of current US coal capacity, 74% of the coal fleet, is providing electricity that’s more expensive than wind or solar.
Most US coal plants are contaminating groundwater with toxins, analysis finds
Read more
By 2025 the picture becomes even clearer, with nearly the entire US coal system out-competed on cost by wind and solar, even when factoring in the construction of new wind turbines and solar panels.
“We’ve seen we are at the ‘coal crossover’ point in many parts of the country but this is actually more widespread than previously thought,” O’Boyle said. “There is a huge potential for wind and solar to replace coal, while saving Ka kite ano P.S The stea tarrifs were aimed at green energy construction links below
The sandflys have my son caught up in their Web of deceit they have there m8 caught in their hinaki because their mother has never supported my MANA They don’t listen to my advice I tryed to get there in laws to help but to no avail they would rather risk there my Mokopunas future prosperity than expose the puppet caught in the sandflys web of Decite Ma te wa I will have the last laugh at them Ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub what’s the west port mayor saying now about human caused climate change is he still in denial Eco Maori just hopes no people lose their lives.
Yes the Mana of Wai is awesome that is why we must respect Papatuanukue.
NO comment on Saint John the ones in the bay of plenty will know why.
That is not on Wahine being internally searched in Prison illegally you see the authorities play with the innocent people who don’t no there human ights they have tryed and are trying that on Eco Maori I give them the titi but I feel for the people who are innocent that is why the people need to get a education. As for trump the wealthy 00.1 % would rather have a racist bigot who hands them out cash than a person who will look after all the people. What a SHAM he was shit scared before Muler report was released that told me he was guilty now that they have not shown the TRUTH he is using it as a weapon tipical REDNECK. I Seen Muler he is worried
At scotmo is just jumping on that subject to boost his popularity that’s what I see. Ka kite ano
Kia ora Te ao Maori News let’s hope the Crown treats Maori fairly and not just play lip service on the issue Maori have with the way Wai is being treated by some around the Moutu and the other issues we have with water. Hehe I got shonky pulled from the Ngati-porou website I just about chucked up when I seen a photo of him giving one of our great leaders a Hongi he definitely was playing with MAORI MANA. Not just Muslims human rights are being breach but good on them for rising the issue. I have said that Wai Awa needs to be given more respect. The Kaituna awa deaths that local tangata whenua have conserns about. Ka kite ano
Hi,It’s almost Christmas Day which means it is almost my birthday, where you will find me whimpering in the corner clutching a warm bottle of Baileys.If you’re out of ideas for presents (and truly desperate) then it is possible to gift a full Webworm subscription to a friend (or enemy) ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30am include:Rachel Helyer Donaldson’s scoop via RNZ last night of cuts to maternity jobs in the health system;Maddy Croad’s scoop via The Press-$ this morning on funding cuts for Christchurch’s biggest food rescue charity;Benedict Collins’ scoop last night via 1News on a last-minute ...
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
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Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
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Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...
I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here’s exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 23 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes.Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...
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I hope the Herald gets sued and royally hauled over the coals for this morning publishing the two inch tantrums full name and details of his rantings.
Tone deaf and illegal.
It’s about time our government hauled those haughty motherfuckers all the way to court.
The Article ‘How the Terrorist was Radicalised – tells us nothing.
The Article ‘Why the Concert was Evacuated tells us nothing.
But we click.
It’s the only way we’ll get some decency and better behaviour back into these money making messaging houses. Fine them, money is the only language they respond to.
The issue is they wouldn’t know how to behave like a serious responsible media outlet, they know that after moving toward a driven from the top model.
Collins passed up on a regulator stating they can look after themselves…..she should be made to eat that statement every time she pops her nasty head above the national parapet.
The govt must have bollocks, timings pretty good. Granny’s just handed them a starter for 10. Flush out the horror show that is RNZ currently also.
USA Fairfax what do you expect from white trash ?
This kind of thing has been playing on my mind, and likely others, for the week.
Tales for the Terrorist.
Somewhere, isolated in a reinforced concrete cell, sits NZ’s public enemy number one. Of all the things we’d like to say to him kindness and compassion might not even make the list.
Let’s be clear here, I am coming from a place of revenge and vengeance, I want this man to suffer 50 lifetimes worth of shame and guilt. But as he has no shame, other measures are called for.
I want this man to have paraded before him the media of love and compassion. The murals of Muslim heroes, the story of Eggboy, the coverage of the outpouring of love and solidarity New Zealanders have shown in this time of need.
In Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’, Alex was subject to ‘therapy’ consisting of enforced media of atrocities and violence. I want this terrorist to suffer a similar fate but flipped around. The media of love and kindness, relentlessly portrayed.
I want him to see the hakas, the Mob members who’ve ditched the Nazi regalia, the social media mouthpieces who have suddenly gone silent as they furiously delete and delete. I want him to see that he has brought into light a cancer we needed to excise – and that the scalpels are out.
I want daily press releases of white supremacists getting locked up read to his cell. I want Trumps downfall broadcast to him in detail.
I want him to see the image of Jacinda hugging a woman adorning the highest building in the world. I want him to see Arabic commentators from around the world praise her. I want him to see commentators of hate being shamed and called out. I want him to hear of all the divestment from platforms of hate.
I want him to know his literary efforts are pathetic, and also banned. That his name is fading, and all his stupid chan buddies are due for a door knock.
I want to remind him he started something his dumb brain could never comprehend. A movement of love and compassion spreading virally through the world.
I want him to see me today, a white man, planting flowers for the local Mosque.
I want him to know he is the loser every day for the rest of his pathetic life.
Yesterday BBC announced that Teresa May was left in a dark dim room with no windows in Brussels sitting in that room left alone for five hours waiting for a meeting with the EU to request an extension of the Brexit deal.
Looks as if Brussels is teaching the British leader how isolated she will be, when UK leaves the EU?
They are staunch arse-holes that I would be glad to also leave on my plate as they are also demanding UK pay $32Billion EU to leave without a deal!!!!!!!.
F—-k them.
cleangreen
You are letting your emotions stop you from looking at the whole picture. It may be helpful if on this thread we looked at matters from the EUs point of view and
that of stability in Europe of nations that are doing as well as can be expected in these times. We have had an example right in our country of government throwing aside a system for a promise of another supposedly better one. I am not impressed with the new system yet it seems we are stuck with it, and getting stucker by the moment. It seems a new situation, and deserves a new word – ‘stucker’ which rhymes with sucker.
I’m with cleangreen – fuck ‘em.
Okay ScottGN
A very therapeutic, short and sweet rant. After the release of emotion, then comes the application of reason. A short fart and then work at the other end of the body eh!
You can spare me the condescending drivel greywarshark.
Your comment at 2.1.1 is meaningless rubbish really.
cleangreen was merely making the observation (as have a fair few others too) that Brussels, in their efforts to remind other eurosceptic-minded members that leaving is going to be really, really tough haven’t really given brexit voters in the UK much reason to reconsider.
The PM May, the Tory government and in fact the whole political establishment in the UK has, become a total, dysfunctional mess but the EU grandees in Brussels should take some responsibility for that state of affairs too.
Your drivel is better than mine ScottGN. If cleangreen decided I was wrong he can say so himself. You don’t have to pile in with your sour negative beating up. I don’t like the way that this is happening on this blog. So just talk about the subject. I was jokey. You could be too if you knew how. If you disagree – put your own POV up as you have and don’t think that you can take me down as seems to be an attitude amongst some here.
Not interested in taking anyone down greywarshark. I was simply trying to communicate the idea that I agreed with cleangreen. Maybe I shouldn’t have replied to your reply to cleangreen, anything, anywhere to do with Brexit seems to have become hyper difficult as the mess has intensified. Sorry if I missed your jokey tone, though I find that humour often gets missed in these sorts of environments.
Yes Scott.
I wanted to demonstrate what a set of ‘bad actors’ the EU lot are, and by treating one of the most ‘enduing nations’ of Europe who stood up for those nations enslaved under the NAZI regime, in two bloody wars that bankrupted Britain after they restored Germany to economic health after the Marshall Plan was agreed to in 1946/47.
So now that Britain has chosen to take its own path, let them do this with the dignity they greatly deserve, not shut their leader in a dark windowless room without company for 5 hours.
That is disgraceful to say it kindly.
I as a Auckland born kiwi, married an English Rose in Toronto in 1976 and we have a very enduring partnership today that has taught me to respect the English for their ‘enduring grace and kindness so I felt the need to stick up for my English part of our family here.
Incidentally I was born on the very day the British and Americans marched into Paris to ‘Liberate’ Paris and take the City back from the NAZI’s. 25th August 1944.
If you don’t want to pay the bill, don’t sign up in the first place.
The UK has fucked itself. Or at least England fucked itself. Bring on devolution.
So you want him to see just what an effect he has had ,do you.
Just like the arsonist who can’t resist watching the results of his twisted actions and the vicarious satisfaction it imbues.
Not really.
He wanted to sow discord and hate and see his name everywhere. I’d like him to see that he failed. He imagined a media filled with revenge attacks and chaos. He failed. He utterly failed.
I want him to see all the Muslim leaders applaud as Winston tells them he’ll spend the rest of his life in isolation. I want him to see close ups of their smiles.
I’ve read your comments, you are much smarter than this one.
I’m thinking a cell of bullet proof glass with multiple large screen monitors behind streaming this stuff on endless loops.
Yea that sounds good.
I’m a bit concerned that (some of) my motives in the post are from a dark place. The desire for revenge is understandable but ultimately adds pain to pain. My concerns for me are not my largest concern however.
Many people are feeling a desire for revenge. So we are not alien, and it is healthier to be honest about this crap.
Love and hate emanating from the same soul. It can be confusing. They say the two cannot exist together. I think we’re more complex than twee proverbs.
The desire for revenge in people who (at the very least perceive they) have been minimized is palpable. The word utu has been used lately and it is not an invalid thought.
When you harm a stoic people they show strength and mana as they lend their persecutors seemingly endless rope. But when you attack their guests you cross the line. Lifetimes of restraint might be pulled taught like crossbow strings, to be unleashed by such a heinous insult.
I ask Maori people and other minorities who’ve had a gutsful:
Please consider that we must fight the institutions to stamp out institutionalized racism. That the time is ripe for reform, not revenge. That the fuse point has been lit and we might implode and destroy ourselves or explode into the world an example it desperately needs.
We who have inhaled the long white cloud
To dream upon its hills
Do you remember then the call to peace
To embrace our Mother Earth.
“I ask Maori people and other minorities who’ve had a gutsful:
Please consider that we must fight the institutions to stamp out institutionalized racism. That the time is ripe for reform, not revenge. That the fuse point has been lit and we might implode and destroy ourselves or explode into the world an example it desperately needs.”
I’m Māori.
“That the time is ripe for reform, not revenge.”
Why you think that applies to me, let alone all Māori people and other minorities, is an good example of entrenched racism.
How casual and well-meaning, but ultimately misplaced is your comment, where you indulge and openly acknowledge personal revenge scenarios, and then follow up with a exhortation to Māori to control themselves.
Have a look again at your comment WTB, and see if you recognise it.
Well actually Molly, I was replying to a call for utu that I have heard from three sources now.
I am talking to those who are considering such acts. I do not assume that includes you and apologise if my statement was too broad.
The only revenge scenario I have considered involves the state playing him positive media.
You are right I was a patronising twat. I should have appealed to all people considering a violent reaction.
Thanks WTB. I appreciate you taking the time to consider my comment.
“I do not assume that includes you and apologise if my statement was too broad.”
Using the term Māori and other minorities was lazy and racist, whether you meant that generalisation or not.
It is an accepted turn of phrase to use the collective Māori, when speaking about anything to do with Te Ao Māori, or any group or individual within it. This acceptance unfortunately feeds the prejudice as news items and commentary is often dealing with negative actions or issues, and so the collective gets the blame in this way, every time.
” I was replying to a call for utu that I have heard from three sources now.”
Three Māori individuals or sources do not speak for the Māori race or indeed Māori tikanga – that excuse is quite lame.
You have got it absolutely spot on in your last sentence: “I should have appealed to all people considering a violent reaction.”, but I’m not yet sure that you understand how entrenched this is in NZ to speak in this way about Māori, and other minority groups.
(I used to do it myself without thinking, and had to train myself to do otherwise. Still slip up every now and then, though.)
A friend and I took Margaret Mutu’s Te Ao Maori at Auckland University. It was an eye opener for sure. We suffered white guilt for some time I had no idea. After the guilt I felt quite furious.
In my wild youth they called me n***** lover in various places and I got a couple of my scars defending my right to not be a nazi.
So now, how could I possibly be patronising 😀 (joking)
So easy to be mindless aye. Today I went to do some planting work, threw on some socks only figuring they were thermal when I got out in the sun. Talk about sweat and suffer. Why? It was at a Moslem Temple and I didn’t know if bare feet would be wrong or shirtless even though we were outside and I was too shy to ask thinking they must’ve had enough patronising white folks for the day… Such a dick.
I’ll screw three things up tomorrow. And hopefully learn four.
“Why? It was at a Moslem Temple and I didn’t know if bare feet would be wrong or shirtless even though we were outside and I was too shy to ask thinking they must’ve had enough patronising white folks for the day… Such a dick”
… and such a lovely person. The human condition.
Gardening is such an inclusive activity and endeavour, what an ideal way to practice common-unity. (BTW, A much better way to spend the day than mine, walking into scaffolding poles and trying to install guttering.)
I’m surprised to learn that we’re feeding that wolf.
“One evening, an elderly Cherokee brave told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.
One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other wolf is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.’
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked, ‘Grandpa, which wolf wins?’
The old Cherokee simply replied, ‘The one that you feed.’”
Read post I posted as you wrote Robert.
Brilliant Robert.
Here is a link to an article in Snope that, in my opinion, everyone should read.
https://snopescom.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/j/05BED2BD65180DAD2540EF23F30FEDED/75EEB567988F57F9F351F20C80B74D5E?fbclid=IwAR1X6LQ2tuP_gIJJLg7iP4RDh5HmCXBcgJ7f-Ad6FPDPdgTIgTqQ7UrUob8.
There is a classic example of inappropriate and unhelpful “whataboutery” in the Weekend Herald opinion section. The reference to Nigeria is exactly what the Snope article is referring to – I have others referring to the same “incident” so clearly they are quoting from the same website.
Thanks Marcus Morris … excellent link .
If I could give one suggestion … that is to do a couple of quotes from your link …. for the people who do not click through .
That way their view / information makes it onto TS pages ….
“Memes about how many people have been killed by Muslims are definitely going around” on social media in the aftermath of New Zealand, said Elon University computer science Professor Megan Squire. “It’s whataboutism. It’s just classic, ‘Hey, look over there’ misdirection.”
“Research shows that crimes committed by Muslims receive vastly more media attention than similar acts committed by non-Muslims.”
“A January 2019 report published by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found that every fatal act of violence resulting from extremism in the U.S. in 2018 was linked to far-right ideologies. ”
“The ( NZ ) killings also coincided with a surge of anti-Muslim hate crimes in other regions of the world, including the United Kingdom and Canada, while in the U.S., such crimes have spiked to all-time highs. ”
“Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Warwick in England have found a strong statistical correlation between tweets posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on Islam-related topics and anti-Muslim hate crimes.
The New Zealand massacre drew attention to what Suleiman sees as related problems: the proliferation of anti-Muslim hate speech on the internet, the mainstreaming of such rhetoric, and the willingness of some who consume such material to take that online activity into the real world with acts of violence and intimidation.”
https://twitter.com/miqdaad/status/1107564382685446144
https://twitter.com/miqdaad/status/1107564382685446144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1107564382685446144&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthestandard.org.nz%2Fopen-mike-24-03-2019%2F
Changing the names from the usa link …. and seeing if the NZ shoe fits …
Some people doubt the scale of Islamophobia in the media, claim it is limited to certain views of Karl du Frense, Ian Wishhart and Judith Collins, and believe the far-right attitudes come from extreme rather than mainstream sources. This thread aims to challenge such assumptions.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D17X768XgAAWdAL.png
Islam as an ideology, as practised in Islamic nations and as taught in many western countries, is fundamentally incompatible with a modern liberal democracy. There are many Muslims who are calling for an Islamic reformation, unfortunately their voices are, as yet, not being heard.
““A January 2019 report published by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found that every fatal act of violence resulting from extremism in the U.S. in 2018 was linked to far-right ideologies. ””
Which is a good illustration of why the ADL have zero credibility. Firstly because they have conveniently limited the ‘acts of violence’ to those that caused death, and secondly because they missed at least one causing death by a convert to Islam who stabbed 3 people (killing 1) on 12th March 2018.
“…while in the U.S., such crimes have spiked to all-time highs. ””
If that is true, it is hardly surprising given the hatred being preached across the US by Islamic leaders, particularly anti-Semitic diatribes.
Your a dishonest fool Shadrach …. Islamic extremism has been financed and fueled ever since we called Osama Bin Laden a freedom fighter ….. ” The Muslim Terrorist Apparatus was Created by US Intelligence as a Geopolitical Weapon ”
” Brzezinski. He confirms what opponents have charged: that the US began covert sponsorship of Muslim extremists five months *before* the Soviets invaded Afghanistan.”
…” they have used it continuously; and that we are seeing the fruits of this policy. Most recently we have seen the real essence of the Brzezinski doctrine in the horrendous events this past week in Russia (culminating in the school attack) and Israel (the double bus bombing).”
exceropt of a interview with Brezinski ,,,Brezinski can be compared to Kissinger…..
“Le Nouvel Observateur: And also, don’t you regret having helped future terrorists, having given them weapons and advice?
Zbigniew Brzezinski: What is most important for world history? The Taliban or the fall of the Soviet Empire? Some Islamic hotheads or the liberation of Central Europe and the end of the cold war? ”
Le Nouvel Observateur: “Some hotheads?” But it has been said time and time again: today Islamic fundamentalism represents a world-wide threat…
Zbigniew Brzezinski: Rubbish! ” http://emperors-clothes.com/interviews/brz.htm
And here is our Muslim ‘extremists’ who you are fear-mongering against Shradrach …. you could learn something from them …. your a disgrace to normal NZers
https://twitter.com/hashtag/50lives?src=hash
https://twitter.com/KhaledBeydoun
Islamic extremism goes back before OBL was even a twinkle in his old mans eye. You’re defence of the indefensible is sickening.
True that!
And those wolves are inherent in everyone and across faiths and religions.
Sikhs (for example) have the 5 Virtues and the 5 Thieves, others have something similar.
The Virtues: Sat, Santokh, Daya, Nimrata and Pyaar – or loosely – Truth, Contentment, Compassion, Humility/Benevolence and Love
The Thieves: Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh and Hankaar – or loosely – Lust, Anger, Greed, Attachment (to materialism), and Ego/Pride
It seems the Thieves are constantly being fed both consciously and unconsciously, and too often it’s all too hard for the Virtues to survive
OWT
I hadn’t heard of those – thanks.
Reminds me of one bit of lore i know coming from Confucius:
The Three Ways of Acquiring Wisdom – one being taught it as you grow up, the second observing and learning from events and others around you, and the third by personal experience – the bitterest.
For NZ as an entity we have just had an example of the third. It will be bitter indeed if we can’t acquire wisdom as a result of it.
I don’t (now) subscribe to any religion although I do occasionally go to a couple of places of worship with friends and family, and I subscribe to the concept of the ‘Virtues and Thieves’.
The reason being that too often I see various values (not necessarily those as defined above) becoming ritualistic rather than actual belief and practice. Especially so when I see a couple of our politicians constantly veering toward thievery and generally hell bent on making life hard for others. I’m not sure how else to explain it.
I’m also not surprised why various indigenous people and ‘minorities’ eventually get really pissed off, and how too often we tell them how they’re entitled to get angry, but just so long as they do it according to our standards of politeness.
Jehan Casinader has quite a good take on things on Stuffed:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-shooting/111449286/christchurch-mosque-shootings-the-last-thing-we-should-do-right-now-is-close-our-eyes.
It also goes to the way some of our public services have been operating and now the need for an inquiry.
Sorry….constant interruptions so the above might be a bit all over the place……. Might complete my rave later
Good rave Owt. And I can see why minorities get angry. But I would rather they stick to methods of politeness; and also why we
should try everything along that line until it shows its getting nowhere. And then contemplate other ways.
Think of how the Brit women acted to get the vote.
They had asked for it and been put off.
They served in one of the early wars, Boer and/or WW1 to show that they were individuals who could act as loyal citizens and then asked for the vote and were put off.
They had to sacrifice themselves, make a nuisance of themselves that couldn’t be brushed off. They chained themselves to monuments to formal, pompous government. They were jailed. They went on a hunger strike. They were force-fed with tubes put down into their stomachs. One threw herself onto the public racetrack to die under the Queen’s racehorse.
That was acting against the establishment without making everyone a victim.
But it is better if we can be firm and stick to the kaupapa, like Tuhoe. Be invaded by the country’s forces and put through the trauma of that and being taken to Court. And hold firm and get your Treaty settlement. That is an example of superior strategy and high collective control and mana equal to Ghandis. That has not been understood and honoured by most NZs.
I don’t know if this actually speaks to your comment. But I just wanted to say it all anyway. Let’s press forward being kind to each other, and trying to keep on track, so we can work collectively and well to initiate what we can after thinking, deciding, planning – to cope with the frightening future. We may have to sacrifice ourselves, have a shorter life than we and others expect, but look for worthy, good-natured companions. Without bloodshed and grief that could be avoided.
I like the French group singing with Edith Piaf who seem to represent the strength and togetherness of the French after WW2 and belief that they have something good that will triumph over the dark past. Their religion is to the fore in this video, with nostalgic model village, which has brought dark moments itself, yet one feels that they will overcome this also.
This is the group with Edith Piaf on stage.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVuKLxx-ETY
I’m not in total disagreement with you @ grey.
But I also remember how we used to treat the battered wife (the woifey, the missus, the possession) constantly being given the biff and told to get back in the kitchen.
At one time, we’d remind her of the sanctity of marriage, then marriage guidance – which if nothing was resolved, a few more appointments, then a few more, then a few more might help.
Now the best advice is to get the hell out of there in the first instance. And in some cases it takes a bloody crane to get her to do so.
Yesterday’s Open Mike was a bit of an eye-opener to me I have to say.
Consider https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-23-03-2019/#comment-1599314.
After all the hand wringing, and in a lot of cases, exercising of egos and all that went on in that thread – I got 2 replies: WtB and Anne – both of whom I pick have suffered a bit of shit in their lives.
Realistically, the guy that assaulted my ‘second/extended’ family member is not going to change without a fight. (He’s sooooo tuff).
I posted it because I was interested in the reactions.
I (actually he, the victim – because it’s his decision) has a few options – such as an assault complaint, the HRC, and even INZ who could, and should rescind the prick’s visa.
But like others have experienced, results in the past haven’t been all that flash.
But we’ll see I guess.
just a P.S.
The only thing I feel the need to comply with are the terms and conditions of this site, although I do appreciate some might be offended within those confines.
(I’m half expecting an @ Wayne to pop up at any moment with some sage advice preaching an Alfred Lord Fuckywucky’s idea on law – I’ll remember the Good Lord’s real name the minute I hit the key )
Sorry
“The story was first published in a 1978 book called “The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life,” by Billy Graham. Graham admitted he invented the story for a sermon some 40 years ago.
…The story was meant to drive home the concept that we are all born with evil inside us. Our inner darkness, or the “original sin” if you will.
…Which is ironic, because he used a Native American elder to tell a story that a Native American elder would never tell because it’s centered in Christian belief not Native American beliefs.”
https://crossingenres.com/you-know-that-charming-story-about-the-two-wolves-its-a-lie-d0d93ea4ebff
Hi Marty.
That’s an interesting bit of background information. I’m not surprised the wolf story is a construct – it sounds “twee”, like the starfish on the beach and other stories of that nature. I didn’t read it as “original sin” at all, more the tendency to catastrophise, attack, blame, plot revenge, replay horror scenes in our minds; all things that humans do (I think) and suffer accordingly. One “wolf” is that soul-destroying behaviour, the other, forgiveness and avoidance of indulging in such thoughts. The response from the Muslim community in New Zealand seems to be to have chosen the life-affirming path, where others are churning through thoughts of revenge and punishment.
That’s how I see it anyway. I’m pretty sure there are religious leaders who have noticed the phenomenon and preached forgiveness as a tool for freeing one’s self of the wolf that gnaws.
Oh, that old pal of Nixon.
And his son, the Trump sympathizer.
Soothsayers since forever.
I hope people will stop invalidating the feelings of others:
Rather, acknowledge their feelings or leave them to talk to others who understand.
Anger is simply part of the grieving process. It is normal, you are not a fiend. Do not act out, talk about it.
“In Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’, Alex was subject to ‘therapy’ consisting of enforced media of atrocities and violence. I want this terrorist to suffer a similar fate but flipped around. The media of love and kindness, relentlessly portrayed”
Don’t know if this would work, but I do quite like the idea, maybe done over a long period of time in very slow and subtle ways, carefully curating all his movie, book, media intake etc, of course at the same time have the right people dive deep into the reasons why he ended up internalizing so much hate and anger.
Adrian That is an interesting idea. Alex was left very sensitive and almost like a goat in a pride of lions, and on a measure of mind strength as vulnerable as he was callous and vicious before.
But your idea could give a new meaning to brain ‘washing’. Wiping the layers of dirt and festering nasty ideas away. Trying to fill his brain for a length of time with positive things, visualisation of himself as a powerfully good person, and overcoming the bad things he comes across, or tolerating the small things as not to make them seem part of a bad tapestry but more like occasional insect bites.
If it worked he might come out being like Superman or Batman or one of the Heroes in popular culture. That would be better I think.
Why does he deserve all the good stuff? What about others? What about us?
Incognito
One of my reckons is that we are probably so smart that we can do all our own brainwashing, or not. Uncertainty. I would like to come here and be filled with positivity when I get up to rush off and spread it around.
Unfortunately I am not smart, and keep coming here and try to put positivity in, and get negativity back. Some times I turn and try putting negativity in to see if its like a match and I can strike a wee flame of positivity, but rising damp usually prevails. I keep trying though. How long is too long? Why should I give my good stuff away, and get brown things that some say are beans back. Will they grow I wonder, and if so, into what?
All good.
One calls it brainwashing, another calls it (re-)education.
If we know how turn (convert) somebody who has committed atrocities into a ‘Super Hero’ why do we wait, why don’t we get on with it and turn all of us into super heroes? My guess is that we don’t know shit about these things and increasing societal problems are not just signs, they are evidence of our ignorance, denial, and refusal to learn and adapt. Just look at our bulging prison population, or (domestic) violence, or …
Due to its dualistic nature, there is no positivity without negativity. You need both to get work done.
You keep trying till you give up but you will never stop moving.
What a lovely gesture WTB. A lasting ray of hope. Good for you.
I have the permaculture people to thank, it was their idea and I asked to help. It was very cathartic for me.
You might like what happened next too.
At the bus stop going home I caught an obviously distressed guys eye and smiled. He came over and sat down, and no bull, the conversation goes
“How are you today”
“Well I’ve taken all my medication, but I’m still really upset.
My girl said she loved me then went off with her ex. Mum says there’s plenty of fish in the ocean but I’m still really sad”
“Well of course you are sad. Losing someone hurts.”
“Yes” and he smiles.
His halitosis was peeling paint off the bus seat.
“It’s good you’ve recognized that taking your medication is important when you are feeling hurt, but what about your other self care. Have you eaten today?”
“No”
“Yeah it’s hard to even think of eating sometimes. But it’s important, especially when we’re upset, to take care of ourselves. When I’m upset, I eat pies. Mince and cheese, yum. I like to eat the pie and think about the pie and be grateful for the wonderful pie.”
He laughs.
My bus was pulling in.
“I’m sorry, I have to go, will you be OK”
“Yes” he says.
He gets up and moves off, across the front of the bus as I board. I watch him cross the road, head up, he turns the corner and goes into Wendys.
That’s some comfort food there too.
Yes You are right… got me pegged.. old softy. Cheers.
Less of the old softy eh!
Maybe a bit more of what is the natural (before a shitload of dysfuntion and artificial construct came along to disrupt it all).
And try not to laugh when they all end up wearing their various colosotmy bags trying to keep it all in, within their own perceptions of a polite company.
MSM for example are scurrying around now if you hadn’t noticed (as is dear wee Soimon) trying hard to present themselves as people familiar with a bit of humility – some with an even harder row to hoe, trying to protest their membership to the human race.
And Jesus ….. even Soimon is trying his best to redeem himself by calling for a Royl Kwoiry whilst toding his best not to appear as a cunning shithouse rat who’s more familiar with scuttling up a darinpipe.
I’m not sure of the Caci Clinic’s base hourly rate, nor that of the spin doctor’s fee, or even what the newly discovered Murry is expected to pay to gai membership.
The mathematics of it all should be obvious, even tho’ we might not live to see it all play out
@PB – you really really are awful (but I like you)
Climate change now showing it’s devastating effects in Southern Africa now sadly.
BBC today showed that helicopters flew over central Africa and it looked like an inland sea and the aid rescue was abandoned when the Helicopter failed to locate the “usual land markers” as they were all submersed under water.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-africa-47609136
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/19/cyclone-idai-worst-weather-disaster-to-hit-southern-hemisphere-mozambique-malawi
Here is a guy telling climate change like I don’t want to know about. Got to take my medicine though, knowing that it might not make me better but I have to at least listen.
David Wallace-Wells on Big Think
Tech billionaires could end climate change. So why aren’t they?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvDDDj7GkiM
This is what the world will be like if we do not act on climate change.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17aE91SBMoY
Big Think
Published on Mar 14, 2019
– The best-case scenario of climate change is that world gets just 2°C hotter, which scientists call the “threshold of catastrophe”.
– Why is that the good news? Because if humans don’t change course now, the planet is on a trajectory to reach 4°C at the end of this century, which would bring $600 trillion in global climate damages, double the warfare, and a refugee crisis 100x worse than the Syrian exodus.
– David Wallace-Wells explains what would happen at an 8°C and even 13°C increase. These predictions are horrifying, but should not scare us into complacency. “It should make us focus on them more intently,” he says.
David Wallace-Wells is a national fellow at the New America foundation and a columnist and deputy editor at New York magazine. He was previously the deputy editor of The Paris Review. He lives in New York City. His latest book is The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming (https://goo.gl/ih35YX)
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/2/22/18188562/climate-change-david-wallace-wells-the-uninhabitable-earth
Increased solar activity could be related: “BIG SUNSPOT: Four days ago, sunspot AR2736 didn’t exist. Now the rapidly-growing active region stretches across more than 100,000 km of the solar surface and contains multiple dark cores larger than Earth. Moreover, it has a complicated magnetic field that is crackling with C-class solar flares…”
‘
NRA: ‘Only Thing That Stops A Bad Guy With A Gun Is A Good Guy With A Gun’*
https://www.npr.org/2012/12/21/167824766/nra-only-thing-that-stops-a-bad-guy-with-a-gun-is-a-good-guy-with-a-gun
Busted:
It seems that on the day of the massacre in Christchurch, that the police and the SAS were coincidentally conducting a full blown mass shooting incident exercise in the city. And could not have been better prepared to react to the mass shooting when it broke out.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-shooting/111404324/global-expert-sharpshooters-were-training-in-the-city-just-as-the-christchurch-mosque-shooting-unfolded
*(On the news that the NRA want to stick their oar into the New Zealand debate on Gun violence)
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/03/national-rifle-association-in-the-us-offers-to-help-nz-gun-owners.html?utm_source=actionstation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=blast1621&source=actionstation&bucket=blast1621&fbclid=IwAR2d5mVdi47XuTfLfQmVPFw5LrTs1JBba04VeuXlhxcm-LCqtBPR07MwJYs
‘Only Thing That Stops A Bad Guy With A Gun Is A Good Guy With A Gun’
Is the NRA now advocating that all muslims should be armed?
‘After the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012NRA chairman Wayne LaPierre doubled down on its pro-gun stance, rejecting any gun control and blaming violent video games instead’
‘”Isn’t fantasising about killing people as a way to get your kicks really the filthiest form of pornography.”
When these ‘men’ at gun clubs are firing their MSSA at silhouettes of people Wayne, what are they fantasizing about? can you be sure about what they are thinking? perhaps some of your members are getting kicks out of exactly that?
The NRA would have everyone at every mosque and church and temple armed with loaded weapons. All would be facing towards the doors so they could not be surprised by evil entrants with murderous intent behind them.
Yet with all that expert firepower on the spot, guns contributed somewhere between very little and precisely zero to stopping and apprehending the fuckwit.
He was driven off from his second attack at the Linwood mosque by a good man who grabbed the nearest solid object as a makeshift weapon. Then as he was driving away, skilled police driving stopped his car and officers manhandled him out of the car and onto the ground.
I have yet to see any reports that even a single shot was actually fired at the fuckwit. At most, it’s possible that having a gun pointed at him in his disabled car might have persuaded him to get out of his car relatively quietly rather than trying to grab one of his remaining guns to carry on his fuckwittery.
edit: But “good man with a gun” fantasies contributed to making the situation even worse, when at least one private citizen turned up with a gun, diverting police attention and resources to dealing with an apparently expanded threat.
The ‘good man with a gun’ theory explodes quickly as good men probably won’t all arrive at the same time. The first good man to arrive finds the bad man shooting. The second good man to arrive sees two people shooting, the third good man finds……you get the picture. Even if the first good man puts the shooter down, the second good man to arrive sees a man with a gun and people down. I don’t think he’s going to conduct an interview to determine if the armed man standing is good or bad. And the problem escalates from there.
Tue that all points to how dangerous it is to make split-second decisions when holding a split-second killing machine ready to go.
How to solve a moral dilemma and avoid an existential crisis.
When not sure whether you are a good or a bad guy, find a good guy, tell them they are a good guy, and then ask them whether you are a good guy. The answer will set you free.
When not sure whether you are a good or a bad guy, find a bad guy, tell them they are a bad guy, and then ask them whether you are a bad guy. The answer will set you free.
Mitchell and Web: https://youtu.be/uK-kWRAVmRU
🙂
“‘Only Thing That Stops A Bad Guy With A Gun Is A Good Guy With A Gun’”
The Christchurch lunatic thought he WAS “the good guy with a gun” FFS.
When it comes to front-line law ‘n order I would prefer on the whole to leave the determination of who are the good guys and the bad guys to an uncorrupted, tax-payer funded police force.
NRA are lunatics – declare them a terrorist organisation and arrest and deport any one of them who comes here.
Fossil fuel execs recorded having a giggle at a Ritz Carlton ….but her emails!
Trump himself was a driving force behind deregulating the energy industry, ordering the government in 2017 to weed out federal rules “that unnecessarily encumber energy production.” In a 2017 order, Zinke called for his deputy secretary—Bernhardt—to make sure the department complied with Trump’s regulatory rollbacks.
The petroleum association was just one industry group pushing for regulatory relief — the American Petroleum Institute, the U.S. Oil and Gas Association and the Western Energy Alliance also were active. But since IPAA created its wish list, the Interior Department has acceded to nearly all its requests:
* Rescinded fracking rules meant to control water pollution.
[…]
* Withdrawn rules that limit climate-change causing methane gas releases.
[…]
* Abandoned environmental restoration of public land damaged by oil development.
[…]
* Ended long-standing protections for migratory birds.
[…]
“Scott Pruitt, he came from Oklahoma, and we have a lot of friends in common and I thought that’s what we were going to talk about, we did that for about three minutes,” Russell said. “And then he started asking very technical questions about methane, about ozone … and if Scott Pruitt thought he was going to go deep nerd …”
The audience began laughing.
“And what was really great is there was about four or five EPA staffers there, who were all like, ‘Write that down, write that down,’ all the way through this,’’ Russell continued. “And when we left, I said that was just our overview.”
The audience laughed again.
“So it’s really a new world for us and very, very helpful.”
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/23/trump-big-oil-industry-influence-investigation-zinke-226106
well they wanted him to shake things up.
guess what, he is shaking things up.
this is what you get when you vote for a destroyer rather then a bridge builder who may not build the best bridges but who at least does not burn down the last bridge usable.
So no they and all his enablers and facilitators and excuse makers shall reap the misery they planted.
Its gonna suck for us too, but chances are we will be better prepared as we don’t expect anything but a burned to the ground earth.
This academic specialising in history and watching the white supremacist movement gave a learning experience to me. I knew that there were large groups devoted to the idea, but didn’t take in the breadth. It seems a cult, a bit like Exclusive Brethren in that they divide off from society in their commitments to each other, just interfacing with society as required to do well; are actually hostile to society, but keeping this hidden most of the time.
The historian interviewed is from the USA and has a very good overview of the white supremacists.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018687962/professor-kathleen-belew-christchurch-terrorist-driven-by-classic-white-power-ideologies
Professor Kathleen Belew: Christchurch terrorist driven by classic white power ideologies
The Associate Professor of U.S. History and the College at the University of Chicago is the author of Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America. In the book she says the soldiers of white power — which the alleged Christchurch mosque shooter claimed to be — “are not lone wolves but highly organised cadres motivated by a coherent and deeply troubling worldview of white supremacy, anticommunism and apocalypse”.
She joins the show to look at the case of the Christchurch shooter and how his tragic story is just the latest in a shocking series of violent events carried out by a small section of society hellbent on starting a race war
This weeks episode of The Listening Post … first story up the medias reaction to the terrorist attack in ChCh. It’s a MUST watch, the story on ChCh is excellent, IMHO.
If the scum bag grew up in Aussie, did the media play a part? Rupert Murdoch…. the narrative his publications spin is in part to blame for the tragedy in ChCh.
Murdoch has been using his media monopoly in Aussie to fuel Islamophobia for decades. Lining his pockets with click bait headlines which distort reality and push a much more sinister agenda.
Media as accessory to the crime?
Nothing comes from nothing: we trace the history of Islamophobia in the western media
(first story up, around 10 mins long)
the politicians role, growing up under Howard in OZ, Bush in the US and the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and the beginning of endless war would have also had an affect.
Cinny, that episode highlights why I try and call out the fish wrap aka the herald every time they publish some blatantly biased political propaganda by the usual poodles who we are now all hopefully aware of.
The “white redemption” angle is interesting and needs further investigation. The media versus the media, screening by the media, at a media outlet near you could be the bleeding edge journalism of the times.
I would have to think that Jacinda Ardern’s response was purely her humanity on display and not some act to be part of an organised “white redemption” by media. The media, wittingly or unwittingly, have been using the Goebbels playbook for over half a century.
Nice.
“While the whole country is mourning, and we as a nation are having to confront the white supremacy which we let grow in our backyard, we at The Pantograph Punch think it is of the utmost importance to ensure we are continuing to centre the voices of our Muslim brothers and sisters. Following the terrorist attack on the Muslim community in Ōtautahi, we’ve compiled an incomplete reading list of voices to listen to, from Muslim perspectives surround the attacks, how to combat white defensiveness and how to talk about tragedies to our children.”
https://www.pantograph-punch.com/post/amplifying-muslim-voice-a-reading-list
Heat the pot and it will boil over – stochastic terrorism.
Using the Anti-Defamation League’s Hate, Extremism, Anti-Semitism, Terrorism map data (HEAT map), we examined whether there was a correlation between the counties that hosted one of Trump’s 275 presidential campaign rallies in 2016 and increased incidents of hate crimes in subsequent months.
To test this, we aggregated hate-crime incident data and Trump rally data to the county level and then used statistical tools to estimate a rally’s impact. We included controls for factors such as the county’s crime rates, its number of active hate groups, its minority populations, its percentage with college educations, its location in the country and the month when the rallies occurred.
We found that counties that had hosted a 2016 Trump campaign rally saw a 226 percent increase in reported hate crimes over comparable counties that did not host such a rally.
Of course, our analysis cannot be certain it was Trump’s campaign rally rhetoric that caused people to commit more hate crimes in the host county. However, suggestions that this effect can be explained through a plethora of faux hate crimes are at best unrealistic. In fact, this charge is frequently used as a political tool to dismiss concerns about hate crimes. Research shows it is far more likely that hate crime statistics are considerably lower because of underreporting.
http://archive.li/sxHuV
Is anyone really surprised with this? His rallies are little more than a rant of vitriol; spouting violence, bigotry, and hate. The true believers are numbed beyond reason and emerge from these rallies full of mindless cant. Whatever he says – that is what they will believe. The Trumpist cult is here and now, full of religious fervour, and willing to do his bidding.
Air NZ has parted company with Virgin over Tasman. Virgin had a consequent drop in business and may have to revert to its budget arm Tiger.
Airnz also seems to be cuddling up to Qantas, a koala bear with sharp teeth. But it is playing a long game which it hopes will win, but Qantas has slit our tyres before.
Earlier,Air New Zealand was pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Virgin, lifting its equity stake to 26 per cent, and answered the call for more cash five years ago at a time when it was fighting a brutal domestic capacity war with Qantas, then on its knees because of international losses….
About seven million passengers last year crossed the Tasman, regarded as one of the most hotly contested airline routes in the world.
For Virgin, the Tasman represents about 5 per cent of its capacity – it makes its money flying the dense eastern Australian domestic routes. But for Air NZ, the Tasman is where it has around 22 per cent of its seats. It has to get it right….
Luxon and Virgin Australia’s chief executive John Borghetti, who by one account haven’t spoken in two years…
Borghetti – who missed out on the top job at Qantas in 2010 -and Luxon are polar opposites.
Both has their own style: Borghetti, with his tailored Italian suits and fast cars, is different to Luxon, a non-drinking Christian (and someone who has previously talked of his interest in a decidedly un-flashy car – a 1966 Riley Elf). The pair clashed when Luxon sat on the Virgin board…
Virgin is now in improving financial shape, in August posting its best underlying result in 10 years, and Borghetti is due to leave the airline within the next year.
Airnz had reps in Australia, who seem to have built up kudos with Qantas .
Former Air New Zealand executives Lesley Grant and Andrew David were among the Qantas team, there with Air NZ’s chief revenue officer Cam Wallace.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12147795
Oct 2018 – Air NZ and Qantas hook up this weekend as Virgin Australia goes it alone
The Australian airline carries about 24 million passengers a year, with about 5 per cent of that capacity on the Tasman routes….
Air New Zealand, which has about 39 per cent of Tasman traffic, is operating now more widebody jets across the Tasman now and has put more capacity into Brisbane.
Asked about the analyst’s report, a Virgin spokeswoman said three new routes which added an extra 17 percent capacity to its operations in the market and contributed to the lower load factor for November.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12215405
There is no room for complacency in the airline market obviously. It appears that there will be competitive pricing across the Tasman for the near future.
Just thinking re above the viewpoint is all about growth still. And somewhere in the articles I was reading it said that Australia is the biggest by far for incoming passengers to NZ. We could start introducing Visas and have a range of results, including cutting our airline traffic between countries to a manageable level. And
perhaps look at having our AirNZ employees working for the country’s best interests and not their own. I find it hard to think that they could think entirely clearly about NZ when they might be offered a job in Qantas for being a good co-operative player between the two companies when the individual thought fit.
Veganism is virtue, huh?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/vegan-youtube-is-imploding-as-stars-like-rawvana-bonny-rebecca-and-stella-rae-change-diets?ref=scroll
Approximately 40% of the average NZ household’s carbon footprint comes from the food we eat.
The single thing everyone can do that will have the greatest impact on that carbon footprint is to reduce the amount of meat and milk we consume.
Doesn’t apply to vegans though – useless sponging bastards. Stop ‘guilting’ us out!
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018687391/10-ways-to-neutralise-your-personal-carbon-footprint
No argument with what you’ve just said. Also, the more your remaining meat consumption is shifted away from ruminants (cows, sheep, deer, goats) to non-ruminants like chicken, pork, horse, the better for the environment and climate.
I just enjoy seeing obnoxious sanctimonious show-off prats get busted for hypocrisy.
Attached are about 1800 comments. About halfway through they became more and more vile and include calls for the “assassination of NZ PM”. No, I’m not going to use her name.
The majority of the vile comments come from people with English sounding names and good English skills.
I’m a little concerned about the safety of our Prime Minister, particularly after the global praise for her leadership. It’s at times like these, when a socially conscious leader is drawing huge support that they are most at risk.
I hope her detail and the police in general have recognised the increased threat from right wing extremists against Jacinda Ardern. Already frothing at the bit, I suspect some will begin to go into full meltdown at the sight of among other things, her image on the tallest building in the world embracing Muslins, and the idea she would be nominated for a Nobel peace prize.
That’s why I put the link up.
I’m sure the authorities are well aware and protection has been hugely increased. The thing is, it’s going to have to continue at an optimum level for a long time.
Don’t assume, pass the link etc to the police etc.
Absolutely. I find it odd that some of the old left find this action difficult to accept.
RWNJ’s will be seething with the good press our PM is getting.
I think they are in shock at the moment.
I hope this event and the PM’s response has helped them take a step back and review their values but I suspect most will double down.
They are already arguing that their speech is being threatened but just how much oppressive speech by the most powerful group in the world should be let go?
The same chilling fears for Jacinda Ardern’s safety also struck me. Without wanting to sound bloodthirsty, I think, or hope, that even the nuttiest Super-Right nutter would have to consider that Jacinda is the mother of a young child, one of the most popular PMs we have had at this time, and anyone who hurt her would be likely to have a very hard time in prison, maybe be lucky to make it to court alive (look at Lee Harvey Oswald), and be bloody lucky to live comfortably afterwards… I hope the fear goes both ways and works as a deterrent.
Horribly uncivilised, but some people work at that horribly uncivilised level – like that cretin last Friday.
Btw, if the comments don’t appear just click onto title at top of video @ 12
I’ve been reporting hundreds of hate comments under NZ coverage all week. This is new though and very disturbing.
When I report comments, they vanish from my view, but I wonder, does they also vanish from others view?
Stuff’s editors’ picks: Parliament’s mass staff walkout.
Stuff’s most popular: Nearly 30 back office workers have quit Parliament in three months.
The headlines in Stuff’s politics section: Parliament’s mass staff walkout. Parliament’s back office staff are quitting in droves, costing taxpayers almost $250,000.
Turns out it the exact number is 28, five of whom were executives and it included one retirement. This is from a total of “just over 700 staff” with no data given for the ‘normal’ churn.
I got a very different impression from those headlines.
After a very quick search I found that “the average turnover rate is around 10 percent” and that last year the turnover was at an all-time high of 16%.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1812/S00114/highest-annual-turnover-of-staff-ever-at-parliament.htm
I think that someone expressed an opinion about parliamentary staff and how they would find it hard to change from their basic behaviour over the last nine years of National. Perhaps that accounts for the 16% that left last year. There may be a chance of having a new approach to the politicians passing through, and the people they administer policies to.
Yes, but I was intrigued how these headlines raise an expectation (with me) before even reading the article. The manufacturing (of consent or discontent) process acts through very simple cues, especially when placed ‘at eye level’.
It has now moved to the National section on Stuff’s landing page (online front page), with a photo. So, clearly they (?) want people to read it …
Lol. Perhaps they might call an enquiry into their association with islamaphobic blog sites instead.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/chch-terror/385460/national-calls-for-inquiry-into-nz-s-intelligence-agencies
Ok, silly question time:
“Has anyone here actually seen the video in question? Any comments on a comparison between the official narrative and the evidence in the video?”
(Side note: since the NZ attack, Youtube have removed the time dated search feature.)
Actually I’v quickly done the maths on the back of my overdue tax return: don’t answer the above question unless you’re sure you know the correct answer.
“official narrative”.
Fuck off.
I know in real life a few people who were in the area at the time. I know, in real life, one or two people who did watch the full thing with more professional background than someone who will use the term “official narrative”.
I chose not to view it because I already knew enough. So the correct answer is “fuck off”.
Certainly sounds like a Nazi puncher – they could use you on the streets in France right now, where the Army has been given the go to shoot the unarmed civilians…
…and by “professional”, do you mean people who will work for money? What happened to respect for unpaid, and charity work? Your politics would benefit from more time with women’s-rights-groups.
I stand by my previous response.
Kia ora The AM Show duncan your m8 have had some there true chameleon colours revealed lately there is more dirt to come Iam manukāwhaki coffee social media muppet.
Ka pai to the new social media on line movie makers the old movie maker have been controlled so only content is positive for the 00.1 % and every other class voice is silence a lot of good people use film to get the truth out to the PEOPLE PEOPLE PEOPLE The new Age is here and now.
The west coast mayor is a climate change denier fool.
duncan We know you are lieing you go on the net all the time to read my post you and your m8s have been attacking social media because it gives Eco Maori part of my Mana that is quite plain to see but social media is like Eco Maori all ready out of the box and know one CAN STOP US.
I know I have Bill Gates attention he thinks it OK the Way of the world’s society is at the minute YEA RIGHT.
If the billionaire were socially considering they would be pouring billion in to protecting our Mokopunas future by putting money into green energy and 3 world nation not just drip feeding these problems.
There you go wanker airing this dick heads story he was probably a kid taken into state care abuse by the state hence he commtied those crimes the IDIOT is and was never going to get out of jail with the proal system this is just another kick of dirt in the face of Maori it could have been dead a buryed years ago. But it show how incredibly incompetent the police force is they set up Porter they set him up and new someone was still at large committing these crimes against Wahine WTF.
royal cover up commission look at the little Pike River Mine desaster they got everyone’s to sign a letter of confidentiality What are they hiding. The force is covering its Ass its CORRUPT.
So long as the school systems changes start dilivering better OUT COMEs for the Maori and the lower classes its OK.
The education system is not giving Maori tamariki a fair start up they ladders of Life everyone’s else has a huge head start over OUR Tamariki we need to install a culture in Maori that education is a MUST to achieveing a good life this will lift Maori Mana we need Maori doctors nurses coders every professional sector is lacking in Maori people in them that has to change .
What a load of shit mark just because your lot get the best out of the education system it ain’t delivering the same results for Maori and NZ future will be stained by not correcting the wrongs of a racily biest education system.
Artificial intelligence is a program that learns by its mistakes but a supercomputer can make trillions of choice in second it could run the word once Quntam computers are master no data will be safe they are storing all the world data even the incypted data they are storing that so when they master Quntam computers they will be able to de code the data no secrets in the world will be kept SAFE.
Yes I say that the people the spy’s have been focusing on are not a threat Maori green Muslim people ights these are leftys people they are pro peace that tell me that the spy’s agree with the Alt ight white supremacists that is plan to SEE that backs up my words against these fools. Can see that ational shonky loaded the spy’s up with his redneck m8s and focuses them on people who would take his power away from him plan to see that. Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
This is what we have to focouse on human caused climate change not trump brexit all the other bullshit the oil barrons throw up to stop the world taking there power of control on the world with CARBON it is the comidity that controls the world these greedy fools will burn our world for there neanderthal power.
Thanks to Chinas manufacturing power solar wind are cheaper than carbon thermal power green energy uses a fraction of the water that carbon thermal power uses .
Sir David Attenborough has announced his new documentary topic: climate change.
The “urgent” one-off film will focus on the various threats climate change poses and any possible solutions.
Titled Climate Change: The Facts, the new documentary will feature footage from around the world, showcasing the damage and impact global warming has already had on our planet, as well as interviews with climatologists and meteorologists.
He will work to explore the science behind extreme weather conditions experienced all around the world, with a focus on the wildfires in California at the end of 2018.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/111478391/trees-slow-climate-change
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/111541194/sir-david-attenborough-tackles-climate-change-in-new-documentary
The NZ UN justice system.
How recruitment works all the boss are Christian so people with the same self righteous ideology rise to the top fast Maori join the force he/she see undignified behaviour he/she is told to ignore it that the system image is protected first and formost.
They are not happy they leave after 6 years because they joined the forces to make a better society for Maori they can see that they were pushing shit uphill.
A bright snot nose self righteous Christian joins his dad was a cop he has been bullied at school has a problem with brown people he rise quickly up the ranks because he has the same opinion as the boss he gets a job with the sis or gcsb be for she /he is 30 years old he now has all the power of and minupulating of the NZ JUSTICE SYSTEM at his fingers tips he can bribe narks under cover witness who one can not defend themselves from to sing a tune against someone Gisborne man his boss has sighted him on a person Next Minute Eco Maori and he loses his marbles his m8 takes over
You see people there is know protacal for people to be given a promotion in the force its up to the bosses who give there redneck m8 all the rizes in rank and pay hence we end up with a justice system that treats the lower classes like shit instead of doing there job and protecting the People
And Maori the lower classes of people have a impossible task at rising up the ranks of the unjustified system.
Ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
This is after trump has thrown a spanner in the green energy works and tryed to atificaly in flate carbon prices the carbon barons OWN HIS ASS
Around three-quarters of US coal production is now more expensive than solar and wind energy in providing electricity to American households, according to a new study.
“Even without major policy shift we will continue to see coal retire pretty rapidly,” said Mike O’Boyle, the co-author of the report for Energy Innovation, a renewables analysis firm. “Our analysis shows that we can move a lot faster to replace coal with wind and solar. The fact that so much coal could be retired right now shows we are off the pace.”
The study’s authors used public financial filings and data from the Energy Information Agency (EIA) to work out the cost of energy from coal plants compared with wind and solar options within a 35-mile radius. They found that 211 gigawatts of current US coal capacity, 74% of the coal fleet, is providing electricity that’s more expensive than wind or solar.
Most US coal plants are contaminating groundwater with toxins, analysis finds
Read more
By 2025 the picture becomes even clearer, with nearly the entire US coal system out-competed on cost by wind and solar, even when factoring in the construction of new wind turbines and solar panels.
“We’ve seen we are at the ‘coal crossover’ point in many parts of the country but this is actually more widespread than previously thought,” O’Boyle said. “There is a huge potential for wind and solar to replace coal, while saving Ka kite ano P.S The stea tarrifs were aimed at green energy construction links below
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/25/coal-more-expensive-wind-solar-us-energy-study
The sandflys have my son caught up in their Web of deceit they have there m8 caught in their hinaki because their mother has never supported my MANA They don’t listen to my advice I tryed to get there in laws to help but to no avail they would rather risk there my Mokopunas future prosperity than expose the puppet caught in the sandflys web of Decite Ma te wa I will have the last laugh at them Ka kite ano
https://youtu.be/QAB6aXOfUmU
Kia ora Newshub what’s the west port mayor saying now about human caused climate change is he still in denial Eco Maori just hopes no people lose their lives.
Yes the Mana of Wai is awesome that is why we must respect Papatuanukue.
NO comment on Saint John the ones in the bay of plenty will know why.
That is not on Wahine being internally searched in Prison illegally you see the authorities play with the innocent people who don’t no there human ights they have tryed and are trying that on Eco Maori I give them the titi but I feel for the people who are innocent that is why the people need to get a education. As for trump the wealthy 00.1 % would rather have a racist bigot who hands them out cash than a person who will look after all the people. What a SHAM he was shit scared before Muler report was released that told me he was guilty now that they have not shown the TRUTH he is using it as a weapon tipical REDNECK. I Seen Muler he is worried
At scotmo is just jumping on that subject to boost his popularity that’s what I see. Ka kite ano
Kia ora Te ao Maori News let’s hope the Crown treats Maori fairly and not just play lip service on the issue Maori have with the way Wai is being treated by some around the Moutu and the other issues we have with water. Hehe I got shonky pulled from the Ngati-porou website I just about chucked up when I seen a photo of him giving one of our great leaders a Hongi he definitely was playing with MAORI MANA. Not just Muslims human rights are being breach but good on them for rising the issue. I have said that Wai Awa needs to be given more respect. The Kaituna awa deaths that local tangata whenua have conserns about. Ka kite ano