My wife's sister is a teacher in Australia, and she absolutely hates the open plan concept that has also been introduced over there. Both her and her students find the environment incredibly noisy, and distracting, and not at all conducive to effective learning.
Open Plan had been around in the 80s for a short time. During the Key reign they were re-established and ordained. Crazy as National Standards. Not organised by Educators. The best ideas come from the grass roots up rather than from politicians top down.
Seems to have been driven by the Ministry of Education – rather than politicians.
Certainly, every new classroom in at least the last 10 years (including ones being constructed right now) has had to be open plan (aka 'Modern learning environments') – so covering at least 2 different governments.
There has been a *lot* of criticism over the MoE implementing this major change with little international review, and failing to evaluate the effect on students and learning.
I think this is an example of 'professional' capture at the MoE, rather than 'political' capture (much like the MoE being wedded to balanced literacy – rather than phonics for teaching reading). Tinetti's inability to get the MoE to change – illustrates just how little power the Minister has over the entrenched bureaucracy.
My concern at the moment – is the scheduled rollout of the new NCEA curriculum.
(Putting aside completely a discussion about mātauranga Māori and the new curriculum content), is anyone discussing the obvious problem with the current schedule?
We have been working in partnership with teachers, students, school leaders, parents and whānau, and other representatives from the sector to implement the changes to the NCEA. The new standards are scheduled to be implemented in 2024 (Level 1), 2026 (Level 2) and 2027 (Level 3)."
Now, it seems obvious to me that those taking the new NCEA Level 1 next year, will then move on to the OLD NCEA Level 2, and Level 3 to complete their high school education.
I'm pulling this estimate out of thin air – so if anyone is able to provide an accurate figure please do so, but I'd be thinking this disrupted schedule will affect around 12-14,000 students.
This is hard to reconcile with the following five principles:
"We also want to ensure everything we develop to support the NCEA changes will meet the five principles of a strong NCEA qualification – coherence, credibility, equity and inclusion, pathways and well-being.""
If NCEA Level 2 and NCEA Level 3, are unable to meet the initial schedule (which seems to be the case), the Ministry should also delay the rollout of NCEA Level 1 so that students are not disrupted in their learning, due to this administrative failure.
The philosophy and theories behind Open Plan may be good. The effort to modernise and evolve teaching and learning is worthy. Unfortunately it seems success is predicated on ideal conditions.*
In our district (in the '80s?) with all the razzmatazz such a primary school happened. Gradually over years walls were erected to separate spaces. We're in the middle of the next wave now with not just primary but intermediate and secondary schools being part of the plan, getting rid of walls. Major rebuilds of secondary schools see the new style.
* Teachers being able to work in different ways, teachers wanting to work in different ways, pupils being able to adapt to new ways.
It seems that this time of the introduction of significant and dramatic change coincides with a time of pronounced lack of stability in schooling, tremendous insecurity in pupils (and communities) and critical issues with staffing schools
You mean instilling compliance with and obedience to future employers’ demands? And conditioning learning from a young age the value of the provision of ‘performance incentives’ to move from the barn- or factory-floor to the much coveted personal office with associated job title and name tag on the door (not to mention the allocated car park)?
So the US president hits the headlines, calling Xi a dictator, and our PM hits the headlines, saying he isn't. Leftists must disagree: it's the culture. The important thing is to ignore the truth – which in this instance is available via analysis of history.
The people's democratic dictatorship concept was formally advanced for the first time in a landmark speech in 1949 by Mao Zedong, who led China from 1949 to 1976.
The concept is a cornerstone of the Chinese political system, and establishes the theoretical basis by which the CCP historically led the various "classes" of people in China – the working class, the peasant class, the petty bourgeoisie and the national capitalists:
to maintain dictatorship over the lackeys of imperialism – the landlord class, the bureaucratic capitalist class and the Kuomintang reactionaries and their henchmen representing these classes – to oppress them, to enable them to behave properly and not permit them to talk and act wildly.
It also serves as one of the CCP's "Four Cardinal Principles". According to the CCP constitution:
The Four Cardinal Principles – to keep to the path of socialism, to uphold the people's democratic dictatorship, to uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and to uphold Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought – form the foundation for building the country.
Can you blame Hipkins for being ignorant? Not really. Nobody expects a Labour politician to read history, let alone learn from it. If Biden had wanted other leftist political leaders to get onside he'd have provided this proof, right?
Readers will think `meh, storm in a teacup'. But is truth & reality really negligible when it comes to politics? The discipline of getting it right is character-building, and politicians would acquire more substance by rising to that challenge.
And just think of the moaners and screechers if she had. Former PMs generally keep out of that sort of issue. Except for Key who has no sense of decorum at all.
If anyone still still held on to any illusions that Biden, the Clintons, the Democratic party, the heads of the CIA and FBI were not just a bunch of lying, corrupt sacks of shit who make Trump look like a fucking amatuer….
House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) questioned Special Counsel John Durham about his report on the FBI and the investigations into former President Trump.
At today's House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) questioned Special Counsel John Durham about his report on the FBI and the investigations into former President Trump, and the Steele Dossier.
Of course our own RNZ which spewed out this misinformation for five years straight barely utters a word on it's unravelling….but grovel out apologies from their knees like and bunch of beaten gimps when one their crew add a bit on context to the Ukraine war, with one just one wrong fact….what the fuck happened to to even the smallest hint of fair and balanced reporting in the Western media???
O course it's true that Trump is completely inept at hiding his lying and machinations, simply because he brazenly fills the airwaves and social media with a tonne of lies, chaff and 180 degree turnarounds.
The end-result is a hardcore of Trump followers whose world-view swings around Trump's latest handful of 'alternative facts'.
"The end-result is a hardcore of Trump followers whose world-view swings around Trump's latest handful of 'alternative facts'"…..yep that is true, however it is exactly the same as RNZ, CNN, BBC, Washington Post (etc) readers and listeners whose own 'world-view swings around their latest handful of alternative facts" (no it is just plain old misinformation or misinformation by omission) …so my question to you is, what is the actual difference?..both sets of citizens are being fed on a endless diet of hate and lies as far as I can see.
On this subject, here is a copy of my email to RNZ today..
Good morning to, Kim and the producers of ‘Saturday Morning’
As I am sure you are all aware, the widely held and much voiced conspiracy theory of a Trump/Russia collusion has, with the recent release of the Durham Report, been once and for all put to bed as being a complete fabricated and dangerous fantasy, in the words of CNN’s own Jake Tapper, (the) Durham Report Is "Devastating To FBI, And To A Degree, It Does Exonerate Donald Trump"….
In light of these finding, my questions to Kim and the producers of her show are;
1. Will you have Luke Harding back on your show and ask him some hard questions about his method of ‘reporting’ and how he came to his many wrong conclusions in light of this report ?
2. Will Saturday Morning do a full segment on this subject to fully inform it’s listeners of this information, and also including on that show one of the handful of journalists that were pushing back against this conspiracy of misinformation as it was happening, in many cases much to their own personal and professional detriment?
I am sure you will agree that some action is needed to be taken on your behalf, to at least remedy in some small way your own part in spreading this misinformation over such a long time period.
Well clearly the sources you post there don't agree with the world as you wish to see it. My suggestion: just choose another lot to keep yourself happy. Personally, I like RNZ, because they do not push a judgemental adjective into every sentence of news-reporting, and because I hear RNZ grilling government Ministers as often as anyone else.
Yes I agree to a degree RNZ can at times be pretty good on domestic politics…but, when you really start thinking about it for while, you will see that RNZ, like pretty much all western 'liberal' media that I can think of are, when push comes to shove, just defenders of the status quo….
notice..every single morning we are given quite indepth updates on the stock market..why?…why isn't there a daily morning update on worker/labour news?
notice…RNZ rightly hand wrings about the state of our health care system…but when interviewing the politicians who either now or could potentially in the future, be in the position to make the massive investments needed to overcame this disaster..they never preface their interview with the simple question…"do you use Public or or private health care?'…now armed with that much needed context, the audience could more accurately frame the answers given.
Another example..why is it that the bulk of 'economists' that RNZ use to inform us on the state of our country are private bank economists?…banks have only one objective..selling debt…why doesn't RNZ use the many respected economists from our Universities as their main source of this information?
" My suggestion: just choose another lot to keep yourself happy"…don't you believe that RNZ should offer fair and balanced reporting?…because that is all I am asking them to produce…which, as the Durham report makes quite clear..they have not.
You know how it works. RNZ is rarely 'fair and balanced' when following the international MSM line. It was reported as truth 24/7, little or no critical thinking, the 'big lie' theory again prevailing and participants in this never want to back down. Good luck with KH. even acknowledging your email would be a surprise.
"Good luck with KH. even acknowledging your email would be a surprise"….actually I heard through a friend that most emails at at least read internally by the interns(?), which is something..you never know…planting seeds etc.
I have over the years got into a couple of quite heated debates with various people at RNZ…though that is a rare thing to be sure.
I am working on a Formal complaint about the lack of balance vis-à-vis the (lack of) reporting on The Durham Report, as opposed to the Wall to Wall coverage RNZ indulged in…again I know I am probably wasting my time..but I just can't sit by and watch this outrageous lack of journalistic integrity go without pushing back…even if it is the smallest of pin picks I offer in resistance, at least it is not nothing.
Hmmm so according to the Greens calculator my wife who can't work due to illness and disability will receive not one cent. I'll receive an extra $20-00 dollars a week which means that on top of the extra $6,000 more a year in tax I pay compared to a couple earning the same amount between them I'll now pay an extra ( they get an extra $18-00 per week each) $36 – $20 = $16 x 52 = $832 in tax on top of the $6,000.
Apparently unwell partners, not working, not getting ACC and not getting a benefit are not considered as part of all people will be better off.
As no doubt price and rents etc will increase as the private sector takes advantage of this extra citizen wealth I’m pretty sure all those in a similar position will be worse off.
There is no provision in their calculator for are you unwell and unable to work.
There would always be fine-tuning in select committee for radical tax changes like this. Your issue would be addressed at that stage.
Good to see that you have no problem with the Wealth Tax element of the policy though,. Clever that the Greens have framed it so that only 0.7% pay WT.
It isn't going to affect me. Like most families who have come from abject poverty – arriving in NZ basically as refugees and penniless and not speaking English – it takes generations to accumulate wealth – with a few exceptions at either end – those who have managed it more quickly (in one case by being a ruthless landlord) and those who are still quite dysfunctional and will likely never accumulate and those with significant disability who will also likely never accumulate wealth.
Then some who have have spent their wealth, as they should as they had the means to do so, on residential care facilities – in some cases over a million dollars.
It is an interesting question this retaining of funds for following generations. The well off would have you believe anyone can start from scratch and become wealthy but at the same time want to preserve their wealth for the generations that follow them.
The problem is is that they conflate anyone with everyone all the while knowing they are only for instance an accident, or a health issue, or a drug addiction away from that being true. It is about finding a balance between retaining enough to make the next generation better off but at the same time supporting the general population.
I'm more supportive of things like taxation at sale of houses and art work etc – i.e. you tax at realisation and death duties and higher tax rates for higher incomes than the greens scheme. Things that most Western countries do and that we once did.
Alternatively I'll well oft proffered that we should have turnover tax. Simple to administer, harder to avoid and a tax shared and spread across all businesses. Net off wage incomes at introduction so businesses that actually employ people don't have the PAYE equivalent cost that someone who does the same work with say a robot has.
I'm more supportive of things like taxation at sale of houses and art work etc – i.e. you tax at realisation and death duties and higher tax rates for higher incomes than the greens scheme. Things that most Western countries do and that we once did.
Yes the sale of houses and the split up of assest at death make much more logical and convenient way points to charge a tax. As we know people buy and sell houses and die every day of the week.
Turnover tax is fairer as well.
If you call wealthy a person with a home in a city and a balance in Kiwisaver that they have been contributing to from 2007 then the resulting concept of 'wealth' is not one I am am really familar with.
They have no assets to call on ie neither the house nor KS is liquid. In addtion the KS contribtuions are made from tax paid income ie it come out of the net salary after PAYE has been paid. So this is tax on tax paid income and it is also a tax on people who belive they have done the right things and provided as much as they can for their own retirement. Then if the family is one of a tradesperson who has set up a Trust to protect the family home from business losses, as is sensible and conservative financial planning advice they will get extra socked.
On the other hand why not just adopt the tax rates The Greens have put up and see what happens then, if necessary. re-introduce death duties and some sort of transaction tax on real estate sales.
As I have sad before Govt should explicitly fund the means to alleviate poverty even if it means that 'nice to have' ideas are pushed further out.
Tagged funds, unless for something that has a beginning and end, like funds raised on tolls on the Auckland harbour bridge to pay for the construction are really disliked by Treasury (as I understand) and the like, and, as well, do deprive a Govt of being able to have all the funds at its disposal ie flexibility, and to make the allocations as it sees fit.
Having death duties or a tax on the sale of a house are more natural way points in the cycle of life.
Apparently unwell partners, not working, not getting ACC and not getting a benefit are not considered as part of all people will be better off.
Under the GP plan she would get a GMI of $767/wk (benefits would be individualised, not dependent on partner income like now). She would also be eligible for supplementary benefits and to earn up to $190/week before any abatement.
People needing income support because of any kind of disability would be brought under a new agency call Agency for Comprehensive Care, which would take the out of all the work ready focus of WINZ.
The Greens have indeed thought about this a lot and are the only party I am aware of that has done work on it.
I wrote about this when the plan was released,
Here’s the bit that really speaks to me of the intention to end poverty. The plan is to replace the various benefits for disabled and unwell people with a new Agency for Comprehensive Care (this also replaces ACC).
minimum payment of 80% of the full time minimum wage. Today that would be equivalent to $767/week, compared to the current Supported Living Payment of $385/week (both figures are in the hand). This cannot be overemphasised: current SLP rates force people who cannot work due to disability to live in poverty. SLP is the long term benefit for disabled people, and we keep them in poverty, forcing them to live off any savings and then sell their assets, and then subsist.
income support is individualised, so people in a relationship don’t become dependent on their partner
Nothing has told me more about Labour’s ‘deserving poor but really you need to get a job’ approach to welfare than the fact that they have kept the SLP rate below what it is possible to live on. The bit they don’t say out loud is that people who are permanently so disabled they can’t work are consigned to permanent poverty. It’s mind boggling that this has never been addressed but the small amounts thrown the way of SLP doesn’t change the fact that if you cannot work you are fundamentally screwed. And there’s never been any good reason for it. It’s the major flaw in Labour’s welfare, as well as most UBI policies.
The whole point of the plan is to lift everyone out of poverty. I'm curious if there are any examples where the plan doesn’t achieve that. I haven't seen any yet.
I was aware of what was said in the policy – the calculator however tells a different story. So presumably the calculator doesn't care about those with disabilities either.
My parents generation would have got a tax rebate for a non-working spouse. It would be interesting as to what difference that would have on reducing sole parent numbers by reducing financial stress on couples.
Peter Dunn I think was the only politician to keep pushing for tax rebates in this situation.
The Greens do have a policy to expand ACC coverage to non-accident disabilities, which may cover your partner. They have also championed individualisation of benefits, to better reflect the structure of C21th family finances in past policy.
Sometimes collegial liaison behind the scenes flies under the media radar:
Vietnam, which started sharing intelligence with Australia many years ago, and has received much help from the Indian navy with its submarines, is now cooperating at sea with the US and Japan, receiving retired naval vessels from both.
Years of talk in Europe of replacing the “increasingly outdated” US-directed Nato alliance with an alternative centred in the European Union ended abruptly last February when the Russians attempted to seize Kyiv in a day and Ukraine in a week. Had they succeeded, as both Russian and US intelligence had predicted (it was the always-wrong CIA that prompted Biden’s offer to evacuate Zelenskyy), Nato would have collapsed.
Western media usually paints India as pro-Russia, but what if their foreign policy is cleverer than that? India last week paraded two aircraft carriers – giving them parity with China.
Why did the Chinese keep pushing India until it was forced into an informal but powerful alliance with the United States? The only possible explanation is that China’s rulers are too absorbed in invisible but constant intra-party intrigues and too distracted by everyday matters to acquire any serious understanding of the outside world. The result is that foreign nations are reduced to caricatures, with the Indians written off as dirty and weak.
Professor Edward Luttwak is a strategist and historian known for writing on grand strategy, geo-economics, military history, and international relations.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington for a state visit this week. Beyond the black-tie dinner at the White House and a speech to Congress, there have been a lot of arms deals. Jets, drones, cyber capabilities, and more.
India built a relationship with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and to this day, most of the Indian military’s weapons come from Russia. It wasn’t until the mid-2000s that India started buying arms from the United States, growing from around nothing in 2008 to $8 billion of US sales to the country by 2013, and to $20 billion in 2020.
The US Embassy in New Delhi described an initiative to “fast-track technology cooperation and co-production in areas such as air combat and land mobility systems, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, munitions, and the undersea domain.”
India wants to manufacture military and aerospace products. In this respect, the prospective General Electric engine deal represents a major change. Export controls and trade regulations have previously been a challenge for forging advanced production lines in India. “Engine technology is pretty sensitive,” says Vikram Singh of the United States Institute of Peace and the consulting firm WestExec Advisors. “This is a big, ambitious agenda.”
They may have to send in a commissar. That usually works in Russia.
As a long-running standoff between him and the Defence Ministry appeared to come to a head, the ministry issued a statement, saying Prigozhin's accusations were "not true and are an informational provocation."
Provocations are bad enough – particularly coming from military commanders aiming 180 degrees away from the enemy – but when they are informational as well you need an expert reframer to make people think correctly…
earlier on Friday, he had appeared to cross a new line in his increasingly vitriolic feud with the Defence Ministry, saying that the Kremlin's rationale for invading Ukraine was based on lies concocted by the army's top brass.
Gosh, war based on disinformation?? Surely not. Too crazy a notion for Putin to believe. But I guess the Wagnerian leader is pitching for resonance amongst the cadre of colonels in the high command. You know, the Gaddafi model:
Sounds like a full scale war is breaking out between the Wagner Group and Russian Army units. At the very least, the Russian order of battle in Ukraine just lost 25,000 Wagner fighters.
"A missile attack was launched on the camps of PMC (Private Military Company) Wagner. Many victims. According to eyewitnesses, the strike was delivered from the rear, that is, it was delivered by the military of the Russian Ministry of Defence."
Prigozhin said he controlled 25,000 fighters and that together “we are going to figure out why the chaos is happening in the country.” “Anyone who wants should join. We need to end this mess,” he said.
“Everyone who will try to resist, we will consider them a danger and destroy them immediately, including any checkpoints on our way. And any aviation that we see above our heads,” he added.
Definitely a civil war scenario (despite seeming a tad uncivil). If it becomes a three-cornered fight, Ukraine may benefit, huh?
Bruh, I step away for 2 hours and russians themselves are reporting – A 50km Wagner convoy is on a thunder run to Rostov – Moscow is being locked down and the main highways closed – The head of the GRU made an emotional appeal for calm – Prigozhin wants Shoigu and Gerasimov hung
Putin has gone from having the the second best army in the world to the second best army in the Ukraine to being the second best army in Russia in just three years.
Prigozhin later rowed back on his threat, saying his criticism of the Russian military leadership was a “march of justice” and not a coup – but by that point he appears to have already crossed a line with the Kremlin.
Posted video seems to confirm Prigozhin and his forces have captured the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don (traditionally the home region of Wagner). So Wagner if have seized control of the city, it is also the key Russian supply hub for the entire war in the Ukraine.
God only know what this is doing to Russian morale in Ukraine – in three to five days it'll be zero ammunition left if Prigozhin stays in charge. Prigozhin has said though they are not interfering in the war in Ukraine (!) and “our front in Ukraine is falling because of another reasons. We have lost huge territories there, many killed and wounded. In three four times more than official documents say. Sanitary losses is about 1,000 Russian soldiers per day.”
At least on Russian helicopter gunship has been shotdown by Wagner forces. Apparently Putin is going to address the nation around 6pm NZ time…
"Wagnerchefsky" paints a narrative of blame the Russian military for the war to save Putin from consequences (so he is seen as a patriot and ally of the President).
The military will want him arrested and tried for treason.
At one level it's about whether he has support for taking his forces into Moscow from others (he won't do it alone).
Another player might be a military faction opposed to the war. A Yeltsin on the tanks move?
Sounds like a whole Russia Army Corp has gone to Wagner,
Rostov on Don is now under control of the Wagner including the Distinct Military Area HQ & the Force Commander has done the Harry Holt.
The Rostov on Don Airport, latest reports has heavy's (Airlifters) bugging out quick time & other military aircraft capable of flying doing the same.
Which means Russia is prepared to hold either place & that's bad news for the Russian Army on the Frontline battling Ukraine atm as Rostov on Don is the major Logistics Base including Base Workshops for Russia Military in Ukraine.
Old mate from Belarus appears to have done the Harry Holt some 4-5hrs ago from Minsk a BJ left Minsk with its Transponder on, then went dark over Russia & suddenly reappeared over Turkey some hrs later with its Transponder on.
As of about 4-5hrs one of the USAF Doomsday Command Aircraft was Airborne from it's home base reportedly heading Eastside & still had its Transponder on.
Just heard that a major Russia City on the M4 roughly 6hrs between Moscow & Rostov on Don is now in the hands of the Wagner Group.
Anyway has anyone pop over Bombers Blog & see how the pro Russia Supporters are handling this implosion 😂?
I always believe a Coup of some sort was on the Bingo card down the track, but I wasn't expecting it so soon rather later if the current Ukrainian Offensive is successful in achieving it's goals.
Yes the standard Realist posture would have been that once there was a sustained Ukrainian breakthrough, only then would Putin prepare the tactical nuclear weapons, at which point Biden has to outline full network attacks.
Instead the Russian military is completely breaking down.
Unlikely unless things get real weird. I've been looking at the context:
On 1 October 2022, he said about the commanders of the Russian army that "All these bastards ought to be sent to the front barefoot with just a submachine gun." He called members of the Putin-controlled Russian parliament "useless" and said that the "deputies should go to the front"… The Washington Post reported that Prigozhin was one of the few people who dared to tell Putin about the "mistakes" of Russian military commanders in the war in Ukraine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeny_Prigozhin
On 5 May 2023, he announced that, due to a lack of ammunition, his fighters will leave Bakhmut on 10 May 2023 and hand over their positions to units of the Russian Defense Ministry if they don't get more ammunition. He blamed Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the Russian armed forces Gen. Valery Gerasimov for "tens of thousands" of Wagner casualties, saying "They came here as volunteers and are dying so you can sit like fat cats in your luxury offices."
So he's using those two guys as his target. Apparently relying on his historical relationship to Putin, so his fate will depend lots on whether Putin sees him as problem or solution. If Putin has lost faith in Shoigu, he could be using Wagner to force him out – but I suspect that scenario only comes into play if Putin's own position is so vulnerable that he can't act directly against his defense minister. In a cabal, loyalties can switch fast…
Wagner chief Prigozhin has claimed to be inside the Russian army headquarters in Russia’s southern Rostov-on-Don city and that his fighters were in control of the city’s military sites.
“We are inside the (army) headquarters, it is 7:30 am (04:30 GMT),” Prigozhin said in a video on Telegram, according to the AFP news agency. “Military sites in Rostov, including an aerodrome, are under control,” the Wagner chief said.
He says it will just be a "protest march" all the way to Moscow.
Will the force sent down the M4 from Moscow "fight" to stop him getting there?
And will in Russian based units of the military see it as chance to end their involvement in that war by joining the protest. On the way to Moscow, or when he arrives?
TDB just has a recent post from BB saying who saw that coming.
Morgan's next look at the offensive will note any changes in Russian defensive positions, to account for the new front on the M4.
Kerensky a footnote in history, but for a few months ruler of Russia…
Any kinda shit liable to hit the fan in the next hours/days. Putin may be aghast:
a close confidant of Russian president Vladimir Putin… Prigozhin is sometimes called "Putin's chef", as he owns restaurants and catering companies that provide services for the Kremlin.
Also noticed that a number of S400's (SAM's) are being moved in & around Moscow now on top of Local Air Defence Units already based in Moscow.
It's been suggested, that this is probably due to that the Major Military Airbase at Rostov on Don is now in Wagner Hands & rumblings of other Airbases turning.
It's appears they are either staying loyal with the State or with Wagner.
From what I understand & hearing elsewhere those Russia outside of the Fighting & B Ech are swapping sides when the Wagner Group approaches, but this may change as the Wagner Group approaches Moscow (but that is definitely an know unknown)
Still trying to find out situation on the Ukrainian frontline, if the Russians are collapsing/ withdrawing. But Ukrainian's are a very good OPSEC, so they should btw.
Apparently you are as usual not keeping up with world events (actually you seem to be trying to live somewhere in a timewarp at the middle of the last century).
Thus, the actions splitting our unity are a betrayal of our people, of our brothers in combat who fight now at the front line. It’s a stab in the back of our country and our people.
It was such a blow that was dealt to Russia in 1917 when the country was fighting in World War I, but its victory was stolen.
Intrigues, bickering and politicking behind the back of the army and the people turned out to be the greatest catastrophe, the destruction of the army and the state, loss of huge territories, resulting in a tragedy and a civil war.
Russians were killing Russians, brothers killing brothers. The beneficiaries of that were various political chevaliers of fortune and foreign powers who divided the country, and tore it into parts.
We will not let this happen again. We will protect our people and state from any threats, including internal betrayal. What we’re facing is exactly a betrayal.
FFS: Adrian – don’t you ever read any history? You’d have to be a historical illiterate not to know this as a theme in Russian politics..
Putin got put into power back in 1999 pretty much on a promise of dealing with the internal discord and repeated attempts to overthrow the government. His rhetoric at the time was against all separatists and frequently invoked references about the undermining of the armed forces that led to the 1917 revolution and the 5 year civil war afterwards.
Of course he has been doing a shit job at the task in recent years. Forming a large mercenary force like Wagner that is 2-3x larger than our defence force to do the dirty work for Russia is a pretty clear sign.
Ummm I can’t see the article I was reading about it this morning, I guess I didn’t bookmark it. However there are quite a lot of material about the way that military figures, companies and oligarchs in Russia have been forming large private armies. Like this from a brief search
Other private armies are also on the rise. Defence minister Sergei Shoigu’s private army, Patriot, has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, and oligarch Gennady Timchenko’s private army, Redut, originally created to protect his company’s gas field, is also present in Ukraine. Not to mention the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s army. On 7 February the gas giant Gazprom announced it was creating its own private military company.
The current reports of the Gazprom private army (aka security force) seem to indicate that it was approaching 50k light infantry troops.
There is pretty good analysis of why the current and recent formations of PMC in Russia is happening in this sort of amusing (in a horrid fascination sense) by a Bulwark writer Why Russian Energy Giant Gazprom Is Mustering a Private Army that has the tag line of “It’s less about command and control than currying favor.”
Which just leads to the historic role of private armies in the lead up to civil wars and political balancing of authoritarian regimes – while I naturally think of Roman/Byzantine and Renaissance history, the Bulwark writer thinks of more modern instances. However the pattern of private armies by nobles being balanced by a monarch … well that is exactly what they describe about modern Russia..
Alas, despite Putin’s vaunted “vertical of power,” it’s more like a pyramid, with independent routes to the same summit. Even before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine a year ago, the list of armed groups in Russia with independent and often overlapping authority was troublingly long: In addition to the Ministry of Defense, there were also the Federal Security Service, the Federal Protective Service, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the National Guard (Rosgvardia), Wagner, and Kadyrov’s semi-autonomous government in Chechnya. That list doesn’t include organizations that operate exclusively outside the Russian Federation or the more mysterious litany of individuals and organizations who use cutouts in organized crime to do their dirty business. Not all of these groups are equally powerful or have the same kind of power, but that’s the point—they all have independent links to the real source of power, Putin, who is adept at balancing one against the other. It’s not an efficient way to run a government, but it’s a great way to protect against coups. Other authoritarian regimes that maintain(ed) overlapping or multi-tiered security services include Iran, Iraq, and Nazi Germany.
Hard to see a difference between that and the current chaos in Russia and the kind of eventual unbalancing of the balanced power plays caused (for instance) the Magna Carta in 1215 (and subsequent agreements of a autocratic state).
I love the way this guy, with a straight face, actually puts up a NYT piece on Putin/Russia lol….
BTW, what do you thing all those Ukrainian Right wing militia are?….do you really think they are loyal to Zelensky?
The Waffen SS was pretty damn close to a private army…the better units of their foreign fighters proved to be pretty loyal right to the end…and not just the Eastern European ones…which fight to the end for obvious reasons.
I believe the vast majority of Wagner fighters are, like most Russian troops fighting now..Russian patriots…in their minds (and I guess now it is some what true) the Russian Motherland is under an existential threat from the West…the Russian are never going to stop fighting in this war now…that is just a plain fact…I know plenty of our local commentors get a boner thinking about a Russian collapse…that is never going to happen….you claim to be student of history..so you must understand that this much is at least, is historically, to be true.
Putin: The battle for the fate of our people against the West needs unity … Thus, actions dividing us are a betrayal of our brothers-in-arms … a strike to the back of our people … like in 1917 … when our country was divided … We will not let this happen … it's an internal BETRAYAL.
This is about 30-45min old, but if anyone does jump Flight Radar or Flight Tracker atm.
You would see that every man & his dog who has access to a BJ (business jet) is doing the great Australian Dance called the Harry Holt atm since Tsar Poot's State of the Nation Address & interesting thing about these flights is there is no end destination on the Transponder Info.
Speculation suggests they are heading to Turkey, Cyprus or Israel with their I'll gotten gains atm?
The battle for the fate of our people against the West needs unity … Thus, actions dividing us are a betrayal of our brothers-in-arms … a strike to the back of our people … like in 1917 … when our country was divided … We will not let this happen … it's an internal BETRAYAL.
Kerensky replacing the Tsar and continuing the Russian role in WW1 and being ousted by Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks pulling out of the WW1 (the West being Germany and Austria-Hungary and the Turks)
White Russians opposing Bolshevik rule.
One wonders who Putin (attacking Ukraine to acquire territory) identifies with.
They have a lot of numbers and graphs showing options today and on election day:
Factoring in National’s most-likely coalition partner, the right bloc with Act’s 11 per cent reaches 45.6 per cent, compared to 8 per cent for the Greens, which typically sides with Labour, and together those two parties reach 43 per cent….
Neither could govern alone on those numbers and with 3.4 per cent of the vote, Te Pāti Māori again finds itself in a kingmaker position. But with National Party leader Christopher Luxon having ruled out working with them in any scenario, the most likely governing coalition would be Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori.
That coalition has a 51.1 per cent likelihood of occurring if an election were to be held this weekend, dropping to 50.1 per cent on polling day (October 14).
The most likely post-election government formation remains the one that was taken off the table by Luxon – one involving National, Act and Te Pāti Māori, which is now up to 99.7 per cent (dropping to 86 per cent on election night).
In China it is as its always been since the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE). The Emperor is absolute ruler, until he loses The Mandate of Heaven. Currently the Mandate is held by Xi.
Indeed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandate_of_Heaven However the communist framing of that (dictator) seems to have been adopted from the western model (Mussolini etc). Since Mao became a school-teacher back then, he'd have been familiar with how Stalin adopted the model…
I think we remember our Teachers ..(hopefully the good more than the bad)
With this essay, and his very empathic experience with Ereuti, I think Thomas will go on to be a great Teacher…
Along with penicillin and morphine, asking and listening are among the most essential tools in our medicine cabinets. Sometimes, a simple smile is top-shelf medicine.
I know I have many technical skills to learn. But Ereuti showed me that sometimes it is the humanity we all possess that is the most powerful medicine.
Orca-ing on for those interested, this Newsweek article from May gives background for the multiple orca pod attacks on boats around Portugal.
'The orcas are doing this on purpose, of course. We don't know the origin or the motivation, but defensive behavior based on trauma, as the origin of all this, gains more strength for us every day," said Alfredo López Fernandez [who is on the Atlantic Orca Working Group].
'…the initiating female, which they have named White Gladis, may have been struck by a vessel in the past, which has made her lash out against all boats as a means of defense.' Orca pods are matriarchal, led by older female orcas.
Australia has legislation addressing social media content providers. This action, which will end up costing twitter $700k per day if twitter doesn't tidy up its content, is one way that anti-hate legislation could function here.
Then again, Musk being who he is, and acting as an individual, not a corporate, may drop Australia out of the Starlink array in retaliation. A whole new type of ass-ymetrical warfare between the ultra-rich and states, I think.
Chris Gloninger spent the last 18 years breaking downIowa’s latest local weather news. After spending the last two years as chief meteorologist at Des Moines news station KCCI, a CNN affiliate, Gloninger announced Wednesday he is resigning as one of the many faces of local TV weather.
His departure comes months after receiving a series of harassing emails from a viewer who disagreed with one thing he did on-air: he explained how weather was linked to the climate crisis.
He also received other negative feedback via private messages and social media, which has become a common experience for weather andclimate communicators. The decision was not easy, Gloninger told the Washington Post, but in a tweet announcing his exit, he cited a “death threat stemming from my climate coverage” which he said resulted in post-traumatic stress.
The emails "called the meteorologist a “liberal conspiracy” theorist". In fairness to the neanderthal, it's true that the link between weather & climate is tenuous enough to require a grasp of the science of complexity for comprehension…
A Wellington problem – a proposal to ban all private cars from Parliament, Lambton Quay, Willis Street, Manners Street, to Courtenay Place, and side streets. Lots of noise about this marvellous plan. Little noise on how people will cart their shopping purchases (some of which could be bulky or heavy) around on foot. Little noise on how those who have medical, dental, legal, business appointments in the inner city will access those places if they live well out of the inner city. Or those who want to go to the Opera House or a restaurant or the new convention centre.
Most of Wellington extends far beyond the "golden mile", which seems to escape these "planners". Catch a bus? Given the very unreliable bus service that is year after year showing little improvement – dream on. For the elderly, those with a disability, or with young children, this will make getting about difficult. And the "planners" think it is a good idea to remove some bus stops on the golden mile route.
The city businesses and retailers are alarmed and retailers have said many will close down and go to the Hutt or Porirua. Want to visit a vibrant, busy inner city? It won't be central Wellington. The cyclists and walkers are not the whole population.
"The city businesses and retailersare alarmed and retailers have said many will close down and go to the Hutt or Porirua. Want to visit a vibrant, busy inner city? It won't be central Wellington."
It won't be Auckland either.
I have been volunteering in the CBD this week (a rare occurrence – location, that is, not volunteering) – and the number of closed shops and substantial drop in foot traffic – especially at the top end of town – is notable. Conversion of Queen St (the central city road) to bus only (with a limited number of other exceptions) has not made any substantial improvement on 'walkability' (having a series of large buses zoom past you is no more enjoyable than having cars doing the same thing).
Did you ever shop on the "Golden Mile" or you just make stuff up?
Where exactly did you park with your car for that shopping?
On Lambton Quay, apart from the north end between Old Bailey and Midland Park, which is the "dead end" shopping-wise, there are exactly 5 parking spaces.
On Willis Street between Manners and Lambton are zero car parks.
On Manners, there are also exactly zero car parks.
On Courtney Place are around 50 car parks mainly at the Embassy Cinema end (last time I counted, however there are times you can't park on the bus lanes, so less at some times). I couldn't think of a single "shop" in that area though.
Those roads are through traffic only, like the rest of the CBD. People simply driving through, nobody really has the intention to shop or do business… it's simple a dozen "state highway substitute" lanes in between high-rise buildings.
You sound like a typical NZ car-fashist fighting for every little square centimetre of road… you lack any form of imagination how good a walkable CBD like Wellington could be.
The promise to hard working Kiwis is that everyone can afford their own home if they work hard, enjoy their weekends and holidays in Godzone and pass on a better world to their children. That’s the Kiwi compact Chris Lux. You’re going to take us backward on all of it, given half a chance.
It doesn’t mean a few people with a lot of houses controlling the rules and everyone’s happiness. It doesn’t cheap houses in flood zones so the owners have to get PTSD every time the rain hits their roof.
It doesn’t mean Hawaiian holidays where you can run down NZ.
What does mojo mean? More empty words.
Willis either needs to coup up or stop pretending Luxon ball on housing is better than her already fairly timid accord was.
Russia’s FSB security agency said it has opened a criminal case against Prigozhin “for the organization of armed insurrection.”
Prigozhin claimed his troops have moved into Russia’s Rostov, and vowed: “If anyone gets in our way, we will destroy everything!”
Videos have circulated on social media reportedly showing unidentified armed troops entering Rostov-on-Don, the administrative center of the Rostov region, and seizing government buildings.
The governor of Rostov warned residents to stay indoors.
Russia’s defense ministry said Ukrainian forces are “taking advantage of Prigozhin’s provocation” on the front lines around Bakhmut.
Prigozhin claimed around 100,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the war on Ukraine.
Putin has been briefed on the situation, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian state media.
Prigozhin’s move comes after he claimed 2,000 Wagner men were killed as a result of strikes ordered by Russia’s Ministry of Defense
a source close to the Kremlin said that Prigozhin's threats of revolt were the result of the competing military power structures that had emerged amid Russia's war on Ukraine. "The problem is that in the case of Prigozhin, we got a classic example of two armies and many decision-making centers in the system," the source told The Moscow Times.
There did not appear to be a notable police presence at the Wagner Group's headquarters in St. Petersburg. Independent news outlets reported that Russian state media outlets were barred from citing any of Prigozhin’s statements. In a video posted to Telegram by Andrei Rudyenko, a state-affiliated war correspondent, Russian General Sergei Surovikin called on Wagner fighters to lay down their arms.
Over the past year or so, Prigozhin "has felt like a messiah" due to his ability to openly critique the handling of the war effort without punishment, another Russian official who has worked closely with the Wagner leader told The Moscow Times. "He's on a white horse… Prigozhin created an army, achieved success in the war, got the right to say things that no one else can say… And now he felt like a messiah. And all the way, not once did he fall off the horse…"
Confident enough to feel he's still in the saddle. Putin will have to feed him one of those plutonium sandwiches he's so good at…
Like I said, I don't want links (I know how to use google). I want a human to explain it to me in simple terms. I ask because in situations like this reading almost never gives me the answer I want (I tried this again today before asking. MSM articles are all starting in the middle of the story)
Okay, I get it. This is how it seems to me: he's serious about doing a coup, but the murk obscures his current attitude to Putin. Not very helpful, I know, but in the fog of war even assertions of fact are suspect. For instance, I saw earlier statements from the guy in which he signalled he still supports Putin. My take is that his target is whoever took out 2000 of his men with a missile.
That was either a Russian Army General in command of the missile corps acting on instructions of their Defense Minister or maybe directly in response to Putin himself…
I'll do my best – but I'm not over all of the detail.
To the best of my understanding:
The Wagner group (founded and led by Prigozhin) – is a Russian paramilitary organization or private army. It's technically illegal in Russia – but is widely suspected of being officially sanctioned by Putin – to give him plausible deniability over some of the more … illegal … actions Russia has carried out both inside and outside it's borders.
The Wagner group has been heavily involved in the Russia-Ukraine war – and has been implicated in many (though not all) of the human rights violations. They are serious bad news – at least at an individual level.
Prigozhin has been conducting a war of words with the Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu – over supply and treatment of his troops. There seems to be no doubt that there is a political element behind this – and some speculation that Prigozhin sees himself as another Stalin.
This war of words has escalated. Prigozhin has apparently threatened to 'remove' Shoigu (Wagner Group are specialist assassins – so this may be a literal threat)
Prigozhin claims that Russian forces have launched rocket attacks on Wagner Group bases in Ukraine. There seems to be no doubt that someone has attacked them – and apparently from Russia – though considerable doubt over the actual casualties.
Prigozhin has moved across the Russian border from Ukraine to Rostov-on-Don. He claims to have 25,000 soldiers, and is calling on Russians to join him in a “march of justice” – and claiming that the border guards came out and welcomed his troops.
Russian federal security service have launched an investigation into Prigozhin for armed rebellion (which seems to be, de facto, true)
There is (AFAIK) no confirmation that Prigozhin is in occupation of the city of Rostov, or that he has shot down helicopters. But this has been widely reported on social media. Rostov is around 1,000 Km from Moscow.
Russia is claiming that much of this is false news: "claims do not correspond to reality and are intended to misinform."
'Anti-terrorist' measures have been introduced in Moscow (road controls, limits on public events, etc.). So some evidence that Russia is taking this seriously, in practice, if not in words.
Wagner zoomed up to Russian Defense HQ (a good 13 h at full-speed from Moscow), Prigozhin popped in to have a friendly chat with the commander there plus local militia, then apparently Wagner have mostly left again by 4 pm NZ time. Prigozhin is known for perfomative tantrums to leverage resources.
‘Another update on Rostov – most of the Wagner force seems to have departed, with remaining vehicles powered down and only a handful of Wagner and Rosgvardia troops remaining at the Southern Military District HQ building in the city centre.' tweet on Defense Politics Asia twitter at nz4pm
Oz Legalise Cannabis Party launches joint offensive:
Huge news for Australasian cannabis law reform, with the resurgent Legalise Cannabis Party, which now holds seats in the Upper Houses of three states, introducing simultaneous bills to legalise personal use and possession… After tabling the Bill on Tuesday, Dr Brian Walker MLC (Member of Parliament for the Legalise Cannabis Party in Western Australia) posted: “In an Australian first, the Legalise Cannabis Party introduced legislation into the Victorian, NSW and WA Parliaments today, aimed at allowing home growth, personal possession, and the ability to gift cannabis between individuals.”
Australian Associated Press reported “A spokeswoman for Legalise Cannabis Victoria MP Rachel Payne told AAP the party was formulating a three-stage plan, the second step of which would include extending rights for consumers with the development of “co-operatives” and expunging historical personal use convictions.”
Melbourne’s The Age said Legalise Cannabis is in a “joint offensive” but warned “The bills, to be introduced in the upper houses, are doomed to fail without the support of major parties that have been reluctant to soften drug policing. Victorian MP Rachel Payne wouldn’t rule out blocking government bills to get the necessary support, but said she preferred to work cooperatively.”
Here, "Party leader Michael Appleby, a former Barrister, human rights lawyer and law lecturer, said “Ending prohibition of cannabis is the most important social injustice needing to be fixed in this country.” You bet!
Chris Bishop, just like his leader Chris Luxon, does what he does best: looking in the rear view mirror to the past.
He doesn’t realise that Jacinda Ardern has been gone for 5 months and that we have a new PM, which is not surprising when he’s using AI that has been trained on data up to 2021.
In case no one saw this black ops from the PM's team in action:
First you send Mahuta the Minister of Foreign Affairs to China directly after demoting her, so the Chinese officials know that they can attack her with impunity since she has been shamed.
Then the PM's team organise a major trip to China and deliberately exclude Mahuta the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Then on the day you leave for China, you drop an anonymous story that Mahuta was indeed attacked with impunity, and you name all the other ministers excluding Mahuta that will accompany the Prime Minister to China.
So now everyone knows, Mahua is Dead Woman Walking.
You may be over-dramatising – sounds just like the usual `full & frank exchange of views'. She hasn't complained about the harangue, has she?
I wondered at the time if it was a covert racist demotion but he elevated both Willie & Peeni in the ratings so obviously not. I figured it must be punishment for the Three Waters schmozzle last year.
I certainly don't think this kind of harangue by the Chinese foreign minister is in any way meaningful. It's a piece of political theatre designed for home consumption (publicly 'punish' the foreigners for daring to say something with which we don't agree).
You see Chinese policy in actions, rather than in words. So long as they are still buying from NZ, and investing in NZ, and sending tourists to NZ – they are not seriously upset with us.
Contrast this with their actions against Australia – with additional tariffs and unofficial bans on imports, etc.
' "The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity, said Mahuta pushed back on Qin’s ‘Wolf Warrior’ approach. Another source told the outlet that the meeting was “robust”.' A harangue with push-back doesn't sound like a walk-over. Good on Mahuta.
Qin Gang is a recent appointment to the position, is a trusted advisor of Xi, and is known for being 'sharp-tongued' and critical of Western actions when eg, previously US ambassador. Any hard words were aimed at NZ, not Mahuta.
Why would Murdoch's press pick this story up? A journo has a friend in the NZ diplomatic corps? At least they confirmed the story with two sources. Of course The Herald depends on the headline to set the tone and attack Mahuta for perceived weakness.
There’ll be bends in the Waikato river long after this latest lot have gone.
Ad loves this stuff doesn’t he (sorry pronoun check?)? There’s been a change in leadership and in emphasis, but it must be slimy 3rd way machinations.
Or possibly it’s the PM underlining the importance of the relationship with our number one trading partner?
Still though- used to be able to say there’d been two MPs for Mt Albert since 1947.
Priyanca in Mark Gosche’s old seat, though I’m sure it’s been quite redrawn, is now looking currently the most settled Labour MP in the inner suburbs and we’ve got a Mayor selling off the last few assets Auckland City has…
And Eden Park expecting the government to act as its booking agent…
Then you run into some amazing bright, content, twelve year old digital native, who was born in this year doesn’t even know how shocking the Taylor Swift/Kanye beef was..
But my point stands vaguely about stability and strength in Auckland and maybe not a continuity of ideology, but certainly of personnel!
It was those aliens in them UFOs! The shapeshift into bats, just like Batman, and then spread nasty little nano-bugs that emit 5G back to their home planet.
he could have said "I support the Crusaders, I supported the Canterbury team as a little boy until they turned into the Crusader and then I supported the Crusaders". I guess.
Not so much. Canterbury continues to be the local provincial team competing in the NPC (around since 1976) in September-October. The Crusaders are a regional franchise (also includes North and South Canterbury, Marlborough and Nelson Bays – now Tasman in the NPC) who compete in Super Rugby March-June.
He might have memories of his fathers Cantab parochialism from his youth and maybe of his father later becoming a Crusaders fan.
No chance to sledge the Aussies on BBC (where they are/can be surprisingly precious about it).
The name Cameron means "crooked nose", some teams never get the rub of the green. Ball tampering, whether on sandpaper or grass, is an Oz speciality. A bit like like their infamous low to the ground bowling.
Gill was robbed of a match winning double century and if the wicket is not under water by tea, the Shubman has been denied justice.
Your comment was considered to have broken the following House Rule:
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I'm working on a new one, Bishop Carey plays for the Church of England, Alex is just a cartoon character. Probably for the Lords test.
Yeah I'm surprised Ukraine hasn't offered a deal to Putin to have all their land given back in return for Ukraine helping Russia with their Wagner problem.
Ends the war, restores the borders, Wagner's gone.
Vino, while I think Putin is the aggressor, and Ukraine have played a strong game to maintain their independence, I realise the propaganda nature of pro-Ukraine news, particularly military news. Let's face it, what we see in most of Western media has an optimistic spin, aimed at citizens of the nations which help fund and supply Ukraine's defense. I find nothing wrong with that, as long as the average reader adjusts for the slant.
Many Ukrainian men have been mobilised to the latest push from Ukraine. Ground forces are clearly bogged down in a stalemate trench war, with ground being won and lost meadow by meadow.
Who knows how this will finish? Ukraine is being strategic about taking out supply depots inside Russia. Russia has armed Belarus with nuclear arms, expanding its own sphere of influence, and it may open a new front from the north. It's clearly imported more arms from elsewhere, and is heavily bombarding across Ukraine. Putin can still provide plenty of cannon fodder for the front.
Seems to be a precarious balance in this war at the moment. I predict it will be Russia that ups the stakes next.
"Let's face it, what we see in most of Western media has an optimistic spin, aimed at citizens of the nations which help fund and supply Ukraine's defense. I find nothing wrong with that, as long as the average reader adjusts for the slant"…
Are you serious?..you see no problem with our media spewing straight out propaganda to our fellow citizens at the behest of the state…you know we are not at war with Russia, right?
I have talked before about the difference between positive proaganda aimed to keep morale high, and outright lies. What we see from inside Ukraine are the opitmistic stories: men heroically going to the front, local resostance to Russian occupation, marshalling a Ukraine pushback. Not lies, but only the positive part of the truth.
Under war conditions, this is justified, I think. There would be a better balance in the Western media if the Putin-controlled Russian media didn't blatantly and verifiably lie to their citizens and to the world. Mix up truth with an ultra-large helping of blatant shit, and you lose your credibility to outside media. In contrast, I don't think Ukraine media stories are fabricated, rather spun.
Realists know that war is ambiguous and shitty, and nobody is having a good time.
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“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
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I see schools are starting to abandon the open plan classroom concept that has little in the way of evidence to back it up. The open plan approach seems largely based on ideology and, personally, I would describe it as barking mad.
My wife's sister is a teacher in Australia, and she absolutely hates the open plan concept that has also been introduced over there. Both her and her students find the environment incredibly noisy, and distracting, and not at all conducive to effective learning.
How do educators come up with these crazy ideas?
Open Plan had been around in the 80s for a short time. During the Key reign they were re-established and ordained. Crazy as National Standards. Not organised by Educators. The best ideas come from the grass roots up rather than from politicians top down.
Seems to have been driven by the Ministry of Education – rather than politicians.
Certainly, every new classroom in at least the last 10 years (including ones being constructed right now) has had to be open plan (aka 'Modern learning environments') – so covering at least 2 different governments.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ministry-of-education-challenged-to-prove-open-learning-classrooms-are-good-for-children/UIQ4QLDRQDJECCBOPVCK4RA7DE/
There has been a *lot* of criticism over the MoE implementing this major change with little international review, and failing to evaluate the effect on students and learning.
I think this is an example of 'professional' capture at the MoE, rather than 'political' capture (much like the MoE being wedded to balanced literacy – rather than phonics for teaching reading). Tinetti's inability to get the MoE to change – illustrates just how little power the Minister has over the entrenched bureaucracy.
My concern at the moment – is the scheduled rollout of the new NCEA curriculum.
(Putting aside completely a discussion about mātauranga Māori and the new curriculum content), is anyone discussing the obvious problem with the current schedule?
https://ncea.education.govt.nz/what-ncea-change-programme
Now, it seems obvious to me that those taking the new NCEA Level 1 next year, will then move on to the OLD NCEA Level 2, and Level 3 to complete their high school education.
I'm pulling this estimate out of thin air – so if anyone is able to provide an accurate figure please do so, but I'd be thinking this disrupted schedule will affect around 12-14,000 students.
This is hard to reconcile with the following five principles:
If NCEA Level 2 and NCEA Level 3, are unable to meet the initial schedule (which seems to be the case), the Ministry should also delay the rollout of NCEA Level 1 so that students are not disrupted in their learning, due to this administrative failure.
Money. They were cheaper than individual classrooms.
The philosophy and theories behind Open Plan may be good. The effort to modernise and evolve teaching and learning is worthy. Unfortunately it seems success is predicated on ideal conditions.*
In our district (in the '80s?) with all the razzmatazz such a primary school happened. Gradually over years walls were erected to separate spaces. We're in the middle of the next wave now with not just primary but intermediate and secondary schools being part of the plan, getting rid of walls. Major rebuilds of secondary schools see the new style.
* Teachers being able to work in different ways, teachers wanting to work in different ways, pupils being able to adapt to new ways.
It seems that this time of the introduction of significant and dramatic change coincides with a time of pronounced lack of stability in schooling, tremendous insecurity in pupils (and communities) and critical issues with staffing schools
Following the idea that school is preparation for work, this is the classroom preparing students for open-plan offices and hot-desking.
You mean instilling compliance with and obedience to future employers’ demands? And
conditioninglearning from a young age the value of the provision of ‘performance incentives’ to move from the barn- or factory-floor to the much coveted personal office with associated job title and name tag on the door (not to mention the allocated car park)?So the US president hits the headlines, calling Xi a dictator, and our PM hits the headlines, saying he isn't. Leftists must disagree: it's the culture. The important thing is to ignore the truth – which in this instance is available via analysis of history.
That job gets done here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/492525/sorry-prime-minister-joe-biden-was-right-xi-jinping-really-is-a-dictator
Can you blame Hipkins for being ignorant? Not really. Nobody expects a Labour politician to read history, let alone learn from it. If Biden had wanted other leftist political leaders to get onside he'd have provided this proof, right?
Readers will think `meh, storm in a teacup'. But is truth & reality really negligible when it comes to politics? The discipline of getting it right is character-building, and politicians would acquire more substance by rising to that challenge.
Nobody expects a Labour politician to read history, let alone learn from it.
Nobody thinks that. You don't think that.
Helen Clark and Michael Cullen didn't just read it. They taught it. At university.
Maybe you should read their books. Then you wouldn't post such fact-free nonsense.
Hmm. I stand corrected. Or perhaps two swallows don't make a summer? Anyway, if Helen was on the ball, she'd have corrected Hipkins publicly by now…
And just think of the moaners and screechers if she had. Former PMs generally keep out of that sort of issue. Except for Key who has no sense of decorum at all.
If anyone still still held on to any illusions that Biden, the Clintons, the Democratic party, the heads of the CIA and FBI were not just a bunch of lying, corrupt sacks of shit who make Trump look like a fucking amatuer….
House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) questioned Special Counsel John Durham about his report on the FBI and the investigations into former President Trump.
At today's House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) questioned Special Counsel John Durham about his report on the FBI and the investigations into former President Trump, and the Steele Dossier.
Of course our own RNZ which spewed out this misinformation for five years straight barely utters a word on it's unravelling….but grovel out apologies from their knees like and bunch of beaten gimps when one their crew add a bit on context to the Ukraine war, with one just one wrong fact….what the fuck happened to to even the smallest hint of fair and balanced reporting in the Western media???
O course it's true that Trump is completely inept at hiding his lying and machinations, simply because he brazenly fills the airwaves and social media with a tonne of lies, chaff and 180 degree turnarounds.
The end-result is a hardcore of Trump followers whose world-view swings around Trump's latest handful of 'alternative facts'.
"The end-result is a hardcore of Trump followers whose world-view swings around Trump's latest handful of 'alternative facts'"…..yep that is true, however it is exactly the same as RNZ, CNN, BBC, Washington Post (etc) readers and listeners whose own 'world-view swings around their latest handful of alternative facts" (no it is just plain old misinformation or misinformation by omission) …so my question to you is, what is the actual difference?..both sets of citizens are being fed on a endless diet of hate and lies as far as I can see.
On this subject, here is a copy of my email to RNZ today..
Good morning to, Kim and the producers of ‘Saturday Morning’
As I am sure you are all aware, the widely held and much voiced conspiracy theory of a Trump/Russia collusion has, with the recent release of the Durham Report, been once and for all put to bed as being a complete fabricated and dangerous fantasy, in the words of CNN’s own Jake Tapper, (the) Durham Report Is "Devastating To FBI, And To A Degree, It Does Exonerate Donald Trump"….
https://www.justice.gov/storage/durhamreport.pdf
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2023/05/15/cnns_jake_tapper_durham_report_is_devastating_to_fbi_and_to_a_degree_it_does_exonerate_donald_trump.html
In light of these finding, my questions to Kim and the producers of her show are;
1. Will you have Luke Harding back on your show and ask him some hard questions about his method of ‘reporting’ and how he came to his many wrong conclusions in light of this report ?
2. Will Saturday Morning do a full segment on this subject to fully inform it’s listeners of this information, and also including on that show one of the handful of journalists that were pushing back against this conspiracy of misinformation as it was happening, in many cases much to their own personal and professional detriment?
I am sure you will agree that some action is needed to be taken on your behalf, to at least remedy in some small way your own part in spreading this misinformation over such a long time period.
Looking forward to your response.
Best
Adrian Thornton
Well clearly the sources you post there don't agree with the world as you wish to see it. My suggestion: just choose another lot to keep yourself happy. Personally, I like RNZ, because they do not push a judgemental adjective into every sentence of news-reporting, and because I hear RNZ grilling government Ministers as often as anyone else.
Yes I agree to a degree RNZ can at times be pretty good on domestic politics…but, when you really start thinking about it for while, you will see that RNZ, like pretty much all western 'liberal' media that I can think of are, when push comes to shove, just defenders of the status quo….
notice..every single morning we are given quite indepth updates on the stock market..why?…why isn't there a daily morning update on worker/labour news?
notice…RNZ rightly hand wrings about the state of our health care system…but when interviewing the politicians who either now or could potentially in the future, be in the position to make the massive investments needed to overcame this disaster..they never preface their interview with the simple question…"do you use Public or or private health care?'…now armed with that much needed context, the audience could more accurately frame the answers given.
Another example..why is it that the bulk of 'economists' that RNZ use to inform us on the state of our country are private bank economists?…banks have only one objective..selling debt…why doesn't RNZ use the many respected economists from our Universities as their main source of this information?
" My suggestion: just choose another lot to keep yourself happy"…don't you believe that RNZ should offer fair and balanced reporting?…because that is all I am asking them to produce…which, as the Durham report makes quite clear..they have not.
You know how it works. RNZ is rarely 'fair and balanced' when following the international MSM line. It was reported as truth 24/7, little or no critical thinking, the 'big lie' theory again prevailing and participants in this never want to back down. Good luck with KH. even acknowledging your email would be a surprise.
"Good luck with KH. even acknowledging your email would be a surprise"….actually I heard through a friend that most emails at at least read internally by the interns(?), which is something..you never know…planting seeds etc.
I have over the years got into a couple of quite heated debates with various people at RNZ…though that is a rare thing to be sure.
I am working on a Formal complaint about the lack of balance vis-à-vis the (lack of) reporting on The Durham Report, as opposed to the Wall to Wall coverage RNZ indulged in…again I know I am probably wasting my time..but I just can't sit by and watch this outrageous lack of journalistic integrity go without pushing back…even if it is the smallest of pin picks I offer in resistance, at least it is not nothing.
Hmmm so according to the Greens calculator my wife who can't work due to illness and disability will receive not one cent. I'll receive an extra $20-00 dollars a week which means that on top of the extra $6,000 more a year in tax I pay compared to a couple earning the same amount between them I'll now pay an extra ( they get an extra $18-00 per week each) $36 – $20 = $16 x 52 = $832 in tax on top of the $6,000.
Apparently unwell partners, not working, not getting ACC and not getting a benefit are not considered as part of all people will be better off.
As no doubt price and rents etc will increase as the private sector takes advantage of this extra citizen wealth I’m pretty sure all those in a similar position will be worse off.
There is no provision in their calculator for are you unwell and unable to work.
https://www.greens.org.nz/taxcalculator
There would always be fine-tuning in select committee for radical tax changes like this. Your issue would be addressed at that stage.
Good to see that you have no problem with the Wealth Tax element of the policy though,. Clever that the Greens have framed it so that only 0.7% pay WT.
It isn't going to affect me. Like most families who have come from abject poverty – arriving in NZ basically as refugees and penniless and not speaking English – it takes generations to accumulate wealth – with a few exceptions at either end – those who have managed it more quickly (in one case by being a ruthless landlord) and those who are still quite dysfunctional and will likely never accumulate and those with significant disability who will also likely never accumulate wealth.
Then some who have have spent their wealth, as they should as they had the means to do so, on residential care facilities – in some cases over a million dollars.
It is an interesting question this retaining of funds for following generations. The well off would have you believe anyone can start from scratch and become wealthy but at the same time want to preserve their wealth for the generations that follow them.
The problem is is that they conflate anyone with everyone all the while knowing they are only for instance an accident, or a health issue, or a drug addiction away from that being true. It is about finding a balance between retaining enough to make the next generation better off but at the same time supporting the general population.
I'm more supportive of things like taxation at sale of houses and art work etc – i.e. you tax at realisation and death duties and higher tax rates for higher incomes than the greens scheme. Things that most Western countries do and that we once did.
Alternatively I'll well oft proffered that we should have turnover tax. Simple to administer, harder to avoid and a tax shared and spread across all businesses. Net off wage incomes at introduction so businesses that actually employ people don't have the PAYE equivalent cost that someone who does the same work with say a robot has.
That's a really interesting point you bring up there on the effect of automation on tax income from PAYE.
Yes the sale of houses and the split up of assest at death make much more logical and convenient way points to charge a tax. As we know people buy and sell houses and die every day of the week.
Turnover tax is fairer as well.
If you call wealthy a person with a home in a city and a balance in Kiwisaver that they have been contributing to from 2007 then the resulting concept of 'wealth' is not one I am am really familar with.
They have no assets to call on ie neither the house nor KS is liquid. In addtion the KS contribtuions are made from tax paid income ie it come out of the net salary after PAYE has been paid. So this is tax on tax paid income and it is also a tax on people who belive they have done the right things and provided as much as they can for their own retirement. Then if the family is one of a tradesperson who has set up a Trust to protect the family home from business losses, as is sensible and conservative financial planning advice they will get extra socked.
On the other hand why not just adopt the tax rates The Greens have put up and see what happens then, if necessary. re-introduce death duties and some sort of transaction tax on real estate sales.
As I have sad before Govt should explicitly fund the means to alleviate poverty even if it means that 'nice to have' ideas are pushed further out.
Tagged funds, unless for something that has a beginning and end, like funds raised on tolls on the Auckland harbour bridge to pay for the construction are really disliked by Treasury (as I understand) and the like, and, as well, do deprive a Govt of being able to have all the funds at its disposal ie flexibility, and to make the allocations as it sees fit.
Having death duties or a tax on the sale of a house are more natural way points in the cycle of life.
Under the GP plan she would get a GMI of $767/wk (benefits would be individualised, not dependent on partner income like now). She would also be eligible for supplementary benefits and to earn up to $190/week before any abatement.
People needing income support because of any kind of disability would be brought under a new agency call Agency for Comprehensive Care, which would take the out of all the work ready focus of WINZ.
The Greens have indeed thought about this a lot and are the only party I am aware of that has done work on it.
I wrote about this when the plan was released,
.https://thestandard.org.nz/this-is-what-ending-poverty-looks-like-in-new-zealand/
GP policy details https://assets.nationbuilder.com/beachheroes/pages/17574/attachments/original/1687385898/Tax_Full_Policy_Document_22June.pdf
The whole point of the plan is to lift everyone out of poverty. I'm curious if there are any examples where the plan doesn’t achieve that. I haven't seen any yet.
I was aware of what was said in the policy – the calculator however tells a different story. So presumably the calculator doesn't care about those with disabilities either.
My parents generation would have got a tax rebate for a non-working spouse. It would be interesting as to what difference that would have on reducing sole parent numbers by reducing financial stress on couples.
Peter Dunn I think was the only politician to keep pushing for tax rebates in this situation.
would you mind saying what answers you put in the calculator? am I missing some detail?
I think the problem is the calculator doesn't take disability into account. They really should be explaining that.
This is what I get:
Result,
Reading the actual policy, it's in two phase. In year one, your wife would get $470 tax free per week (plus other supports).
In the second year they would set up the new ACC and she would then get the full $767+
I've tweet the Greens about it
https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1672415521994866689
yep step 3 the answer is no because of her current level of disability.
She already has qualifications and repaid her student loan so doesn't really want to do more study / incur more student debt.
Shouldn't that be "doesn't"?
yep, will edit, thanks.
The Greens do have a policy to expand ACC coverage to non-accident disabilities, which may cover your partner. They have also championed individualisation of benefits, to better reflect the structure of C21th family finances in past policy.
Sometimes collegial liaison behind the scenes flies under the media radar:
The author's geopolitical analysis proceeds from this thesis: https://unherd.com/2023/06/how-putin-and-xi-resurrected-america/
Western media usually paints India as pro-Russia, but what if their foreign policy is cleverer than that? India last week paraded two aircraft carriers – giving them parity with China.
Furthermore, from a different news site:
The founder of Wagner Group in Russia is making serious accusations and threats against the Kremlin. Big challenge to Putin.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-mercenary-boss-says-moscows-war-ukraine-based-lies-2023-06-23/
They may have to send in a commissar. That usually works in Russia.
Provocations are bad enough – particularly coming from military commanders aiming 180 degrees away from the enemy – but when they are informational as well you need an expert reframer to make people think correctly…
Gosh, war based on disinformation?? Surely not. Too crazy a notion for Putin to believe. But I guess the Wagnerian leader is pitching for resonance amongst the cadre of colonels in the high command. You know, the Gaddafi model:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1969_Libyan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
Americans are missing Tucker Carlson on Fox (don’t know how to google RT) to get the “official Russian” point of view.
https://twitter.com/davidfrum/status/1672378131389317120
Sounds like a full scale war is breaking out between the Wagner Group and Russian Army units. At the very least, the Russian order of battle in Ukraine just lost 25,000 Wagner fighters.
Definitely a civil war scenario (despite seeming a tad uncivil). If it becomes a three-cornered fight, Ukraine may benefit, huh?
Yes, all on for young and old.
I hope everyone has stocked up on popcorn.
Meanwhile, in Kyiv…
Artoir
@ItsArtoir
Bruh, I step away for 2 hours and russians themselves are reporting – A 50km Wagner convoy is on a thunder run to Rostov – Moscow is being locked down and the main highways closed – The head of the GRU made an emotional appeal for calm – Prigozhin wants Shoigu and Gerasimov hung
https://twitter.com/ItsArtoir/status/1672380235541561345
Putin has gone from having the the second best army in the world to the second best army in the Ukraine to being the second best army in Russia in just three years.
Anyone got stable information on the Wagner insurgence toward Rostov?
Voronezh is halfway to Moscow from Rostov-on-Don. Each way is a matter of hours.
https://www.rt.com/russia/578553-prigozhin-armed-insurrection-updates/
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/23/europe/wagner-prigozhin-criminal-case-explainer-intl/index.html
Posted video seems to confirm Prigozhin and his forces have captured the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don (traditionally the home region of Wagner). So Wagner if have seized control of the city, it is also the key Russian supply hub for the entire war in the Ukraine.
God only know what this is doing to Russian morale in Ukraine – in three to five days it'll be zero ammunition left if Prigozhin stays in charge. Prigozhin has said though they are not interfering in the war in Ukraine (!) and “our front in Ukraine is falling because of another reasons. We have lost huge territories there, many killed and wounded. In three four times more than official documents say. Sanitary losses is about 1,000 Russian soldiers per day.”
At least on Russian helicopter gunship has been shotdown by Wagner forces. Apparently Putin is going to address the nation around 6pm NZ time…
"Wagnerchefsky" paints a narrative of blame the Russian military for the war to save Putin from consequences (so he is seen as a patriot and ally of the President).
The military will want him arrested and tried for treason.
At one level it's about whether he has support for taking his forces into Moscow from others (he won't do it alone).
Another player might be a military faction opposed to the war. A Yeltsin on the tanks move?
Sounds like a whole Russia Army Corp has gone to Wagner,
Rostov on Don is now under control of the Wagner including the Distinct Military Area HQ & the Force Commander has done the Harry Holt.
The Rostov on Don Airport, latest reports has heavy's (Airlifters) bugging out quick time & other military aircraft capable of flying doing the same.
Which means Russia is prepared to hold either place & that's bad news for the Russian Army on the Frontline battling Ukraine atm as Rostov on Don is the major Logistics Base including Base Workshops for Russia Military in Ukraine.
Old mate from Belarus appears to have done the Harry Holt some 4-5hrs ago from Minsk a BJ left Minsk with its Transponder on, then went dark over Russia & suddenly reappeared over Turkey some hrs later with its Transponder on.
As of about 4-5hrs one of the USAF Doomsday Command Aircraft was Airborne from it's home base reportedly heading Eastside & still had its Transponder on.
Just heard that a major Russia City on the M4 roughly 6hrs between Moscow & Rostov on Don is now in the hands of the Wagner Group.
Anyway has anyone pop over Bombers Blog & see how the pro Russia Supporters are handling this implosion 😂?
Good to see Sellers doing Dr Strangelove again: https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/06/24/breaking-mercenary-warlord-turning-on-you-wasnt-on-many-russia-ukraine-bingo-cards/
I always believe a Coup of some sort was on the Bingo card down the track, but I wasn't expecting it so soon rather later if the current Ukrainian Offensive is successful in achieving it's goals.
But anyway here we are LoL.
Yes the standard Realist posture would have been that once there was a sustained Ukrainian breakthrough, only then would Putin prepare the tactical nuclear weapons, at which point Biden has to outline full network attacks.
Instead the Russian military is completely breaking down.
Events are in the saddle and we ride.
I do wonder though what the Russian protocols are if the SSBN force loses contact with home?
Those guys are almost always tailed by a US SSN, the US subs will be going on to high alert and listening hard for the sound of launch tubes flooding.
Unlikely unless things get real weird. I've been looking at the context:
So he's using those two guys as his target. Apparently relying on his historical relationship to Putin, so his fate will depend lots on whether Putin sees him as problem or solution. If Putin has lost faith in Shoigu, he could be using Wagner to force him out – but I suspect that scenario only comes into play if Putin's own position is so vulnerable that he can't act directly against his defense minister. In a cabal, loyalties can switch fast…
I'm more concerned about the land base tactical and Artillery nukes that Russia still has in service.
from Al Jazeera:
He says it will just be a "protest march" all the way to Moscow.
Will the force sent down the M4 from Moscow "fight" to stop him getting there?
And will in Russian based units of the military see it as chance to end their involvement in that war by joining the protest. On the way to Moscow, or when he arrives?
TDB just has a recent post from BB saying who saw that coming.
Morgan's next look at the offensive will note any changes in Russian defensive positions, to account for the new front on the M4.
Sort of makes one think of the name Kerensky.
Kerensky a footnote in history, but for a few months ruler of Russia…
Any kinda shit liable to hit the fan in the next hours/days. Putin may be aghast:
because he may not get his meals delivered from here on in…
Thankyou Scud I had hoped that you would contribute your usual deep network intel.
Greatly appreciated, and please keep it up through the next 48 hours.
Putin is due to address Russia and it needs to be better than Yeltsin did.
He apparently running half hr late, just wondering if the double's are running late 😂😂
Visual confirmation of three Russian helicopters shot down by Wagner.
Also noticed that a number of S400's (SAM's) are being moved in & around Moscow now on top of Local Air Defence Units already based in Moscow.
It's been suggested, that this is probably due to that the Major Military Airbase at Rostov on Don is now in Wagner Hands & rumblings of other Airbases turning.
Presumably the Russian National Guard is still demonstrating loyalty to Putin?
Is there indication of Russian Army groups being either neutral to the uprising, or outright joining them?
Either way this is the start of a Russian civil war.
It's appears they are either staying loyal with the State or with Wagner.
From what I understand & hearing elsewhere those Russia outside of the Fighting & B Ech are swapping sides when the Wagner Group approaches, but this may change as the Wagner Group approaches Moscow (but that is definitely an know unknown)
Still trying to find out situation on the Ukrainian frontline, if the Russians are collapsing/ withdrawing. But Ukrainian's are a very good OPSEC, so they should btw.
"Either way this is the start of a Russian civil war"….really…according to who exactly?
Apparently you are as usual not keeping up with world events (actually you seem to be trying to live somewhere in a timewarp at the middle of the last century).
Putin said it most recently in his speech. translated speech transcript from aljazerra
There was an interesting analysis in the NYT (may be paywalled) ‘We will not let this happen again’: Putin evokes Russia’s civil war of a century ago.
FFS: Adrian – don’t you ever read any history? You’d have to be a historical illiterate not to know this as a theme in Russian politics..
Putin got put into power back in 1999 pretty much on a promise of dealing with the internal discord and repeated attempts to overthrow the government. His rhetoric at the time was against all separatists and frequently invoked references about the undermining of the armed forces that led to the 1917 revolution and the 5 year civil war afterwards.
Of course he has been doing a shit job at the task in recent years. Forming a large mercenary force like Wagner that is 2-3x larger than our defence force to do the dirty work for Russia is a pretty clear sign.
Ummm I can’t see the article I was reading about it this morning, I guess I didn’t bookmark it. However there are quite a lot of material about the way that military figures, companies and oligarchs in Russia have been forming large private armies. Like this from a brief search
The current reports of the Gazprom private army (aka security force) seem to indicate that it was approaching 50k light infantry troops.
There is pretty good analysis of why the current and recent formations of PMC in Russia is happening in this sort of amusing (in a horrid fascination sense) by a Bulwark writer Why Russian Energy Giant Gazprom Is Mustering a Private Army that has the tag line of “It’s less about command and control than currying favor.”
Which just leads to the historic role of private armies in the lead up to civil wars and political balancing of authoritarian regimes – while I naturally think of Roman/Byzantine and Renaissance history, the Bulwark writer thinks of more modern instances. However the pattern of private armies by nobles being balanced by a monarch … well that is exactly what they describe about modern Russia..
Hard to see a difference between that and the current chaos in Russia and the kind of eventual unbalancing of the balanced power plays caused (for instance) the Magna Carta in 1215 (and subsequent agreements of a autocratic state).
I love the way this guy, with a straight face, actually puts up a NYT piece on Putin/Russia lol….
BTW, what do you thing all those Ukrainian Right wing militia are?….do you really think they are loyal to Zelensky?
The Waffen SS was pretty damn close to a private army…the better units of their foreign fighters proved to be pretty loyal right to the end…and not just the Eastern European ones…which fight to the end for obvious reasons.
I believe the vast majority of Wagner fighters are, like most Russian troops fighting now..Russian patriots…in their minds (and I guess now it is some what true) the Russian Motherland is under an existential threat from the West…the Russian are never going to stop fighting in this war now…that is just a plain fact…I know plenty of our local commentors get a boner thinking about a Russian collapse…that is never going to happen….you claim to be student of history..so you must understand that this much is at least, is historically, to be true.
Why did Putin bring up 1917?
I guess that's a yes to civil war.
IanMatveev
@ian_matveev
Погранпереход Бугаевка, Воронежская область. "ЧВК Вагнер" без сопротивления разоружил роту российских военных
Translated from Russian by
Bugaevka border crossing, Voronezh region. "PMC Wagner" without resistance disarmed a company of Russian military
https://twitter.com/ian_matveev/status/1672499354555363329
Dmitri
@wartranslated
Putin: The battle for the fate of our people against the West needs unity … Thus, actions dividing us are a betrayal of our brothers-in-arms … a strike to the back of our people … like in 1917 … when our country was divided … We will not let this happen … it's an internal BETRAYAL.
https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1672501823377162241
@KevinRothrock
Putin’s full national address condemning the insurrection, with English-language subtitles.
https://twitter.com/KevinRothrock/status/1672518352449724419
edit;
translated transcript
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2023/06/24/we-re-faced-with-a-betrayal
This is about 30-45min old, but if anyone does jump Flight Radar or Flight Tracker atm.
You would see that every man & his dog who has access to a BJ (business jet) is doing the great Australian Dance called the Harry Holt atm since Tsar Poot's State of the Nation Address & interesting thing about these flights is there is no end destination on the Transponder Info.
Speculation suggests they are heading to Turkey, Cyprus or Israel with their I'll gotten gains atm?
Kerensky replacing the Tsar and continuing the Russian role in WW1 and being ousted by Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks pulling out of the WW1 (the West being Germany and Austria-Hungary and the Turks)
White Russians opposing Bolshevik rule.
One wonders who Putin (attacking Ukraine to acquire territory) identifies with.
Election 2023: Herald’s poll of polls has Labour edging National – coalition with Greens, Te Pāti Māori well ahead
I don’t pay the premium.
Anybody got the numbers?
They have a lot of numbers and graphs showing options today and on election day:
Thanks, Ian.
Lol- any good news for Labour is premium only…
In reply to DF at 2. (Can’t reply on iPad)
In China it is as its always been since the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE). The Emperor is absolute ruler, until he loses The Mandate of Heaven. Currently the Mandate is held by Xi.
Indeed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandate_of_Heaven However the communist framing of that (dictator) seems to have been adopted from the western model (Mussolini etc). Since Mao became a school-teacher back then, he'd have been familiar with how Stalin adopted the model…
This is an very powerful piece about what makes us who we are, about what we all possess, about what we all can share, and about what we all long for.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/the-cancer-patient-who-changed-my-approach-to-medicine
Thank you for that Incognito.
It did touch a nerve and an emotion here …
I think we remember our Teachers ..(hopefully the good more than the bad)
With this essay, and his very empathic experience with Ereuti, I think Thomas will go on to be a great Teacher…
Orca-ing on for those interested, this Newsweek article from May gives background for the multiple orca pod attacks on boats around Portugal.
'The orcas are doing this on purpose, of course. We don't know the origin or the motivation, but defensive behavior based on trauma, as the origin of all this, gains more strength for us every day," said Alfredo López Fernandez [who is on the Atlantic Orca Working Group].
'…the initiating female, which they have named White Gladis, may have been struck by a vessel in the past, which has made her lash out against all boats as a means of defense.' Orca pods are matriarchal, led by older female orcas.
Aljazeera: Australia gives Twitter 28 days to sort out ‘toxicity and hate’
Australia has legislation addressing social media content providers. This action, which will end up costing twitter $700k per day if twitter doesn't tidy up its content, is one way that anti-hate legislation could function here.
Then again, Musk being who he is, and acting as an individual, not a corporate, may drop Australia out of the Starlink array in retaliation. A whole new type of ass-ymetrical warfare between the ultra-rich and states, I think.
Bit of a worry & I wonder if it's trending thing: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/23/weather/iowa-meteorologist-resigns-threats-weather-climate/index.html
The emails "called the meteorologist a “liberal conspiracy” theorist". In fairness to the neanderthal, it's true that the link between weather & climate is tenuous enough to require a grasp of the science of complexity for comprehension…
Replying to tW at 11.
Herman Melville tells stories about sperm whales behaving the same way in Moby Dick.
Yup, before the advent of explosive-propelled harpoons and machine-powered boats, it was a much more even battle between ceteans and humans.
A Wellington problem – a proposal to ban all private cars from Parliament, Lambton Quay, Willis Street, Manners Street, to Courtenay Place, and side streets. Lots of noise about this marvellous plan. Little noise on how people will cart their shopping purchases (some of which could be bulky or heavy) around on foot. Little noise on how those who have medical, dental, legal, business appointments in the inner city will access those places if they live well out of the inner city. Or those who want to go to the Opera House or a restaurant or the new convention centre.
Most of Wellington extends far beyond the "golden mile", which seems to escape these "planners". Catch a bus? Given the very unreliable bus service that is year after year showing little improvement – dream on. For the elderly, those with a disability, or with young children, this will make getting about difficult. And the "planners" think it is a good idea to remove some bus stops on the golden mile route.
The city businesses and retailers are alarmed and retailers have said many will close down and go to the Hutt or Porirua. Want to visit a vibrant, busy inner city? It won't be central Wellington. The cyclists and walkers are not the whole population.
"The city businesses and retailersare alarmed and retailers have said many will close down and go to the Hutt or Porirua. Want to visit a vibrant, busy inner city? It won't be central Wellington."
It won't be Auckland either.
I have been volunteering in the CBD this week (a rare occurrence – location, that is, not volunteering) – and the number of closed shops and substantial drop in foot traffic – especially at the top end of town – is notable. Conversion of Queen St (the central city road) to bus only (with a limited number of other exceptions) has not made any substantial improvement on 'walkability' (having a series of large buses zoom past you is no more enjoyable than having cars doing the same thing).
Did you ever shop on the "Golden Mile" or you just make stuff up?
Where exactly did you park with your car for that shopping?
On Lambton Quay, apart from the north end between Old Bailey and Midland Park, which is the "dead end" shopping-wise, there are exactly 5 parking spaces.
On Willis Street between Manners and Lambton are zero car parks.
On Manners, there are also exactly zero car parks.
On Courtney Place are around 50 car parks mainly at the Embassy Cinema end (last time I counted, however there are times you can't park on the bus lanes, so less at some times). I couldn't think of a single "shop" in that area though.
Those roads are through traffic only, like the rest of the CBD. People simply driving through, nobody really has the intention to shop or do business… it's simple a dozen "state highway substitute" lanes in between high-rise buildings.
You sound like a typical NZ car-fashist fighting for every little square centimetre of road… you lack any form of imagination how good a walkable CBD like Wellington could be.
The promise to hard working Kiwis is that everyone can afford their own home if they work hard, enjoy their weekends and holidays in Godzone and pass on a better world to their children. That’s the Kiwi compact Chris Lux. You’re going to take us backward on all of it, given half a chance.
It doesn’t mean a few people with a lot of houses controlling the rules and everyone’s happiness. It doesn’t cheap houses in flood zones so the owners have to get PTSD every time the rain hits their roof.
It doesn’t mean Hawaiian holidays where you can run down NZ.
What does mojo mean? More empty words.
Willis either needs to coup up or stop pretending Luxon ball on housing is better than her already fairly timid accord was.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/132410875/christopher-luxon-tells-party-strong-national-government-needed-for-nzs-mojo
Can anyone give me a two paragraph explainer on what is happening in Russia right now? (an in person explanation, not a link to read, thanks).
Not me, but this from Politico may help:
https://www.politico.eu/article/putin-in-crisis-as-wagner-chief-prigozhin-declares-war-on-russian-military-leadership/
This provides useful context:
Confident enough to feel he's still in the saddle. Putin will have to feed him one of those plutonium sandwiches he's so good at…
seeing as how I don't know who Prigozhin is, no it doesn't help.
Prigozhin profile here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeny_Prigozhin
Like I said, I don't want links (I know how to use google). I want a human to explain it to me in simple terms. I ask because in situations like this reading almost never gives me the answer I want (I tried this again today before asking. MSM articles are all starting in the middle of the story)
Okay, I get it. This is how it seems to me: he's serious about doing a coup, but the murk obscures his current attitude to Putin. Not very helpful, I know, but in the fog of war even assertions of fact are suspect. For instance, I saw earlier statements from the guy in which he signalled he still supports Putin. My take is that his target is whoever took out 2000 of his men with a missile.
That was either a Russian Army General in command of the missile corps acting on instructions of their Defense Minister or maybe directly in response to Putin himself…
I have some context now so this makes more sense, thanks.
I'll do my best – but I'm not over all of the detail.
To the best of my understanding:
A couple of sources – readable if light on detail
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/23/russian-authorities-launch-criminal-probe-into-wagner-group
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/23/europe/russia-mod-wagner-yevgeny-prigozhin-intl/index.html
Wagner zoomed up to Russian Defense HQ (a good 13 h at full-speed from Moscow), Prigozhin popped in to have a friendly chat with the commander there plus local militia, then apparently Wagner have mostly left again by 4 pm NZ time. Prigozhin is known for perfomative tantrums to leverage resources.
‘Another update on Rostov – most of the Wagner force seems to have departed, with remaining vehicles powered down and only a handful of Wagner and Rosgvardia troops remaining at the Southern Military District HQ building in the city centre.' tweet on Defense Politics Asia twitter at nz4pm
thanks, that's very helpful
Oz Legalise Cannabis Party launches joint offensive:
Here, "Party leader Michael Appleby, a former Barrister, human rights lawyer and law lecturer, said “Ending prohibition of cannabis is the most important social injustice needing to be fixed in this country.” You bet!
Chris Bishop, just like his leader Chris Luxon, does what he does best: looking in the rear view mirror to the past.
He doesn’t realise that Jacinda Ardern has been gone for 5 months and that we have a new PM, which is not surprising when he’s using AI that has been trained on data up to 2021.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/06/chris-bishop-claims-new-zealanders-sick-of-ardern-style-politics.html
I wonder what policies for the future the AI has suggested to National and I can’t wait to hear them.
In case no one saw this black ops from the PM's team in action:
First you send Mahuta the Minister of Foreign Affairs to China directly after demoting her, so the Chinese officials know that they can attack her with impunity since she has been shamed.
Then the PM's team organise a major trip to China and deliberately exclude Mahuta the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Then on the day you leave for China, you drop an anonymous story that Mahuta was indeed attacked with impunity, and you name all the other ministers excluding Mahuta that will accompany the Prime Minister to China.
So now everyone knows, Mahua is Dead Woman Walking.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/nanaia-mahuta-received-dressing-down-from-chinese-foreign-minister-reports/QLPJDQEJ5JEQJLQT4UMA7E6M4Q/
That is true School of Malcom Tucker.
You may be over-dramatising – sounds just like the usual `full & frank exchange of views'. She hasn't complained about the harangue, has she?
I wondered at the time if it was a covert racist demotion but he elevated both Willie & Peeni in the ratings so obviously not. I figured it must be punishment for the Three Waters schmozzle last year.
TPM here we come?
I hadn't thought of that but it wouldn't surprise me!
She's explicitly ruled it out.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/nanaia-mahuta-rules-out-maori-party-as-meka-whaitiri-prepares-for-big-return-to-parliament/NLR2R6ZV2ZFBTME6JIJBF37PI4/
I certainly don't think this kind of harangue by the Chinese foreign minister is in any way meaningful. It's a piece of political theatre designed for home consumption (publicly 'punish' the foreigners for daring to say something with which we don't agree).
You see Chinese policy in actions, rather than in words. So long as they are still buying from NZ, and investing in NZ, and sending tourists to NZ – they are not seriously upset with us.
Contrast this with their actions against Australia – with additional tariffs and unofficial bans on imports, etc.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/11/out-of-deep-freeze-just-how-real-is-the-thaw-in-australias-relationship-with-china
Yes, so Chippy and team can go in to bargain having "paid our dues" with the strategy.
Nanaia is staunch and plays a long game. A very genuine person, who understands game politics better than most having dealt with Tainui for years.
NZ Herald article cites The Australian as the source of Mahuta's 'dressing down' story
' "The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity, said Mahuta pushed back on Qin’s ‘Wolf Warrior’ approach. Another source told the outlet that the meeting was “robust”.' A harangue with push-back doesn't sound like a walk-over. Good on Mahuta.
Qin Gang is a recent appointment to the position, is a trusted advisor of Xi, and is known for being 'sharp-tongued' and critical of Western actions when eg, previously US ambassador. Any hard words were aimed at NZ, not Mahuta.
Why would Murdoch's press pick this story up? A journo has a friend in the NZ diplomatic corps? At least they confirmed the story with two sources. Of course The Herald depends on the headline to set the tone and attack Mahuta for perceived weakness.
There’ll be bends in the Waikato river long after this latest lot have gone.
Ad loves this stuff doesn’t he (sorry pronoun check?)? There’s been a change in leadership and in emphasis, but it must be slimy 3rd way machinations.
Or possibly it’s the PM underlining the importance of the relationship with our number one trading partner?
Still though- used to be able to say there’d been two MPs for Mt Albert since 1947.
Priyanca in Mark Gosche’s old seat, though I’m sure it’s been quite redrawn, is now looking currently the most settled Labour MP in the inner suburbs and we’ve got a Mayor selling off the last few assets Auckland City has…
And Eden Park expecting the government to act as its booking agent…
Not since 2009 – when Clark resigned.
Since then, Shearer and Ardern, and now White (as L candidate) – hopefully for the long term.
That still feels recent for me!
Then you run into some amazing bright, content, twelve year old digital native, who was born in this year doesn’t even know how shocking the Taylor Swift/Kanye beef was..
But my point stands vaguely about stability and strength in Auckland and maybe not a continuity of ideology, but certainly of personnel!
It was those aliens in them UFOs! The shapeshift into bats, just like Batman, and then spread nasty little nano-bugs that emit 5G back to their home planet.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2023/06/us-intelligence-agencies-find-no-evidence-covid-19-pandemic-started-in-wuhan-lab.html
So they have not found patient zero?
National Party leader gives speech at conference.
Sorry, I mean "photocopies old speech at conference".
Literally the same words.
Kiwis are sensing what I see every time I return to Parliament. Helen Clark has lost her mojo. That's right, she's lost her mojo.
The same promises, too …
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0704/S00478.htm
Luxon says he supports the "Crusaders", and has done since he was a little boy. Only problem is, when he was a boy the Crusaders didn't even exist.
Rugby doesn't really matter, but casually lying, that's a habit he can't break.
https://twitter.com/ClintVSmith/status/1672448276967325697
He left Christchurch at age 7 in 1977 (move to Auckland).
He missed the early years of the Super comp living overseas
Sydney (1995–2000), London (2000–2003), Chicago (2003–2008) and Toronto (2008–2011).
Yes, so Chippy and team can go in to bargain having "paid our dues" with the strategy.
Nanaia is staunch and plays a long game. A very genuine person, who understands game politics better than most having dealt with Tainui for years.
Steve Pearson needs to get out of his mum's basement a bit more.
The award for "desperate diversion of the day" has now been won. Congrats to HS.
Hey Clint.
[You have form with (diversion) trolling and contribute nothing but noise on this site.
Take three weeks off and any next ban will see you through till at least the end of this year – Incognito]
Once in a thousand year events.dot com wants footage of sightings of the Loch Ness monster and Christopher Luxon at a rugby game in Christchurch.
Mod note
The Canterbury regional rugby team did though right? and this is what he will have been meaning.
Does a person who confuses supporting Canterbury with the Crusaders actually follow the game?
His father probably supported Canterbury (home province) while the family was in Auckland.
he could have said "I support the Crusaders, I supported the Canterbury team as a little boy until they turned into the Crusader and then I supported the Crusaders". I guess.
Not so much. Canterbury continues to be the local provincial team competing in the NPC (around since 1976) in September-October. The Crusaders are a regional franchise (also includes North and South Canterbury, Marlborough and Nelson Bays – now Tasman in the NPC) who compete in Super Rugby March-June.
He might have memories of his fathers Cantab parochialism from his youth and maybe of his father later becoming a Crusaders fan.
No Ashes cricket this weekend.
No chance to sledge the Aussies on BBC (where they are/can be surprisingly precious about it).
I'm working on a new one, Bishop Carey plays for the Church of England, Alex is just a cartoon character. Probably for the Lords test.
Ukrainian twitter is breaking out the good stuff and having a great time.
Russia says it has destroyed 39 Wagner HIMARS launchers and 52 Wagner Leopard 2 tanks. What I want to know is should the US supply Wagner with ATACMS?
Did you mean to write this?
Where the hell did the Wagner Group get Leopard tanks from?
Ukrainian twitter has been known to spoof the Russians.
Yeah I'm surprised Ukraine hasn't offered a deal to Putin to have all their land given back in return for Ukraine helping Russia with their Wagner problem.
Ends the war, restores the borders, Wagner's gone.
I do not know the truth, but you people are all so jingoistic and gung-ho.
How about this: The Ukranian counter-offensive is a big paper tiger, already stopped dead in its tracks.
The Russians have upped their game, and were never as weak as Western propaganda suggested.
If indeed the Wagner subsect are rebelling, they will go the same way as the Ukrainian counter-offensive. . Down.
As I say, I do not know, but I am becoming weary of people eagerly pushing
one-sided propaganda.
It was a comment on the way Ukraine spoofs Russia. Nothing more, nothing less.
Vino, while I think Putin is the aggressor, and Ukraine have played a strong game to maintain their independence, I realise the propaganda nature of pro-Ukraine news, particularly military news. Let's face it, what we see in most of Western media has an optimistic spin, aimed at citizens of the nations which help fund and supply Ukraine's defense. I find nothing wrong with that, as long as the average reader adjusts for the slant.
Many Ukrainian men have been mobilised to the latest push from Ukraine. Ground forces are clearly bogged down in a stalemate trench war, with ground being won and lost meadow by meadow.
Who knows how this will finish? Ukraine is being strategic about taking out supply depots inside Russia. Russia has armed Belarus with nuclear arms, expanding its own sphere of influence, and it may open a new front from the north. It's clearly imported more arms from elsewhere, and is heavily bombarding across Ukraine. Putin can still provide plenty of cannon fodder for the front.
Seems to be a precarious balance in this war at the moment. I predict it will be Russia that ups the stakes next.
"Let's face it, what we see in most of Western media has an optimistic spin, aimed at citizens of the nations which help fund and supply Ukraine's defense. I find nothing wrong with that, as long as the average reader adjusts for the slant"…
Are you serious?..you see no problem with our media spewing straight out propaganda to our fellow citizens at the behest of the state…you know we are not at war with Russia, right?
I have talked before about the difference between positive proaganda aimed to keep morale high, and outright lies. What we see from inside Ukraine are the opitmistic stories: men heroically going to the front, local resostance to Russian occupation, marshalling a Ukraine pushback. Not lies, but only the positive part of the truth.
Under war conditions, this is justified, I think. There would be a better balance in the Western media if the Putin-controlled Russian media didn't blatantly and verifiably lie to their citizens and to the world. Mix up truth with an ultra-large helping of blatant shit, and you lose your credibility to outside media. In contrast, I don't think Ukraine media stories are fabricated, rather spun.
Realists know that war is ambiguous and shitty, and nobody is having a good time.
Next stop the Chathams
Niccolo Machiavelli;
https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/machiavelli/works/prince/ch12.htm
The Chiefs, unable to buy a card last week, get three this week.
A lesson to the AB's as they prepare for the World Cup about the importance of discipline and fortune with officiating.