David Scott said the council was trying to force him to resign over the incident because he was the lone voice of dissent around the council table, which included voting against a pay rise for the chief executive.
There’s a lot worse happening in the work place – and I would not place it in the criminal sphere, more a warning level about workplace conduct and a training about workplace harassment. It does seem very suspicious that investigation happened after voting against pay rises for the CEO!
I saw the headline and didn’t bother reading it at first. Now that you point it out it does sound very odd.
Predatory men in my experience wait until the victim has no witnesses to support her story, and then defend themselves by accusing the victim of behavior that caused them to react. There is also a history of similar behavior even if it goes unreported.
Good comment and yes it does look odd.
The article says “was recently sent a letter from the council, which is understood to outline more complaints about his behaviour from multiple people who came forward after the morning tea incident”
Implying that there was a pattern of behaviour suddenly come to light. The Mayor goes “and I am concerned about the [female] staff”.
But really how much time do Councillors actually spend with the staff of an organisation like the council in their offices or workspace? I would have though that they would go to “public type events” like the council meetings and otherwise work through the CEO not be roaming the offices at will.
It seems the other complaints are from the same event (thus is not past history, hence doesn’t imply a pattern of behaviour) and relate to compliments he made.
He claims he has never had similar complaints made against him in his life.
That seems to compute even less.
There are no past history complaints? but all of a sudden at this one public function he allegedly runs amok? so to speak and has all sorts of people complaining about his behaviour to them? or are they suddenly all complaining on behalf of someone else?? ( which experience suggests doesn’t usually happen?)
But I see the mayor has advised him to get a good lawyer (which is going to hurt financially I imagine) while all other legal costs get paid by whom?? the council?- ratepayers??
The other complaints seem to be trivial (arising from a number of compliments he made) but there sudden reporting can also be seen as conveniently timed (helping to bolster the initial complaint) especially if political forces are gunning for him as he claims.
The initial accusation can have serious ramifications and is said to be under investigation, thus recommending he lawyers up is to be expected. I suspect he would be liable for his own legal costs.
Perhaps this is a veiled threat to anyone else who goes against council policy. A form of bullying to toe the line, or else.
Bit strange all the same, particularly if the alleged incident took place in a crowded area, which as you say doesn’t quite fit in with usual predatory behaviour.
This is a bog standard way of getting rid of people that are not liked by people in power who have indifferent standards of ethics. It usually occurs when the accused has stood up for something they believe is right but that doesn’t sit well with the people in power for their own, usually not very ethical reasons. It is very nasty and very effective because there is no real means of combatting it in a way that reinstates your situation.
I’d be interested to know if a woman/women has complained about they way he treated her/them, or if it’s other guys complaining about what they have seen or heard?
No indication in the article, although it gives the impression it’s other guys making the compliant.
@TC – once the government get their neoliberal agenda into the CEO structure of councils and treating them as businesses (only the are not businesses because there is no choice and you have to keep paying them when they screw up), the rest is history.
Look at the super city foisted onto Auckland ! Now major social, housing and transport problems in Auckland. Yep centralising power and making private profit more important than people (for some sort of fantasy trickle down) and it all being run by a handful of ‘expert’ economists, lawyers, management consultants and engineers suffering from asperger’s is not a good idea!
Now our councils are turning into Natz Bots, crony capitalists, corporate welfare to their mates, idiot ideologs and of course pay rises in keeping with ‘overseas’ models.
Do everything possible to avoid a living wage for all though, cos low wage economy keeps us efficient and we can’t afford real wages or even workers for that matter, mowing the lawns on minimum wages.
Yep centralising power and making private profit more important than people (for some sort of fantasy trickle down) and it all being run by a handful of ‘expert’ economists, lawyers, management consultants and engineers suffering from asperger’s is not a good idea!
If they had Asperger’s then they wouldn’t continue making the same fuckups as they’d actually learn from their mistakes.
The problem is the profit motive and that’s driven by the psychopaths.
Now our councils are turning into Natz Bots, crony capitalists, corporate welfare to their mates, idiot ideologs and of course pay rises in keeping with ‘overseas’ models.
8 million to Singapore Airlines in Wellington city council , millions to Westfield mall developers, never ending CEO and consultant fees escalating out of control, billion dolllar stadiums and convention enters and then the councils are crying poor and making library workers redundant and telling rate payers to pay more and mow their own berms while the are at it!
Here’s a thought, instead of further increasing rates, why not find ways to cut back on expenditure?
And how many important aspects of society are then going to be cut?
Instead of finding ways to cut rates again how about finding ways to ensure that people have a reasonable living standard and that our society isn’t cut out from under us?
I agree we should strive to ensure people have a reasonable living standard. But currently, a number don’t. Hence, forcing a rate increase upon them due to pipes being revalued isn’t going to improve their living standards. Moreover, nor are rate increases well above the rate of inflation.
Councils have to live within their means. I’m not calling for rates to be cut, but the rate of increases generally has to slow down.
Additionally, it’s a relatively small amount for council to absorb, hence cuts to important services wouldn’t necessarily be required.
Surely, there will be some extravagant expenditure that could withstand a small cut or savings from wasteful expenditure could be found.
But currently, a number don’t. Hence, forcing a rate increase upon them due to pipes being revalued isn’t going to improve their living standards. Moreover, nor are rate increases well above the rate of inflation.
I agree that once pipes are in the ground that they shouldn’t be revalued. Their value once in place is the service that they provide. but they still need to be maintained and replaced and if what’s required to do that is going up at rates greater than the rate of inflation, as they are, then rates will also need to go up faster than the reported rate of inflation.
Councils have to live within their means.
That’s a ridiculous thing to say. A councils means are equal to the total means of the people and resources in that area. In other words, they have the means but the people don’t want to pay for the services that they use.
Additionally, it’s a relatively small amount for council to absorb, hence cuts to important services wouldn’t necessarily be required.
But cuts will be required. This is the problem as all the services that a council provides are essential.
Surely, there will be some extravagant expenditure that could withstand a small cut or savings from wasteful expenditure could be found.
Wages of the high paid CEOs. CFOs etcetera are about it. Of course, I’ve been calling for public service jobs to have a maximum pay rate of $100k.
Sure, pipes required to be maintained and replaced but the cost for that doesn’t necessarily have to result in a rate increase, further eroding living standards.
As stated above, it’s a relatively small amount for council to absorb and surely there will be some extravagant expenditure that could withstand a small cut.
Not all council spending goes towards essential services. And high paid CEOs, CFOs etc aren’t the only extravagance. You’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard/seen the reports over the years – i.e. excessive amounts being spent on the commissioning and purchasing of sculptures, throwing parties, Sky TV subscriptions (see links below). Therefore, if one looked hard at Kapiti’s expenditure, I’m confident they’d find similar extravagance that could be cut.
Sure, pipes required to be maintained and replaced but the cost for that doesn’t necessarily have to result in a rate increase, further eroding living standards.
Except for the fact that it does because of the new developments and higher than inflation price rises for the stuff that needed to do it.
As stated above, it’s a relatively small amount for council to absorb and surely there will be some extravagant expenditure that could withstand a small cut.
You’re assuming that there’s room for the council to absorb it.
You’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard/seen the reports over the years – i.e. excessive amounts being spent on the commissioning and purchasing of sculptures, throwing parties, Sky TV subscriptions (see links below).
I don’t think that sculptures are excessive as we don’t have enough art and culture in our cities as is. Could they be cheaper? Probably not because of the way that artists aren’t supported in this country.
The party wasn’t really the problem. The problem was that it wasn’t held in a council events centre and it cost $30,000 for one night from a private establishment. I may have some issues with celebrating such a business arrangement but I don’t really have an issue with the council putting such events on.
The Sky subscriptions should be a no go.
Resources and incomes are limited, thus it’s not ridiculous to expect councils to live within their means.
And there you go pulling BS line out again. The problem isn’t that they’re not living within their means but that people are complaining about how much it costs to maintain a city with no understanding of those costs.
No. That is incorrect. It’s also possible to defer or cut back on other expenditure.
“You’re assuming that there’s room for the council to absorb it”
Yes. Considering councils are known for extravagant and wasteful spending, I’m confident savings could be found and expenditure could be better prioritised.
For instance, art may be nice to have if one can afford it but it’s not a must have. Thus, can be deferred.
Parties are also nice to have, but partying like they have money to burn (while telling ratepayers rate increases are required) is a no no.
Resources and incomes are limited, thus it’s not BS.
Considering councils are known for extravagant and wasteful spending, I’m confident savings could be found and expenditure could be better prioritised.
There is some wasteful spending, no doubt, but I doubt that it would save enough to cover the amount that you insisting that the councils cut from their income.
For instance, art may be nice to have if one can afford it but it’s not a must have.
If you want to live in a drab and lifeless city then it’s a nice to have. But if not then it’s a must have. I tend towards the latter.
Parties are also nice to have, but partying like they have money to burn (while telling ratepayers rate increases are required) is a no no.
Actually, parties are a must have as they promote the social connections that are necessary for a society to connect to another. The reason why that one you linked to cost so much was because they had to go private for the venue.
Resources and incomes are limited, thus it’s not BS.
Yes and no. People can afford to pay more and they should be paying more to maintain and improve their cities. They should be ashamed to pay only minimum wage to those who work for them for starters.
And, because they’re government, councils should be creating the money that they use.
Yes, elderly and young people have lower incomes. But that should only show that rates should be a percentage of income and not that rates shouldn’t go up.
5 to 6% savings on total expenditure is a small amount to find. Moreover, non priority expenditure could also be deferred, thus my confidence you’re incorrect.
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to do a line by line analysis of Kapiti’s expenditure. However, in his defence of the rate increase, it was interesting the Mayor didn’t even imply they considered looking at deferring projects or investigating if expenditure savings could be found.
While you may favour rate increases for city art projects, deferring a small number of art projects won’t result in a totally drab and lifeless city. It’s not as if I’m calling for a total ban on future art projects, nor am I calling to sell off all the city’s current art work.
“The reason why that one you linked to cost so much was because they had to go private for the venue”
No, they didn’t’ “have” too. They “chose” too. As if they had money to burn.
People are already paying for the running of their cities. It’s rate increases well above the rate of inflation that is the problem. Some people (those currently struggling, a number of pensioners and other low income earners) can’t afford to continually pay more and more.
Sounds like you’re advocating for councils to price the poor out of their regions.
Unfortunately, rates aren’t currently priced at a percentage of income. And councils don’t currently create their own money supply. Thus, largely invaliding your position in this matter. While we can work towards change, until change eventuates, we have to deal with problems in their current settings.
20% of people can’t change a lightbulb. Surprisingly high number can’t make a meal on the fly, clean their clothes after spilling food on it, or change a tyre either.
AsleepWhileWalking
About people who ‘can’t change a lightbulb’. In the link it shows the question asked and it would lead people to give an uncertain response, not saying that they could not do the various tasks ie Task Percentage who feel confident doing this task.
And these are the percentages and questions below.. Wouldn’t anybody be likely to give these answers? There are lots of things I do, but have to think about to remember, or look up info before I feel confident how to do it. Read a map? It takes me a while to remember that maps are printed with north at top. Do you remember if going south then all the side roads as you travel will be opposite to what is on the map? Change a light bulb? The answer probably reflects that people are uncertain about LEDs, or the latest green version, compared to the old, simpler incandescents.
This is a good example of how supposed facts can be skewed because they don’t represent the actual truth, or they have been misreported for some reason, and then passed on – chinese whispers-style so later people are being told crap facts.
Task Percentage who feel confident doing this task.
Boil an egg 81%
Change a light bulb 79%
Cook a complete meal without using a recipe 69%
Read a map 66%
Sew on a button 65%
Unblock a sink 62%
Remove a stain from a carpet or clothing 59%
Change a baby’s nappy 57%
Wire a plug 57%
‘Bleed’ a radiator 53%
Check oil levels in a car 53%
Put up a shelf 47%
Put up wallpaper 39%
Change a flat tyre 37%
Change a washer on a tap 30%
Fit tiles 22%
Interesting link to Scientific American. Great that Paleoclimatology can give us so much insight.
“What’s really incomprehensible,” Bujak said, “is that the previous process of our planet cooling and CO2 dropping took 50 million years to unfold. Now, we may be reversing this process in a matter of centuries.”
Or are you going to use this opportunity to display your stupidity some more?
What’s the stupidity infused is displaying? Atmospheric CO2 levels are about 2ppm above where they were this time last year. So that’s pointing to something like 402ppm as an average for the year.
If it was suggested that an increase in the atmospheric airborne fraction of methane emissions in the 21st century was in part caused by a decrease in methane emissions,what would your understanding be?
If it was suggested that an increase in the atmospheric airborne fraction of methane emissions in the 21st century was during a period of a significant decrease in methane emissions,what would your understanding be?
I kind of wouldn’t have any immediate understanding. It reads as a contradiction.
But if I am to make sense of it, I’d guess it might mean that other emissions dropped off faster than methane emissions.
Do I get a chocolate fish or not? 🙂
edit – you changed the bloody question! Hang on brb
Okay assuming the fraction is the ratio between airborne and elsewhere, and that only human emissions are being measured, I’d assume that other emissions not directly attributable to human activity – indirect ones, were increasing – eg, via melting permafrost
Then, back to the first answer. If methane as a fraction increased, then (some or all) other emissions must have been decreasing faster than methane ones.
what happened 3 million years ago to cause CO2 levels to be higher than they are today?
The answer starts out by saying:
…a lot happened 3 Ma, during that period the Earth transitioned from a “greenhouse” earth to an “ice house” Earth as the Northern hemisphere glaciated.
An “ice house” Earth during a period when CO2 levels were higher than today. Can you see where the stupid is yet?
Nope. The person I quoted is well-informed and goes into much more detail of exactly how the above scenario occurred, which is why I mentioned Paleoclimatology.
I also mentioned my belief that Infused’s intention is to display some stupidity, ergo, the display hasn’t fully developed yet.
My assumption is based on Infused’s comments history. That’s as much added explanation as you’re getting.
John Deere has turned itself into the poster-child for the DMCA, fighting farmers who say they want to fix their own tractors and access their data by saying that doing so violates the 1998 law’s prohibition on bypassing copyright locks.
Deere’s just reiterated that position to a US Copyright Office inquiry on the future of the law, joined by auto manufacturers (but not Tesla) and many other giant corporations, all of them arguing that since the gadgets you buy have software, and since that software is licensed, not sold, you don’t really own any of that stuff. You are a licensee, and you have to use the gadget according to the license terms, which spell out where you have to buy your service, parts, consumables, apps, and so on.
And the the monopolization of our lives by the corporations continues.
I have been watching this one with interest for a while. What is at stake is the wish of John Deere (and other farm equipment manufacturers) to ‘own’ the franchising of the repairs and maintenance plus the data about their systems and to take a cut of it. The way that they are doing that is to hold the software that allows access into the systems. Of course being the US it has now gone legislative and will wind up in the courts.
What is at stake is the wish of John Deere (and other farm equipment manufacturers) to ‘own’ the franchising of the repairs and maintenance plus the data about their systems and to take a cut of it.
That’s what i figured after reading that article. They’re looking to lock everyone in to using the services that they provide so that they can charge more. It’s typical rentier capitalism.
And naturally you can get hacked versions
And eventually you’ll get people doing their own software replacement, i.e, Linux. But still, what they’re trying, should not be allowed.
They need to look at how that went down in the software community originally. About the only retail company that tries to do it these days is Apple. Which is why I don’t buy any of their gear (and when I have done it tends to get bootcamped into a usable OS).
It is just asking for hacking. You control the use of software by defining a clear and relatively open API. That way you specify what is allowable and what is not. Then developers will generally stay at that level.
If you try to lock it down, then they will hack the entrance holes and exploits into it anyway.
Or they believe that by doing so they can provide a better service, or so they can lock customers in for longer, which will increase revenue whether or not they charge more.
There’s a rationale for everyone there. The more we hit these roadblocks, the more I think (from outside the industry) that open source everything is the best solution.
Or they believe that by doing so they can provide a better service, or so they can lock customers in for longer, which will increase revenue whether or not they charge more.
It’s the latter. If they simply provided good service then they wouldn’t need to lock people in to paying them for the service.
For those of you who have commented about statcounter slowing down the site earlier this year.
Well it has been doing more than that. It has been significantly under reporting the page views on the site for the last 3-4 months compared to the google analytics and the underlying logs.
Last month for instance showed page views of 366k, while google analytics showed 439k (and the rougher analysis of the logs showed 448k).
I can’t see why. It looks like some kind of fault back at the server side or client side browsers blocking it’s script. So I’m shutting it down.
The only real consequence is that we won’t continue to update Open Parachute’s blog ranks because he picks up from open stats. Since that was the only reason for putting statcounter in, and it isn’t being reasonably accurate – no loss. I will try to find some time to talk to Ken about getting from semi-public access to analytics.
Watching a half hour video and then having to research whether the interviewee is who they say s/he is, do extensive research to see whether the issue they choose to raise at this time is a systemic vs rare occurrence, look for several different sources because we sure as fuck can’t trust RT, ruminate upon their agenda for raising this issue now, speculate as to whether it’s simply in the category of “sowing alarm and despondency”,and then try to figure out whether the report adds anything new or useful to my existence.
So, yeah, thinking isn’t the issue, but the rest of it is a fucking ‘mare.
Yup. That’s why I’ll only watch Aunty Beeb. Best of blinking British that’s ‘100% honesty and impartiality guaranteed’ and all coming wrapped up in a pleasant fug of gentlemanly cricket and jolly hockey sticks. 🙂
That’s part of the ongoing communication divide, folks who read “RT is a fucking useless fake news site that has a purely coincidental relationship with the truth” as “The BBC is 100% honest and impartial”.
In reality, the beeb has a compromised relationship in the truth as the truth’s proximity with british interests increases. Same with most actual news outlets and their owners.
Unlike RT, which just seems to have the objective of overloading the media dialogue with random shit and contributing to the “my ignorant opinion is equal to your informed knowledge” cancer that’s reversing any trend towards democracy that the internet offered.
So I find that Chris Hedges can be informative because ‘confirmation bias’? What about when i disagree with what he’s saying?
And are you suggesting that if someone like Chomsky is interviewed on RT, that the interview is dismissable, whereas if the very same interview aired on Al Jazeera, it would be worthwhile, even though Al Jazeera has been caught with its pants well and truly down (lost 16 or 17 reporters over it) generating false protest footage for propaganda purposes?
Or maybe a Chomsky interview would only be worth watching if it was on the Beeb, because the Beeb have only been pinged doctoring spoken statements from interviewees – and that’s just such small fry.
They’re all much of a muchness OAB. The nice thing is that depending on the topic, the bias of one can be exposed by watching one of the others. Which is valuable.
Nope, that isn’t what I’m saying. I’m saying that you – like the rest of us – cleave to narratives that suit your existing beliefs, and that this may have led you to lend more weight to the Kremlin’s mouthpiece than is good for you.
Watching a half hour video and then having to research whether the interviewee is who they say s/he is, do extensive research to see whether the issue they choose to raise at this time is a systemic vs rare occurrence, look for several different sources because we sure as fuck can’t trust RT…
a former Organised [sic] crime investigator from the FBI
Oh, the FBI is your source. Trustworthy with a capital ‘t’ they are. 😆
Watching a half hour video and then having to research whether the interviewee is who they say s/he is, do extensive research to see whether the issue they choose to raise at this time is a systemic vs rare occurrence, look for several different sources because we sure as fuck can’t trust RT, ruminate upon their agenda for raising this issue now, speculate as to whether it’s simply in the category of “sowing alarm and despondency”,and then try to figure out whether the report adds anything new or useful to my existence.
So, yeah, thinking isn’t the issue, but the rest of it is a fucking ‘mare.
When all you had to do was make your own point so I could decide whether to launch myself on that particular joyous journey of education and edification.
But no, you just plopped out a link and implied that anyone who didn’t waste half an hour of their life at the very minimum was afraid of thinking.
Whereas you’re too much of a coward to state a point in your own words. Any positive value from this thread happened despite you, not because of you.
irony1
ˈʌɪrəni/
noun
the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
“‘Don’t go overboard with the gratitude,’ he rejoined with heavy irony”
synonyms: sarcasm, sardonicism, dryness, causticity, sharpness, acerbity, acid, bitterness, trenchancy, mordancy, cynicism; More
a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result.
plural noun: ironies
“the irony is that I thought he could help me”
synonyms: paradox, paradoxical nature, incongruity, incongruousness, peculiarity
“the irony of the situation hit her”
a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character’s words or actions is clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.
noun: dramatic irony; plural noun: tragic irony
You probably just need to dig a bit deeper before you pass judgement on the credibility of RT. For instance where else would you get a scoop on BP and Shell oil execs giving up a $1 billion tax cut! Was a turning point for me.
OK, let’s assume that this link is 100% accurate, impartial, and breaks the lid off a major world event.
It comes right from the same source that had half a dozen nutbar theories about mh17, a whole bunch of bullshit about the US election, and all sorts of other shit. That’s my point. We’re now up to 40minutes of video time in one subthread because it’s easier to link to a video than it is to form your own argument and link to specific parts.
I’m a cynical bastard so I suspect that’s their objective: when some idiot can’t form a coherent argument without contradicting themselves (like “non-sarin” spikeboy), just link to a video which has a vibe you agree with, and you don’t have to do anything more.
RT provides building blocks for folks who can only manage the Courtier’s reply. I have read a load of their links, and there’s no discernable measure that you can take into account when judging normal bias – when something involves russian interests, they just produce more stories, any one of which might be accurate. The problem is that most seem to be levels of bullshit, so it’s impossible to separate the wheat from the huge quantity of chaff.
With most media, you can get some picture by guesstimating their bias and angle – not so much fox and RT. Too much bullshit.
edit: what probability do you place on the four items either side of that link being reliable and reasonable?
A whole bunch of bullshit about the US election – “It was the Russians, the Russians!!” – CNN, MSNBC, CBNC, ABC and all the rest of the alphabet spaghetti US networks.
And all sorts of other shit – The white helmets are heroes!, People in eastern Aleppo will be massacred en masse!, Iran is the biggest funder of international terror, Gadaffi’s troops are on viagra! and of course – it’s the Russians, the Russians!!
But, western msm is seemingly to be judged by a completely different standard. Why’s that?
And if RT are solely a propaganda outlet for ‘The Kremlin’ (you any idea how many competing interests vie with one another in the Kremlin?), then wouldn’t their line be consistent (as OAB claims it to be)?
where I disagree with you, oab, is that RT doesn’t even have a bias in the details of what it spreads – especially obvious in mh17. They put out arguments that the ukrainians did it by sam, by air, the yanks did it, radar tracks said X Y and Z, the yanks are covering up radar tracks, etc etc etc.
And regular propaganda campaign would have just built a fabricated case against the ukrainians and rammed it home to provide enough deniability to the russians.
All media should be judged by the same standard. That’s why I said “With most media, you can get some picture by guesstimating their bias and angle – not so much fox and RT”.
And congratulations – you’re discovering the difference between fake news and propaganda.
Fake news is a fog of information. Some is correct, much is bullshit.
Propaganda is trying to skew your perspective.
The only consistent line fake news needs is to create more dense fog the closer things get to the interests of the paymaster.
Propaganda needs to be consistent to be persuasive. Fake news needs to be diverse in nature, so people falling for confirmation bias argue with each other when they should be on the same side.
Propaganda needs to be consistent to be persuasive…
Depends what the goal is. If the goal is to undermine faith in institutions, or strangle the government in the bathtub, or other gaslight type strategies, it’s pretty good for purpose.
And congratulations – you’re discovering the difference between fake news and propaganda.
“Fake News” is a convenient construct that liberals are using these days to dismiss anything that they might find uncomfortable or inconvenient. It’s lazy and it’s dishonest and pretty soon, it’ll be slipping over into outright censorship (facebook already ran a limited trial on their platform)
You of late, have made it into a bit of a nasty habit – attacking any and all sources as “fake”, or slyly as “alt” (scribd, znet, truthdig) among others, when you simply don’t want to contemplate ‘uncomfortable’ info, or news, or analysis.
If you’re consistent, you’ll be cheering on that censorship when it comes, because right now, you’re acting as a noble foot-soldier ‘for the cause” and could (if you did) only hypocritically speak out against facebook’s trial run at censorship.
Again, not “any and all sources”. I think the number of fake news services I’ve labelled as such is two: RT and fox.
As for the alt media crowd, whatever. If it’s “sly” to refer to them as such, whatevs. It seemed to denote the list of members reasonably enough for you, even though I’m not familiar with some of those names.
Bear in mind that scridb is just a document dump service, isn’t it? Literally no editorial oversight or external assessment. It’s not a news service, AFAIK. I have found some good documents there, but also some unreliable stuff from what I recall.
Given the use of the term ‘alt right’, I think it’s reasonable to take the term ‘alt’ as being being loaded and derogatory, no?
The MiT professors document was placed on scridb by RT. That he’d had to go to RT in the first place speaks quite a bit to the impartiality and openess of western msm. Seems intelligent people or in depth analyses get bugger all air time these days – just sound bite muppets and commissars.
Facebook took a story on slavery (it was a piece of shite trying to compare Irish Americans to African Americans) and had (I think) three windows pop up dissuading people from sharing it and then putting a marker on it when it was shared.
Big problem was that they’d used snopes among others as authoritative voices on why the stuff was ‘fake’, but they themselves (snopes) peddled a ‘fake’ takedown – essentially redefining what “real” slavery was and airbrushing bits of history.
Given the use of the term ‘alt right’, I think it’s reasonable to take the term ‘alt’ as being being loaded and derogatory, no?
Oh, shit no I didn’t mean that. Just hippies and weirdos alternative media.
The MiT professors document was placed on scridb by RT. That he’d had to go to RT in the first place speaks quite a bit to the impartiality and openess of western msm. Seems intelligent people or in depth analyses get bugger all air time these days – just sound bite muppets and commissars.
So the actual source was RT. We’re back where we started.
As to why he only gets coverage with them, maybe he’s got a talking head contract with them and not others. Maybe other news orgs had their own experts take a look at his paperwork, and his report wasn’t overly persuasive to them? Maybe he’s just a dick who alienated everyone, or maybe nobody can touch him because some general is still pissed about the missile systems being exposed. Could be anything.
FB: oh interesting – I’d heard they were trying to create some sort of distinction between outright bullshit and actually true stuff. Dunno how I feel about three boxes to work through, but I actually like the labelling idea. Obviously they have some issues to work through, but it should make my feed a bit easier to deal with. Every time I block one antivax link my hippy friends find another to share with their friend list lol.
Mcflock your hippie hatred deserves the strongest response – hippies are cool again. Trump and his alt right fake news believers and peddlers ain’t cool thus they AREN’T hippies.
Bill – alt is a descriptive term to differentiate – the fact that it is describing certain belief systems and actions is not the descriptors fault. Alt right is derogatory because of what it describes and I have to say the alt right seem to be comfortable and embrraced the term – some seem proud of the term. This is understandable because alt right is also a euphemism used by alt right to hide the real aspects of their disgusting views.
Plus wake up man rt is NOT worth arguing for – ffs you seem to have decided to be cv2 – I miss the bill I used to read and learn from.
The term ‘alt-right’ also, and unfortunately, lends an air of respect to the right – cause you know, they ain’t like those crazy ‘alt-right’ types. And I’ve seen it used as an attempt to discredit or dismiss left wing thoughts – ‘alt-left’.
And I’m not ‘defending’ RT so much as pointing out that it’s damned stupid to wholesale and instantly dismiss something on the basis of who has picked up on it.
All these peeps so eager to have RT demarcated as some unacceptable news source do, I presume, get some info from The Herald in spite of it being a pre-stained shit rag.
@ Mcflock. If you seriously think that western msm do not systematically block and suppress info that doesn't 'fit', and people who don't 'fit', then you….actually, nothing – I'm left speechless by the degree of naivety.
@ Mcflock. If you seriously think that western msm do not systematically block and suppress info that doesn’t ‘fit’, and people who don’t ‘fit’, then you….actually, nothing – I’m left speechless by the degree of naivety.
Did I say that? No. I don’t think I did.
And crystalhealing FBIreadmythoughts DopeCausesGenius websites aren’t going to do a damned thing to solve that bias. Every “suppressed” story genuinely exposed is treated with the same validity as the hundred fluoride chemtrail lizardqueen bullshit stories either side of it.
Here’s the thing: “bias” skews facts and endorses lies consistently. “Bullshit” is beyond fact/lie, it’s just about creating an ocean of shit. There is no equivalence between the two.
You gave a list of reasons as to why Postol and his demolition of the White House Report might not have featured on western msm outlets, and all of those reasons revolved (yet again) around discrediting him or his findings.
You avoided the most obvious reason.
But moving on.
Liberals like to think there’s this thing called the fourth estate that holds power to account. If that was the case, then Postol’s analysis, given who he is and the expertise he has, would have been picked up and a response demanded from those who (by Postol’s analysis) bombed a foreign country off the back of flawed, or even deliberately dishonest information.
I’m going to point out yet again that (as far as I can find) in the field of expertise Postol’s coming from, no-one has questioned or contradicted his analysis. That on its own suggests it’s solid.
Meanwhile, there are multiple questions being asked from multiple quarters about the whole story we’ve been sold that was used as a pretext to bomb another country. Some of those questions are pertinent. None have been answered.
But throw all that aside – maybe a news network has its own experts who found Postol’s report wanting. Sure. And that’s why they neither reported on its deficiencies nor gave him the time of day. Makes sense.
OK, let’s look a systemic effort to suppress and ignore Postol’s complete exposure of the sarin faked attack:
every news editor has received an instruction to ignore his work, yet this instruction has been kept completely secret even from the sites that report postol’s work.
That’s not hugely likely.
Liberals like to think there’s this thing called the fourth estate that holds power to account. If that was the case, then Postol’s analysis, given who he is and the expertise he has, would have been picked up and a response demanded from those who (by Postol’s analysis) bombed a foreign country off the back of flawed, or even deliberately dishonest information.
What, just because he’s one of literally hundreds of security and explosives experts they can go to?
Maybe he’s being ignored because the margin for error in his analysis is (or should be) so wide that it really doesn’tadd any new information to the discussion. Being ignored doesn’t give anyone credibility. It just means that they don’t matter. Maybe he should change the world with a 45minute youtube video.
Where did he say it was a fake attack McFlock? He has never said that.
What he has said is that the White House Report is fraudulent. And he has used their very own info/evidence to demonstrate that.
But since you dismiss anything that comes from a source you disapprove of and walk away after ‘dispatching the messenger’ as it were, I guess you can be excused for not having the foggiest.
And, oh look – the rest of your comment is promoting and excusing some mythical benign liberal establishment thing and shooting the messenger again. Utter twattery.
Oh come on, he’s arguing that the evidence they based the WH report was fraudulent. The evidence came from the people in the area – or at least nobody on the receiving end has contradicted it. Which apparently now counts as some sort of validation.
But since you dismiss anything that comes from a source you disapprove of and walk away after ‘dispatching the messenger’ as it were, I guess you can be excused for not having the foggiest.
Anything that comes from a messenger who has proved incredibly unreliable in the past is, by its nature, suspect. And a messenger who lies about international relations so frequently probably should be shot. At the very least, everything from that messenger should be thrown in the bin as being likely compromised or fabricated.
And RT is that messenger. Alongside fox news. That’s pretty much it in my book, apart from one or two commenters here.
The evidence came from known terrorists. That’s not incidental.
As for your take on media and their lying – that puts all networks against the wall.
And on Syria, it’s somewhat curious (to say the least) that every single independent journalist who goes (all the ones I can find anyway, and I do search far and wide on this topic) reports back the same thing – that we’re being lied to. And when members of Congress have gone, they too have reported back the same (eg – Tulsi Gabbard).
edit – I should add (in case you’ve missed it) that western msm are generally reporting on what terrorists say and filing reports from outside of Syria.
The evidence came from known terrorists. That’s not incidental.
That’s as maybe. The fact remains that when Postol suggests that the sarin might have been planted on the ground, and argues about dirt covering in still photos, and people on the ground say it was an airstrike, yes he’s arguing that the attack was faked to look like an airstrike.
As for your take on media and their lying – that puts all networks against the wall.
Nope. Mostly just RT and fox. There goes your false equivalence again.
And on Syria, it’s somewhat curious (to say the least) that every single independent journalist who goes (all the ones I can find anyway, and I do search far and wide on this topic) reports back the same thing – that we’re being lied to. And when members of Congress have gone, they too have reported back the same (eg – Tulsi Gabbard).
Well, John McCain doesn’t seem to have come back with the same opinion as Gabbard, for one.
Who was John McCain meeting up with again McFlock? Ordinary people or…oh, that’s right – known fucking kidnappers in 2013 and US troops in February of this year.
Not exactly mixing it with, y’know, every day people on the streets of Syria.
On lies about foreign policy, which is apparently a reason to single out RT…
The BBC on Iraq. Were they honest? What about their reporting on Venezuela? Or Indonesia? Or the Philippines? Yugoslavia? The Ukraine? Libya?…
You seem to be suggesting that an endless ream of lies from some networks is not to see them regarded in the same vein as other networks who trundle out reams of lies. In you’re world it’s as though you see honest lies and dishonest lies…trustworthy falsehoods and untrustworthy falsehoods.
And so you cleave to Papa Bear and add your wee growl of supportive disapproval towards whatever or who-ever Papa Bear says should be subject to disapproval.
Which is fine. You’re a liberal and you have a myth of western liberalism to protect and uphold.
And Gabbard was meeting with Assad. Probably found him really polite and nice, too.
As for RT vs the rest, are you seriously telling me that the BBC or CNN lies, as in reports outright and blatant untruths, just as often as RT? Seriously?!
‘Met with’ or ‘went to meet with’? There’s a huge difference between those in terms of motive or potential motive. Who else did she meet and mingle with?
So now we agree that CNN and the BBC and Rt and whatever other of the spaghetti alphabet brigade lie. For me, it doesn’t matter a toss how often they lie – I treat them all – their stories or reports – with the suspicion due a liar.
So now we agree that CNN and the BBC and Rt and whatever other of the spaghetti alphabet brigade lie.
We always did. You just interpreted criticism of RT as approval for BBC.
For me, it doesn’t matter a toss how often they lie – I treat them all – their stories or reports – with the suspicion due a liar.
Yeah, that’s your false equivalence. Any lie, told by anyone in the past, apparently means they should be treated like a compulsive liar / bullshitter. And the amount of effort you’ve put into defending material sourced from RT suggests that for some reason you don’t treat all liars with equal suspicion.
As soon as one recognises veracity is not a binary condition for an organisation that claims to disseminate news, compared to most other sources RT looks like a nactoid “swimmable” waterway: full of shit.
Just to reiterate. You do know I can’t access RT from this IP address, yes? That means they are not the first port of call for my curiousity. Same as for the BBC. I can’t access their video or programming and don’t have a TV anyway.
So maybe I’m getting accidentally pre-filtered and only accessing those youtube posts that people think are worthwhile.
Regardless, if I’m curious about something, I search down relevant info and news reports across a range and number of sources and critically evaluate and compare the info they have (I have the time).
Sometimes that leads to something worthwhile from RT…or Al Jazeera…or the BBC… or whoever (it really depends on the issue or topic as to which of the alphabets will have the more informative report…and sure, as OAB said, confirmation bias comes into it).
Seems your point of access is the the networks though – so if you see something reported on RT (or hear of it being reported on RT) you just instantly decide it’s not worth while and that it is probably (to use your term) fake. And once you’ve done that, you almost have to dismiss any other source that is reporting that same info…like you’ve done with Postol’s analysis of the White House Report on chemical weapons use.
Your bias would be somewhat crippling if you had curiosity and a desire to have better understanding.
Seems your point of access is the the networks though –
actually, as I said elsewhere my main point of access for international stuff isn’t the networks.
so if you see something reported on RT (or hear of it being reported on RT) you just instantly decide it’s not worth while and that it is probably (to use your term) fake.
No, I view any relationship it has with the truth is purely coincidental.
And once you’ve done that, you almost have to dismiss any other source that is reporting that same info…like you’ve done with Postol’s analysis of the White House Report on chemical weapons use.
Thing is, Postol’s work is interesting. But it’s only half the story. Is it accurate? Who knows? He makes quite a few assumptions and calculations – how reasonable are they? Maybe I could trawl through the internet looking for someone suitably qualified who bothered to respond to it, but that involves filtering out every nutbar site from the left right and wherever. If RT were a news agency rather than fake news, they would have mentioned doing some of that work themselves.
Your bias would be somewhat crippling if you had curiosity and a desire to have better understanding.
The fact is, I’ve been bitten by RT far too many times to form an opinion based on anything they release. I’ve found it’s actually quicker and more effective to just ignore it and fox and just wait for it to turn up on other, more credible sources. And no, I don’t just mean CNN.
I was kind of stirring, apologies. The link I provided has 0% accuracy in a sense with it involving two comedians . But in another sense it’s quite revealing of RT, a major tv network does a comedic item on how a moral oil company might behave. I’m not sure if other major US networks would do the same and expose the moral bankruptancy of corporations, and nothing instantly springs to mind. That’s what I find makes RT so interesting is that there’s a wide range of issues discussed and often they’re getting at the truth on a regular basis by going where the mainstream networks won’t go, looking at banking, the economy, geopolitics, environment. There’s a good reason the US establishment (politicians) have been so publicly critical of RT and the so called “propaganda” that it puts out. Its seen as an information threat alright.
The link I provided has 0% accuracy in a sense with it involving two comedians . But in another sense it’s quite revealing of RT, a major tv network does a comedic item on how a moral oil company might behave. I’m not sure if other major US networks would do the same and expose the moral bankruptancy of corporations, and nothing instantly springs to mind.
As far as I can tell that is the best thing that RT does.
But you find exactly the same techniques being used by John Oliver, Samantha Bee, Noah, whatwashisname Corbon? etc. Especially Oliver whose team appears to do a massive research effort on most of the long-form satires he runs.
For that matter John Clarke did it in this part of the world for a long time.
But the question is – is that what you need to do the analysis yourself? Because ultimately humans apart from our parrot analogues winds up making their own decisions based on the information that they have available. RT tends to provide entertainment for the mindless – it isn’t particularly useful for anything else because it is so one-eyed. It is alarmingly like Fox News who they seem to have cloned their style from verbatim
I take your point on John Oliver and John Clarke, although I haven’t seen enough of Oliver’s work to see how far he goes to criticise. John Clarke I think had the benefit of a publicly funded broadcaster too, he was on ABC I think… I’m not sure if he would have had the same license from the likes of Channel 7 or 9.
I’ve got a poor attention span so getting information from somewhere like RT is reasonably quick and entertaining at the same time. It’s critical of the west or willing to analyse what’s going on in the west so I find that a good starting point to form a reality based view. I don’t find it’s packed full of conspiracy theories and the commentary is usually pretty rational, with the exception of some commentators who you can give a wide berth. I realise a few commenters here disagree with that assessment of RT, oh well, I doubt its going to be resolved anytime soon.
I’ve got a poor attention span so getting information from somewhere like RT is reasonably quick and entertaining at the same time.
I have the exact opposite issue. Once it gets into long term memory I tend to remember everything in both a slow release detail and fast summary, think strategically all of time (ie whatifs) to churn it into memory, and absolutely hate anything that I can figure out the punchline in the first couple of minutes.
Since I read a couple of books per day and watch a lot of media when I’m sick, this tends to diminish my interest in entertaining material. It turns out that there simply aren’t that many plots and storylines.
I realise a few commenters here disagree with that assessment of RT, oh well, I doubt its going to be resolved anytime soon.
This is the net – it never is. What is important is that it gets discussed and mulled over.
But what tends to get me annoyed on the net (or media) are two things. One is whenever anyone asserts anything without good sources or links to a source without managing to say why I should look at it. The other is when I wind up having to dig out the same references for different people when they come up with the same old crap for the 20th time in a decade.
The classic for the latter at present appears to be a few climate change deniers on email who keep coming up with the ‘CO2 after the glaciation’ without bothering to look it up (currently number 12 on the sceptical science list if anyone is interested). You’d think that deluded fools would just look it up on google so at least they understood the crucial difference between correlation and causality – – so I don’t have to take time to explain it yet again!
Anyway, my issue is the opposite. I have to manually hold my mind open and actually read the links if they provide any. But I do get annoyed when I find that there is NOTHING substantive apart from insinuations and vapoury conjecture. If I wanted that I could have spent less time and just looked at any TV news or just made it up myself.
Unfortunately RT in my view tend to be like climate change deniers. The only linkages they provide are self-referential and make some staggering presumptions. As McFlock also points out, for a given topic, the same individuals there will give five different explanations for the same event – all of which are straight assertions without any real checkable links. Basically they are, in my view, completely untrustworthy as a source for information.
I tend to notice crap like that. I can’t see any real difference between RT and those fuckwits at Fox…
Oh, some links from here, you know, the people who express a point and include a relevant link in support.
TV and newspaper for local/national events mostly.
International news is more difficult: a couple of email bulletins from foreign policy magazines (like Foreign Policy magazine), warisboring.com is pretty good, vice.com seems to be really interesting but only read that for a few weeks so far, gwynn dyer, a few others.
Most of the fb links I get turn out to be bunk.
edit: btw, I think you’re just a jerk with more arrogance than intellect, but whatever.
Same with most actual news outlets and their owners.
Which is why I limit myself to taking media that I know what the bias levels are like. The Economist comes to mind – I know that they are always going to prefer a liberal (in the economic sense), but that they will usually point to the alternate arguments while dismissing them.
Unlike RT, which just seems to have the objective of overloading the media dialogue with random shit…
I’ve watched a reasonable amount of RT. When you’re around hotel rooms in Europe it is one of the few English language channels. Their app is also on my TV (along with a large numbers of others).
I treat it as being only useful for entertainment value only, just like Fox News and for exactly the same reasons). When I have investigated stories from there that sounded interesting, you usually run into the issue that they seem to have carefully left out all of the bits of debate that don’t fit their preferred narrative.
But it is broadcast media – which is pretty useless at doing anything apart from expressing opinions. Their ‘facts’ usually just depend on what footage they captured, or the talking heads that they corralled for the day.
Basically it is like reading Bomber or Cameron Slater or Paddy Gower or the complete dork Hoskings.
They expect me to follow their story lead with a drooling tongue without bothering to check the presented facts or consulting my brain. It infuriates me is that they often present their opinion as being hard facts – usually in time frames that clearly make it impossible to be certain of anything. Faced with alternate scenarios, like Fox or Bomber, they seize on any microscopic discrepancy and try to build a mountain of discord off it. I guess that is easier than actually thinking about it.
Basically just trash entertainment level only. Give me clearly biased media outlets that aren’t so interested in avoiding dispute and dissension in their presentation of fuzzy facts. That are less interested in avoiding displaying their underlying ignorance.
So the only value in RT is to see why they are pushing a particular meta-narrative. But it is like watching game or reality shows – it usually only takes a couple of minutes to see where they are trying to push drama buttons.
BTW: I have a pretty simple basis for evaluating the obvious deficiencies. Just look at the quality of links to source materials and to alternate opinions. If they haven’t just pulled their story out of their arse, then they researched it at least a bit.
I agree with that to. BBC world is better in print than on the box. The box is an exercise in untangling unspoken presumptions. The print is a more up to date version of wikipedia – a page written by committee.
For you McFlock when it comes to international issues, thinking is a real issue. I’ve never seen you not parrot the official line. Not once that I can think of, if you can prove me wrong, I’d be happy to apologies.
P.S.
I know you did not watch it – which begs the question why comment. Feeling touchy about not being a socialist? Why do I know, because you missed the second part of the show – irony is a funny thing.
Simply put, what is your definition of propaganda? And why do you not use a filter or source checking with absolutely everything you read? I do, filter that is – absolutely everything. And I fact check the lot. No point in singling out one source or other as bias, start with premises all are bais, and take out what is good.
Nothing I put up here is truth with a capital T. Not a damn thing. I do have a problem with the hate people have for RT. Which I find silly and just a little sad, filter it, like you should with everything else.
Video has it’s place, when you are doing other things, and/or have a pile of other reading to do.
It’s why the narrative approach of documentaries can be good, good ones generating a good pace, and keeping you engaged. But they have many of the same issues of bias.
couldn’t be bothered wasting half an hour of my life watching a link from a nutbar. It takes concentration to watch videos, whereas I can keep the telly or music on for reading and writing.
As for my opinions, you’re welcome to criticise them. Just try to use your own words, yes? It’s good for one’s brain.
so people in a group aren’t people? Good to know. /sarc
It is still attacking the people in that group – those who chose not to risk wasting their time with your link.
You might want to debate the latin semantics of verb conjugation, but that’s just like pleading that you’re guilty of a massacre but not the murder of a named individual who was killed in that massacre.
Theresa May would fire Britain’s nuclear weapons as a ‘first strike’ if necessary, the Defence Secretary has said.
Michael Fallon said the Prime Minister was prepared to launch Trident in “the most extreme circumstances”, even if Britain itself was not under nuclear attack.
While I was and am convinced that Hillary Clinton was the superior candidate, just looking at Macron’s rise from pretty much political nothing to likely President of France there’s a democratic lesson for me as much as anything:
Much and all as Wikileaks, the CIA, and the Russians all had their effect, Hillary wasn’t the fresh, bold charismatic star that the Democrats needed. I sure ain’t saying Sanders or Corbyn was any of that either. All destined to be wrong, wrong, wrong.
Now I look at Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macon, Alexander Van Der Bellen in Austria and I find people of substance, excellent training and experience, yet not tainted by being part of some stale elite. It’s a good reason Theresa May is surprising the UK: how can someone new yet experienced appear out of the woodwork and be a competent leader?
Answer: appear both fresh and competent, and not spooky-scale radical, and the public will reward you.
Macron is an investment banker cut of the same cloth as the Smiling Assassin.
As for your “answer” Ad, you know as well as anyone that private equity-owned media define who is “spooky” and who is “fresh and capable” these days. Theresa “I’m not going to call a snap election” May is night and day different to Macron. All they share is their pandering to financial elites who reward those leaders whose policies will align with their investors’ interests.
Nicola Sturgeon: The Tory vision should be ringing alarm bells loudly and clearly… Because make no mistake… the hard-liners have taken over the Tory Party. And now, those Tory hard-liners want to take over the country as well… It’s no surprise that UKIP, right now, is losing support to the Tories. Because the Tories are now threatening to take the UK in a direction that, a few years ago, UKIP could only have dreamed about.
It sure looks that way. Thanks for the heads up BG.
Theresa May should probably be glad that the SNP doesn’t campaign south of the border. I suspect that there are some demographics in the younger voters (ie <45 yo) in the urban parts of the south of England would put aside their accents and start speaking with a burr.
well it is a reasonable line to investigate
Did the NZ police know they were breaking the law when they broke it?
Did the FBI know they were breaking NZ law when they broke it?
Putting James Comey on record over this and requireing him to seek answers from further down the food chain could very possibly bring out an answer to these questions.
That isn’t likely to happen . However I suspect it can consume a court hearing. Which means he gets another one. That makes it worth while for him.
The daft thing about this case, which has been dragging on fruitlessly since Jan 2012, is that there simply isn’t a case to answer under NZ law – which is why after 5 years it has shifted from copyright to fraud. It is highly questionable if there is a case to answer under the US laws specified (like ‘racketeering’ – a politicians nonexistent and non-provable offence if I ever heard one). However I guess that keeping DotCom in court has now become and end in itself. He has now has a hell of a civil case against the NZ and US governments.
Surely some senior idiot lawyer (even Findlayson) is eventually going to realise that ratcheting this stupid cockup is just going to make things worse for them in the long term. And it isn’t like the film industry are going to put their hand out to help.
All in all, the DotCom case provides a perfect example about why NZ shouldn’t get involved in the daft cesspit that Americans call law and why we shouldn’t accept anything like the last drafts of the TPPA before Obama got booted.
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Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title 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. ...
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. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
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David Scott said the council was trying to force him to resign over the incident because he was the lone voice of dissent around the council table, which included voting against a pay rise for the chief executive.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/91880052/kapiti-councillor-under-investigation-for-allegedly-pressing-himself-against-female-staffer
There’s a lot worse happening in the work place – and I would not place it in the criminal sphere, more a warning level about workplace conduct and a training about workplace harassment. It does seem very suspicious that investigation happened after voting against pay rises for the CEO!
It does make one wonder if the incident is being exploited as a means to silence dissent.
I saw the headline and didn’t bother reading it at first. Now that you point it out it does sound very odd.
Predatory men in my experience wait until the victim has no witnesses to support her story, and then defend themselves by accusing the victim of behavior that caused them to react. There is also a history of similar behavior even if it goes unreported.
What really happened here?
Good comment and yes it does look odd.
The article says “was recently sent a letter from the council, which is understood to outline more complaints about his behaviour from multiple people who came forward after the morning tea incident”
Implying that there was a pattern of behaviour suddenly come to light. The Mayor goes “and I am concerned about the [female] staff”.
But really how much time do Councillors actually spend with the staff of an organisation like the council in their offices or workspace? I would have though that they would go to “public type events” like the council meetings and otherwise work through the CEO not be roaming the offices at will.
It seems the other complaints are from the same event (thus is not past history, hence doesn’t imply a pattern of behaviour) and relate to compliments he made.
He claims he has never had similar complaints made against him in his life.
That seems to compute even less.
There are no past history complaints? but all of a sudden at this one public function he allegedly runs amok? so to speak and has all sorts of people complaining about his behaviour to them? or are they suddenly all complaining on behalf of someone else?? ( which experience suggests doesn’t usually happen?)
But I see the mayor has advised him to get a good lawyer (which is going to hurt financially I imagine) while all other legal costs get paid by whom?? the council?- ratepayers??
The other complaints seem to be trivial (arising from a number of compliments he made) but there sudden reporting can also be seen as conveniently timed (helping to bolster the initial complaint) especially if political forces are gunning for him as he claims.
The initial accusation can have serious ramifications and is said to be under investigation, thus recommending he lawyers up is to be expected. I suspect he would be liable for his own legal costs.
@ AsleepWhileWalking (1.2) … Absolutely agree.
Perhaps this is a veiled threat to anyone else who goes against council policy. A form of bullying to toe the line, or else.
Bit strange all the same, particularly if the alleged incident took place in a crowded area, which as you say doesn’t quite fit in with usual predatory behaviour.
A case now of wait and see how this one unfolds.
This is a bog standard way of getting rid of people that are not liked by people in power who have indifferent standards of ethics. It usually occurs when the accused has stood up for something they believe is right but that doesn’t sit well with the people in power for their own, usually not very ethical reasons. It is very nasty and very effective because there is no real means of combatting it in a way that reinstates your situation.
Indeed, JanM. Once accused, it’s a hard tarring to remove.
I’d be interested to know if a woman/women has complained about they way he treated her/them, or if it’s other guys complaining about what they have seen or heard?
No indication in the article, although it gives the impression it’s other guys making the compliant.
Canada’s state of Ontario trialling a 4,000 person $150m Universal Basic Income regime:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/24/canada-basic-income-trial-ontario-summer
Kapiti has a high pensioner demographic, yet Kapiti’s mayor has defended a proposed rate increase that tops the Wellington region.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/91648268/rate-hikes-defended-as-kapiti-coast-mayor-says-to-region-youre-eating-your-future
Here’s a thought, instead of further increasing rates, why not find ways to cut back on expenditure?
Agree. Who wants another Kaipara. I know it’s not a sewerage scheme but council spending has gotten well out of hand.
Its not just central govt the hollowmen have managed to spread their gospel to.
@TC – once the government get their neoliberal agenda into the CEO structure of councils and treating them as businesses (only the are not businesses because there is no choice and you have to keep paying them when they screw up), the rest is history.
Look at the super city foisted onto Auckland ! Now major social, housing and transport problems in Auckland. Yep centralising power and making private profit more important than people (for some sort of fantasy trickle down) and it all being run by a handful of ‘expert’ economists, lawyers, management consultants and engineers suffering from asperger’s is not a good idea!
Now our councils are turning into Natz Bots, crony capitalists, corporate welfare to their mates, idiot ideologs and of course pay rises in keeping with ‘overseas’ models.
Do everything possible to avoid a living wage for all though, cos low wage economy keeps us efficient and we can’t afford real wages or even workers for that matter, mowing the lawns on minimum wages.
If they had Asperger’s then they wouldn’t continue making the same fuckups as they’d actually learn from their mistakes.
The problem is the profit motive and that’s driven by the psychopaths.
Yeah, the psychopaths.
“Now major social, housing and transport problems in Auckland. ”
which are all within the control of central govt, not councils.
“suffering from asperger’s”
please don’t say stuff like that.
I don’t suffer from Asperger’s, I suffer from ennui reading the ramblings of bigoted idiots.
+111
8 million to Singapore Airlines in Wellington city council , millions to Westfield mall developers, never ending CEO and consultant fees escalating out of control, billion dolllar stadiums and convention enters and then the councils are crying poor and making library workers redundant and telling rate payers to pay more and mow their own berms while the are at it!
And how many important aspects of society are then going to be cut?
Instead of finding ways to cut rates again how about finding ways to ensure that people have a reasonable living standard and that our society isn’t cut out from under us?
I agree we should strive to ensure people have a reasonable living standard. But currently, a number don’t. Hence, forcing a rate increase upon them due to pipes being revalued isn’t going to improve their living standards. Moreover, nor are rate increases well above the rate of inflation.
Councils have to live within their means. I’m not calling for rates to be cut, but the rate of increases generally has to slow down.
Additionally, it’s a relatively small amount for council to absorb, hence cuts to important services wouldn’t necessarily be required.
Surely, there will be some extravagant expenditure that could withstand a small cut or savings from wasteful expenditure could be found.
I agree that once pipes are in the ground that they shouldn’t be revalued. Their value once in place is the service that they provide. but they still need to be maintained and replaced and if what’s required to do that is going up at rates greater than the rate of inflation, as they are, then rates will also need to go up faster than the reported rate of inflation.
That’s a ridiculous thing to say. A councils means are equal to the total means of the people and resources in that area. In other words, they have the means but the people don’t want to pay for the services that they use.
But cuts will be required. This is the problem as all the services that a council provides are essential.
Wages of the high paid CEOs. CFOs etcetera are about it. Of course, I’ve been calling for public service jobs to have a maximum pay rate of $100k.
Sure, pipes required to be maintained and replaced but the cost for that doesn’t necessarily have to result in a rate increase, further eroding living standards.
As stated above, it’s a relatively small amount for council to absorb and surely there will be some extravagant expenditure that could withstand a small cut.
Not all council spending goes towards essential services. And high paid CEOs, CFOs etc aren’t the only extravagance. You’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard/seen the reports over the years – i.e. excessive amounts being spent on the commissioning and purchasing of sculptures, throwing parties, Sky TV subscriptions (see links below). Therefore, if one looked hard at Kapiti’s expenditure, I’m confident they’d find similar extravagance that could be cut.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11397385
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/85428572/wellington-city-council-spends-51000–on-celebration–just-dont-call-it-a-party
http://www.taxpayers.org.nz/pay_per_view
Resources and incomes are limited, thus it’s not ridiculous to expect councils to live within their means.
Except for the fact that it does because of the new developments and higher than inflation price rises for the stuff that needed to do it.
You’re assuming that there’s room for the council to absorb it.
I don’t think that sculptures are excessive as we don’t have enough art and culture in our cities as is. Could they be cheaper? Probably not because of the way that artists aren’t supported in this country.
The party wasn’t really the problem. The problem was that it wasn’t held in a council events centre and it cost $30,000 for one night from a private establishment. I may have some issues with celebrating such a business arrangement but I don’t really have an issue with the council putting such events on.
The Sky subscriptions should be a no go.
And there you go pulling BS line out again. The problem isn’t that they’re not living within their means but that people are complaining about how much it costs to maintain a city with no understanding of those costs.
“Except for the fact that it does “
No. That is incorrect. It’s also possible to defer or cut back on other expenditure.
“You’re assuming that there’s room for the council to absorb it”
Yes. Considering councils are known for extravagant and wasteful spending, I’m confident savings could be found and expenditure could be better prioritised.
For instance, art may be nice to have if one can afford it but it’s not a must have. Thus, can be deferred.
Parties are also nice to have, but partying like they have money to burn (while telling ratepayers rate increases are required) is a no no.
Resources and incomes are limited, thus it’s not BS.
There is some wasteful spending, no doubt, but I doubt that it would save enough to cover the amount that you insisting that the councils cut from their income.
If you want to live in a drab and lifeless city then it’s a nice to have. But if not then it’s a must have. I tend towards the latter.
Actually, parties are a must have as they promote the social connections that are necessary for a society to connect to another. The reason why that one you linked to cost so much was because they had to go private for the venue.
Yes and no. People can afford to pay more and they should be paying more to maintain and improve their cities. They should be ashamed to pay only minimum wage to those who work for them for starters.
And, because they’re government, councils should be creating the money that they use.
Yes, elderly and young people have lower incomes. But that should only show that rates should be a percentage of income and not that rates shouldn’t go up.
5 to 6% savings on total expenditure is a small amount to find. Moreover, non priority expenditure could also be deferred, thus my confidence you’re incorrect.
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to do a line by line analysis of Kapiti’s expenditure. However, in his defence of the rate increase, it was interesting the Mayor didn’t even imply they considered looking at deferring projects or investigating if expenditure savings could be found.
While you may favour rate increases for city art projects, deferring a small number of art projects won’t result in a totally drab and lifeless city. It’s not as if I’m calling for a total ban on future art projects, nor am I calling to sell off all the city’s current art work.
“The reason why that one you linked to cost so much was because they had to go private for the venue”
No, they didn’t’ “have” too. They “chose” too. As if they had money to burn.
People are already paying for the running of their cities. It’s rate increases well above the rate of inflation that is the problem. Some people (those currently struggling, a number of pensioners and other low income earners) can’t afford to continually pay more and more.
Sounds like you’re advocating for councils to price the poor out of their regions.
Unfortunately, rates aren’t currently priced at a percentage of income. And councils don’t currently create their own money supply. Thus, largely invaliding your position in this matter. While we can work towards change, until change eventuates, we have to deal with problems in their current settings.
And, of cojurse, this: The great ‘living within our means’ con: Why you’re more in debt than ever
I’m talking about cutting money from crony capitalism not public services!
Sure but how much would that actually be per household?
20% of people can’t change a lightbulb. Surprisingly high number can’t make a meal on the fly, clean their clothes after spilling food on it, or change a tyre either.
https://www.studyfinds.org/change-lightbulb-household-chores-study/
AsleepWhileWalking
About people who ‘can’t change a lightbulb’. In the link it shows the question asked and it would lead people to give an uncertain response, not saying that they could not do the various tasks ie Task Percentage who feel confident doing this task.
And these are the percentages and questions below.. Wouldn’t anybody be likely to give these answers? There are lots of things I do, but have to think about to remember, or look up info before I feel confident how to do it. Read a map? It takes me a while to remember that maps are printed with north at top. Do you remember if going south then all the side roads as you travel will be opposite to what is on the map? Change a light bulb? The answer probably reflects that people are uncertain about LEDs, or the latest green version, compared to the old, simpler incandescents.
This is a good example of how supposed facts can be skewed because they don’t represent the actual truth, or they have been misreported for some reason, and then passed on – chinese whispers-style so later people are being told crap facts.
Task Percentage who feel confident doing this task.
Boil an egg 81%
Change a light bulb 79%
Cook a complete meal without using a recipe 69%
Read a map 66%
Sew on a button 65%
Unblock a sink 62%
Remove a stain from a carpet or clothing 59%
Change a baby’s nappy 57%
Wire a plug 57%
‘Bleed’ a radiator 53%
Check oil levels in a car 53%
Put up a shelf 47%
Put up wallpaper 39%
Change a flat tyre 37%
Change a washer on a tap 30%
Fit tiles 22%
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/6792ez/so_atmospheric_co2_levels_just_reached_410_ppm/
Interesting link to Scientific American. Great that Paleoclimatology can give us so much insight.
“What’s really incomprehensible,” Bujak said, “is that the previous process of our planet cooling and CO2 dropping took 50 million years to unfold. Now, we may be reversing this process in a matter of centuries.”
Or are you going to use this opportunity to display your stupidity some more?
What’s the stupidity infused is displaying? Atmospheric CO2 levels are about 2ppm above where they were this time last year. So that’s pointing to something like 402ppm as an average for the year.
Sometimes things are not what they seem.
If it was suggested that an increase in the atmospheric airborne fraction of methane emissions in the 21st century was in part caused by a decrease in methane emissions,what would your understanding be?
Edit.
Rephrase the problem.
If it was suggested that an increase in the atmospheric airborne fraction of methane emissions in the 21st century was during a period of a significant decrease in methane emissions,what would your understanding be?
I kind of wouldn’t have any immediate understanding. It reads as a contradiction.
But if I am to make sense of it, I’d guess it might mean that other emissions dropped off faster than methane emissions.
Do I get a chocolate fish or not? 🙂
edit – you changed the bloody question! Hang on brb
Okay assuming the fraction is the ratio between airborne and elsewhere, and that only human emissions are being measured, I’d assume that other emissions not directly attributable to human activity – indirect ones, were increasing – eg, via melting permafrost
No total emissions decreased,and the atmospheric fraction increased.
Then, back to the first answer. If methane as a fraction increased, then (some or all) other emissions must have been decreasing faster than methane ones.
not a decrease in other emissions per se,but a decrease in radicals.
The question asked in Infused’s link is:
The answer starts out by saying:
An “ice house” Earth during a period when CO2 levels were higher than today. Can you see where the stupid is yet?
So ‘the stupid’ isn’t infused’s then, but someone who made a comment beneath a linked piece about a very high CO2 ‘count’.
Nope. The person I quoted is well-informed and goes into much more detail of exactly how the above scenario occurred, which is why I mentioned Paleoclimatology.
I also mentioned my belief that Infused’s intention is to display some stupidity, ergo, the display hasn’t fully developed yet.
My assumption is based on Infused’s comments history. That’s as much added explanation as you’re getting.
ohn Deere just told the copyright office that only corporations can own property, humans can only license it
And the the monopolization of our lives by the corporations continues.
Where there’s a will…..
“What you’ve got is technicians running around here with cracked Ukrainian John Deere software that they bought off the black market,” he added.
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/why-american-farmers-are-hacking-their-tractors-with-ukrainian-firmware
I have been watching this one with interest for a while. What is at stake is the wish of John Deere (and other farm equipment manufacturers) to ‘own’ the franchising of the repairs and maintenance plus the data about their systems and to take a cut of it. The way that they are doing that is to hold the software that allows access into the systems. Of course being the US it has now gone legislative and will wind up in the courts.
See:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/06/nebraska-farmers-right-to-repair-john-deere-apple
And naturally you can get hacked versions
https://www.extremetech.com/computing/246314-farmers-pirating-john-deere-tractor-software-stick-man
That’s what i figured after reading that article. They’re looking to lock everyone in to using the services that they provide so that they can charge more. It’s typical rentier capitalism.
And eventually you’ll get people doing their own software replacement, i.e, Linux. But still, what they’re trying, should not be allowed.
Agreed.
They need to look at how that went down in the software community originally. About the only retail company that tries to do it these days is Apple. Which is why I don’t buy any of their gear (and when I have done it tends to get bootcamped into a usable OS).
It is just asking for hacking. You control the use of software by defining a clear and relatively open API. That way you specify what is allowable and what is not. Then developers will generally stay at that level.
If you try to lock it down, then they will hack the entrance holes and exploits into it anyway.
so that they can charge more
Or they believe that by doing so they can provide a better service, or so they can lock customers in for longer, which will increase revenue whether or not they charge more.
There’s a rationale for everyone there. The more we hit these roadblocks, the more I think (from outside the industry) that open source everything is the best solution.
It’s the latter. If they simply provided good service then they wouldn’t need to lock people in to paying them for the service.
For those of you who have commented about statcounter slowing down the site earlier this year.
Well it has been doing more than that. It has been significantly under reporting the page views on the site for the last 3-4 months compared to the google analytics and the underlying logs.
Last month for instance showed page views of 366k, while google analytics showed 439k (and the rougher analysis of the logs showed 448k).
I can’t see why. It looks like some kind of fault back at the server side or client side browsers blocking it’s script. So I’m shutting it down.
The only real consequence is that we won’t continue to update Open Parachute’s blog ranks because he picks up from open stats. Since that was the only reason for putting statcounter in, and it isn’t being reasonably accurate – no loss. I will try to find some time to talk to Ken about getting from semi-public access to analytics.
Macron versus Le Pen
http://www.visualcapitalist.com/french-elections-macron-le-pen-eu/
The final two.
The first part of this is amazing. Talking about sick building syndrome, a interview with a former Organised crime investigator from the FBI.
Yes from RT America so all the liberals might want to avoid, I mean sheesh you might have to think, can’t have that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNVnz_c3ZEY
lol thinking’s not the issue.
Watching a half hour video and then having to research whether the interviewee is who they say s/he is, do extensive research to see whether the issue they choose to raise at this time is a systemic vs rare occurrence, look for several different sources because we sure as fuck can’t trust RT, ruminate upon their agenda for raising this issue now, speculate as to whether it’s simply in the category of “sowing alarm and despondency”,and then try to figure out whether the report adds anything new or useful to my existence.
So, yeah, thinking isn’t the issue, but the rest of it is a fucking ‘mare.
Yup. That’s why I’ll only watch Aunty Beeb. Best of blinking British that’s ‘100% honesty and impartiality guaranteed’ and all coming wrapped up in a pleasant fug of gentlemanly cricket and jolly hockey sticks. 🙂
ahahahahahaha
That’s part of the ongoing communication divide, folks who read “RT is a fucking useless fake news site that has a purely coincidental relationship with the truth” as “The BBC is 100% honest and impartial”.
In reality, the beeb has a compromised relationship in the truth as the truth’s proximity with british interests increases. Same with most actual news outlets and their owners.
Unlike RT, which just seems to have the objective of overloading the media dialogue with random shit and contributing to the “my ignorant opinion is equal to your informed knowledge” cancer that’s reversing any trend towards democracy that the internet offered.
I’ve no idea how much RT you must have watched to come to that pretty jaundiced conclusion McFlock. A fair bit, I guess. Or then again….maybe not.
All I can say is that RT carries some useful stuff…or I’m just an idiot who can’t recognise chaff from grain.
Given the caliber of some of their hosts and interviewees…oh, of course! All chaff. 🙄
Occam’s Razor suggests that confirmation bias, as opposed to idiocy, is a far more likely explanation for your opinion of RT.
So I find that Chris Hedges can be informative because ‘confirmation bias’? What about when i disagree with what he’s saying?
And are you suggesting that if someone like Chomsky is interviewed on RT, that the interview is dismissable, whereas if the very same interview aired on Al Jazeera, it would be worthwhile, even though Al Jazeera has been caught with its pants well and truly down (lost 16 or 17 reporters over it) generating false protest footage for propaganda purposes?
Or maybe a Chomsky interview would only be worth watching if it was on the Beeb, because the Beeb have only been pinged doctoring spoken statements from interviewees – and that’s just such small fry.
They’re all much of a muchness OAB. The nice thing is that depending on the topic, the bias of one can be exposed by watching one of the others. Which is valuable.
dismissable
Nope, that isn’t what I’m saying. I’m saying that you – like the rest of us – cleave to narratives that suit your existing beliefs, and that this may have led you to lend more weight to the Kremlin’s mouthpiece than is good for you.
Nope. It hasn’t led me to lend undue weight to RT. Rest easy.
Whereas I think McFlock’s narrative rings true.
a former Organised [sic] crime investigator from the FBI
Oh, the FBI is your source. Trustworthy with a capital ‘t’ they are. 😆
Really you happy to just buy the corporate media line. Truly odd position there One Anonymous Bloke.
Yeah, that’s totes what I am. Utterly and completely defeated by your persuasive argument, that’s me.
🙄
Oh goodies, a smug put down by One Anonymous Bloke, then later in post complains about ad hominions. Funny, silly, or just rude?
longer reply below, but the basic issue is that there are massive amounts of chaff with no systematic way to find the wheat.
Hope this helps – the source material from the interviews.
http://alanbell.me/index.php/about/
http://projectcensored.org/
So you count Chris Hedges and Larry King as complete write offs?
sigh. See? now you expect me to read entire websites.
And seeing as I never bothered clicking on the link, I still have no idea what point you are trying to make, if anything at all.
Grow up and learn to fucking express your own ideas rather than lazily using clickverts as a mental crutch.
Poor Mcflock, asks questions and does not like the answers. Or were you just spewing venom to feel better?
You said “the basic issue is that there are massive amounts of chaff with no systematic way to find the wheat.”
I gave you links around your assumed chaff. You chose to ignore it, that fine. But pot kettle calling – is a bit daft from you, me thinks.
and I also wrote
When all you had to do was make your own point so I could decide whether to launch myself on that particular joyous journey of education and edification.
But no, you just plopped out a link and implied that anyone who didn’t waste half an hour of their life at the very minimum was afraid of thinking.
Whereas you’re too much of a coward to state a point in your own words. Any positive value from this thread happened despite you, not because of you.
irony1
ˈʌɪrəni/
noun
the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
“‘Don’t go overboard with the gratitude,’ he rejoined with heavy irony”
synonyms: sarcasm, sardonicism, dryness, causticity, sharpness, acerbity, acid, bitterness, trenchancy, mordancy, cynicism; More
a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result.
plural noun: ironies
“the irony is that I thought he could help me”
synonyms: paradox, paradoxical nature, incongruity, incongruousness, peculiarity
“the irony of the situation hit her”
a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character’s words or actions is clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.
noun: dramatic irony; plural noun: tragic irony
Yeah right…
was that you trying to make a point? 🙄
When you link to RT, the likelihood of chaff multiplies
You probably just need to dig a bit deeper before you pass judgement on the credibility of RT. For instance where else would you get a scoop on BP and Shell oil execs giving up a $1 billion tax cut! Was a turning point for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGPUr0Iaz80
OK, let’s assume that this link is 100% accurate, impartial, and breaks the lid off a major world event.
It comes right from the same source that had half a dozen nutbar theories about mh17, a whole bunch of bullshit about the US election, and all sorts of other shit. That’s my point. We’re now up to 40minutes of video time in one subthread because it’s easier to link to a video than it is to form your own argument and link to specific parts.
I’m a cynical bastard so I suspect that’s their objective: when some idiot can’t form a coherent argument without contradicting themselves (like “non-sarin” spikeboy), just link to a video which has a vibe you agree with, and you don’t have to do anything more.
RT provides building blocks for folks who can only manage the Courtier’s reply. I have read a load of their links, and there’s no discernable measure that you can take into account when judging normal bias – when something involves russian interests, they just produce more stories, any one of which might be accurate. The problem is that most seem to be levels of bullshit, so it’s impossible to separate the wheat from the huge quantity of chaff.
With most media, you can get some picture by guesstimating their bias and angle – not so much fox and RT. Too much bullshit.
edit: what probability do you place on the four items either side of that link being reliable and reasonable?
Duane Gish with money to burn.
A whole bunch of bullshit about the US election – “It was the Russians, the Russians!!” – CNN, MSNBC, CBNC, ABC and all the rest of the alphabet spaghetti US networks.
And all sorts of other shit – The white helmets are heroes!, People in eastern Aleppo will be massacred en masse!, Iran is the biggest funder of international terror, Gadaffi’s troops are on viagra! and of course – it’s the Russians, the Russians!!
But, western msm is seemingly to be judged by a completely different standard. Why’s that?
And if RT are solely a propaganda outlet for ‘The Kremlin’ (you any idea how many competing interests vie with one another in the Kremlin?), then wouldn’t their line be consistent (as OAB claims it to be)?
Overly consistent, yes, in a particular context.
In the wider context they are at least consistently untrustworthy, even adept at dezinformatsiya, and so-on.
Bias is inevitable. Deliberate bias (such as displayed by eg: Exxon or Rothmans or Cameron Slater or RT) is another thing entirely.
where I disagree with you, oab, is that RT doesn’t even have a bias in the details of what it spreads – especially obvious in mh17. They put out arguments that the ukrainians did it by sam, by air, the yanks did it, radar tracks said X Y and Z, the yanks are covering up radar tracks, etc etc etc.
And regular propaganda campaign would have just built a fabricated case against the ukrainians and rammed it home to provide enough deniability to the russians.
regular propaganda campaign
Regular according to what measure? The value of a Gish Gallop isn’t consistency, it’s confusion – putting out fires.
“If your enemy is exhausted, tire him out.” Sun Tzu.
The “enemy” in this case is public opinion.
regular in being the same as the usual.
And the objective isn’t to tire the enemy, it’s to sow discord in the enemy army so it fights itself.
In that case, confusion is still a better servant than consistency.
well, the usual choice is to try to get the opposition to desert, but horses for courses I guess.
All media should be judged by the same standard. That’s why I said “With most media, you can get some picture by guesstimating their bias and angle – not so much fox and RT”.
And congratulations – you’re discovering the difference between fake news and propaganda.
Fake news is a fog of information. Some is correct, much is bullshit.
Propaganda is trying to skew your perspective.
The only consistent line fake news needs is to create more dense fog the closer things get to the interests of the paymaster.
Propaganda needs to be consistent to be persuasive. Fake news needs to be diverse in nature, so people falling for confirmation bias argue with each other when they should be on the same side.
Propaganda needs to be consistent to be persuasive…
Depends what the goal is. If the goal is to undermine faith in institutions, or strangle the government in the bathtub, or other gaslight type strategies, it’s pretty good for purpose.
Trump fires first shot in war with Canada
https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/856657779674816512
And congratulations – you’re discovering the difference between fake news and propaganda.
“Fake News” is a convenient construct that liberals are using these days to dismiss anything that they might find uncomfortable or inconvenient. It’s lazy and it’s dishonest and pretty soon, it’ll be slipping over into outright censorship (facebook already ran a limited trial on their platform)
You of late, have made it into a bit of a nasty habit – attacking any and all sources as “fake”, or slyly as “alt” (scribd, znet, truthdig) among others, when you simply don’t want to contemplate ‘uncomfortable’ info, or news, or analysis.
If you’re consistent, you’ll be cheering on that censorship when it comes, because right now, you’re acting as a noble foot-soldier ‘for the cause” and could (if you did) only hypocritically speak out against facebook’s trial run at censorship.
Again, not “any and all sources”. I think the number of fake news services I’ve labelled as such is two: RT and fox.
As for the alt media crowd, whatever. If it’s “sly” to refer to them as such, whatevs. It seemed to denote the list of members reasonably enough for you, even though I’m not familiar with some of those names.
Bear in mind that scridb is just a document dump service, isn’t it? Literally no editorial oversight or external assessment. It’s not a news service, AFAIK. I have found some good documents there, but also some unreliable stuff from what I recall.
What’s FB up to now?
Given the use of the term ‘alt right’, I think it’s reasonable to take the term ‘alt’ as being being loaded and derogatory, no?
The MiT professors document was placed on scridb by RT. That he’d had to go to RT in the first place speaks quite a bit to the impartiality and openess of western msm. Seems intelligent people or in depth analyses get bugger all air time these days – just sound bite muppets and commissars.
Facebook took a story on slavery (it was a piece of shite trying to compare Irish Americans to African Americans) and had (I think) three windows pop up dissuading people from sharing it and then putting a marker on it when it was shared.
Big problem was that they’d used snopes among others as authoritative voices on why the stuff was ‘fake’, but they themselves (snopes) peddled a ‘fake’ takedown – essentially redefining what “real” slavery was and airbrushing bits of history.
Oh, shit no I didn’t mean that. Just hippies and weirdos alternative media.
So the actual source was RT. We’re back where we started.
As to why he only gets coverage with them, maybe he’s got a talking head contract with them and not others. Maybe other news orgs had their own experts take a look at his paperwork, and his report wasn’t overly persuasive to them? Maybe he’s just a dick who alienated everyone, or maybe nobody can touch him because some general is still pissed about the missile systems being exposed. Could be anything.
FB: oh interesting – I’d heard they were trying to create some sort of distinction between outright bullshit and actually true stuff. Dunno how I feel about three boxes to work through, but I actually like the labelling idea. Obviously they have some issues to work through, but it should make my feed a bit easier to deal with. Every time I block one antivax link my hippy friends find another to share with their friend list lol.
Mcflock your hippie hatred deserves the strongest response – hippies are cool again. Trump and his alt right fake news believers and peddlers ain’t cool thus they AREN’T hippies.
Bill – alt is a descriptive term to differentiate – the fact that it is describing certain belief systems and actions is not the descriptors fault. Alt right is derogatory because of what it describes and I have to say the alt right seem to be comfortable and embrraced the term – some seem proud of the term. This is understandable because alt right is also a euphemism used by alt right to hide the real aspects of their disgusting views.
Plus wake up man rt is NOT worth arguing for – ffs you seem to have decided to be cv2 – I miss the bill I used to read and learn from.
The term ‘alt-right’ also, and unfortunately, lends an air of respect to the right – cause you know, they ain’t like those crazy ‘alt-right’ types. And I’ve seen it used as an attempt to discredit or dismiss left wing thoughts – ‘alt-left’.
And I’m not ‘defending’ RT so much as pointing out that it’s damned stupid to wholesale and instantly dismiss something on the basis of who has picked up on it.
All these peeps so eager to have RT demarcated as some unacceptable news source do, I presume, get some info from The Herald in spite of it being a pre-stained shit rag.
@ Mcflock. If you seriously think that western msm do not systematically block and suppress info that doesn't 'fit', and people who don't 'fit', then you….actually, nothing – I'm left speechless by the degree of naivety.
Did I say that? No. I don’t think I did.
And crystalhealing FBIreadmythoughts DopeCausesGenius websites aren’t going to do a damned thing to solve that bias. Every “suppressed” story genuinely exposed is treated with the same validity as the hundred fluoride chemtrail lizardqueen bullshit stories either side of it.
Here’s the thing: “bias” skews facts and endorses lies consistently. “Bullshit” is beyond fact/lie, it’s just about creating an ocean of shit. There is no equivalence between the two.
You gave a list of reasons as to why Postol and his demolition of the White House Report might not have featured on western msm outlets, and all of those reasons revolved (yet again) around discrediting him or his findings.
You avoided the most obvious reason.
But moving on.
Liberals like to think there’s this thing called the fourth estate that holds power to account. If that was the case, then Postol’s analysis, given who he is and the expertise he has, would have been picked up and a response demanded from those who (by Postol’s analysis) bombed a foreign country off the back of flawed, or even deliberately dishonest information.
I’m going to point out yet again that (as far as I can find) in the field of expertise Postol’s coming from, no-one has questioned or contradicted his analysis. That on its own suggests it’s solid.
Meanwhile, there are multiple questions being asked from multiple quarters about the whole story we’ve been sold that was used as a pretext to bomb another country. Some of those questions are pertinent. None have been answered.
But throw all that aside – maybe a news network has its own experts who found Postol’s report wanting. Sure. And that’s why they neither reported on its deficiencies nor gave him the time of day. Makes sense.
OK, let’s look a systemic effort to suppress and ignore Postol’s complete exposure of the sarin faked attack:
every news editor has received an instruction to ignore his work, yet this instruction has been kept completely secret even from the sites that report postol’s work.
That’s not hugely likely.
What, just because he’s one of literally hundreds of security and explosives experts they can go to?
Maybe he’s being ignored because the margin for error in his analysis is (or should be) so wide that it really doesn’tadd any new information to the discussion. Being ignored doesn’t give anyone credibility. It just means that they don’t matter. Maybe he should change the world with a 45minute youtube video.
Where did he say it was a fake attack McFlock? He has never said that.
What he has said is that the White House Report is fraudulent. And he has used their very own info/evidence to demonstrate that.
But since you dismiss anything that comes from a source you disapprove of and walk away after ‘dispatching the messenger’ as it were, I guess you can be excused for not having the foggiest.
And, oh look – the rest of your comment is promoting and excusing some mythical benign liberal establishment thing and shooting the messenger again. Utter twattery.
Oh come on, he’s arguing that the evidence they based the WH report was fraudulent. The evidence came from the people in the area – or at least nobody on the receiving end has contradicted it. Which apparently now counts as some sort of validation.
Anything that comes from a messenger who has proved incredibly unreliable in the past is, by its nature, suspect. And a messenger who lies about international relations so frequently probably should be shot. At the very least, everything from that messenger should be thrown in the bin as being likely compromised or fabricated.
And RT is that messenger. Alongside fox news. That’s pretty much it in my book, apart from one or two commenters here.
The evidence came from known terrorists. That’s not incidental.
As for your take on media and their lying – that puts all networks against the wall.
And on Syria, it’s somewhat curious (to say the least) that every single independent journalist who goes (all the ones I can find anyway, and I do search far and wide on this topic) reports back the same thing – that we’re being lied to. And when members of Congress have gone, they too have reported back the same (eg – Tulsi Gabbard).
edit – I should add (in case you’ve missed it) that western msm are generally reporting on what terrorists say and filing reports from outside of Syria.
That’s as maybe. The fact remains that when Postol suggests that the sarin might have been planted on the ground, and argues about dirt covering in still photos, and people on the ground say it was an airstrike, yes he’s arguing that the attack was faked to look like an airstrike.
Nope. Mostly just RT and fox. There goes your false equivalence again.
Well, John McCain doesn’t seem to have come back with the same opinion as Gabbard, for one.
But yes, “curious”.
Who was John McCain meeting up with again McFlock? Ordinary people or…oh, that’s right – known fucking kidnappers in 2013 and US troops in February of this year.
Not exactly mixing it with, y’know, every day people on the streets of Syria.
On lies about foreign policy, which is apparently a reason to single out RT…
The BBC on Iraq. Were they honest? What about their reporting on Venezuela? Or Indonesia? Or the Philippines? Yugoslavia? The Ukraine? Libya?…
You seem to be suggesting that an endless ream of lies from some networks is not to see them regarded in the same vein as other networks who trundle out reams of lies. In you’re world it’s as though you see honest lies and dishonest lies…trustworthy falsehoods and untrustworthy falsehoods.
And so you cleave to Papa Bear and add your wee growl of supportive disapproval towards whatever or who-ever Papa Bear says should be subject to disapproval.
Which is fine. You’re a liberal and you have a myth of western liberalism to protect and uphold.
And Gabbard was meeting with Assad. Probably found him really polite and nice, too.
As for RT vs the rest, are you seriously telling me that the BBC or CNN lies, as in reports outright and blatant untruths, just as often as RT? Seriously?!
‘Met with’ or ‘went to meet with’? There’s a huge difference between those in terms of motive or potential motive. Who else did she meet and mingle with?
So now we agree that CNN and the BBC and Rt and whatever other of the spaghetti alphabet brigade lie. For me, it doesn’t matter a toss how often they lie – I treat them all – their stories or reports – with the suspicion due a liar.
well who did mccain meet and mingle with?
We always did. You just interpreted criticism of RT as approval for BBC.
Yeah, that’s your false equivalence. Any lie, told by anyone in the past, apparently means they should be treated like a compulsive liar / bullshitter. And the amount of effort you’ve put into defending material sourced from RT suggests that for some reason you don’t treat all liars with equal suspicion.
As soon as one recognises veracity is not a binary condition for an organisation that claims to disseminate news, compared to most other sources RT looks like a nactoid “swimmable” waterway: full of shit.
I’ve obviously a more jaundiced view than you.
Just to reiterate. You do know I can’t access RT from this IP address, yes? That means they are not the first port of call for my curiousity. Same as for the BBC. I can’t access their video or programming and don’t have a TV anyway.
So maybe I’m getting accidentally pre-filtered and only accessing those youtube posts that people think are worthwhile.
Regardless, if I’m curious about something, I search down relevant info and news reports across a range and number of sources and critically evaluate and compare the info they have (I have the time).
Sometimes that leads to something worthwhile from RT…or Al Jazeera…or the BBC… or whoever (it really depends on the issue or topic as to which of the alphabets will have the more informative report…and sure, as OAB said, confirmation bias comes into it).
Seems your point of access is the the networks though – so if you see something reported on RT (or hear of it being reported on RT) you just instantly decide it’s not worth while and that it is probably (to use your term) fake. And once you’ve done that, you almost have to dismiss any other source that is reporting that same info…like you’ve done with Postol’s analysis of the White House Report on chemical weapons use.
Your bias would be somewhat crippling if you had curiosity and a desire to have better understanding.
actually, as I said elsewhere my main point of access for international stuff isn’t the networks.
No, I view any relationship it has with the truth is purely coincidental.
Thing is, Postol’s work is interesting. But it’s only half the story. Is it accurate? Who knows? He makes quite a few assumptions and calculations – how reasonable are they? Maybe I could trawl through the internet looking for someone suitably qualified who bothered to respond to it, but that involves filtering out every nutbar site from the left right and wherever. If RT were a news agency rather than fake news, they would have mentioned doing some of that work themselves.
The fact is, I’ve been bitten by RT far too many times to form an opinion based on anything they release. I’ve found it’s actually quicker and more effective to just ignore it and fox and just wait for it to turn up on other, more credible sources. And no, I don’t just mean CNN.
The Courtier’s Reply
Thanks for that McFlock. It has a name! 🙂
a name – and a link I screwed up originally 🙂
I suggest that on these comments threads it should be referred to as The Morrissey’s reply.
I was kind of stirring, apologies. The link I provided has 0% accuracy in a sense with it involving two comedians . But in another sense it’s quite revealing of RT, a major tv network does a comedic item on how a moral oil company might behave. I’m not sure if other major US networks would do the same and expose the moral bankruptancy of corporations, and nothing instantly springs to mind. That’s what I find makes RT so interesting is that there’s a wide range of issues discussed and often they’re getting at the truth on a regular basis by going where the mainstream networks won’t go, looking at banking, the economy, geopolitics, environment. There’s a good reason the US establishment (politicians) have been so publicly critical of RT and the so called “propaganda” that it puts out. Its seen as an information threat alright.
The link I provided has 0% accuracy in a sense with it involving two comedians . But in another sense it’s quite revealing of RT, a major tv network does a comedic item on how a moral oil company might behave. I’m not sure if other major US networks would do the same and expose the moral bankruptancy of corporations, and nothing instantly springs to mind.
As far as I can tell that is the best thing that RT does.
But you find exactly the same techniques being used by John Oliver, Samantha Bee, Noah, whatwashisname Corbon? etc. Especially Oliver whose team appears to do a massive research effort on most of the long-form satires he runs.
For that matter John Clarke did it in this part of the world for a long time.
But the question is – is that what you need to do the analysis yourself? Because ultimately humans apart from our parrot analogues winds up making their own decisions based on the information that they have available. RT tends to provide entertainment for the mindless – it isn’t particularly useful for anything else because it is so one-eyed. It is alarmingly like Fox News who they seem to have cloned their style from verbatim
I take your point on John Oliver and John Clarke, although I haven’t seen enough of Oliver’s work to see how far he goes to criticise. John Clarke I think had the benefit of a publicly funded broadcaster too, he was on ABC I think… I’m not sure if he would have had the same license from the likes of Channel 7 or 9.
I’ve got a poor attention span so getting information from somewhere like RT is reasonably quick and entertaining at the same time. It’s critical of the west or willing to analyse what’s going on in the west so I find that a good starting point to form a reality based view. I don’t find it’s packed full of conspiracy theories and the commentary is usually pretty rational, with the exception of some commentators who you can give a wide berth. I realise a few commenters here disagree with that assessment of RT, oh well, I doubt its going to be resolved anytime soon.
I’ve got a poor attention span so getting information from somewhere like RT is reasonably quick and entertaining at the same time.
I have the exact opposite issue. Once it gets into long term memory I tend to remember everything in both a slow release detail and fast summary, think strategically all of time (ie whatifs) to churn it into memory, and absolutely hate anything that I can figure out the punchline in the first couple of minutes.
Since I read a couple of books per day and watch a lot of media when I’m sick, this tends to diminish my interest in entertaining material. It turns out that there simply aren’t that many plots and storylines.
I realise a few commenters here disagree with that assessment of RT, oh well, I doubt its going to be resolved anytime soon.
This is the net – it never is. What is important is that it gets discussed and mulled over.
But what tends to get me annoyed on the net (or media) are two things. One is whenever anyone asserts anything without good sources or links to a source without managing to say why I should look at it. The other is when I wind up having to dig out the same references for different people when they come up with the same old crap for the 20th time in a decade.
The classic for the latter at present appears to be a few climate change deniers on email who keep coming up with the ‘CO2 after the glaciation’ without bothering to look it up (currently number 12 on the sceptical science list if anyone is interested). You’d think that deluded fools would just look it up on google so at least they understood the crucial difference between correlation and causality – – so I don’t have to take time to explain it yet again!
Anyway, my issue is the opposite. I have to manually hold my mind open and actually read the links if they provide any. But I do get annoyed when I find that there is NOTHING substantive apart from insinuations and vapoury conjecture. If I wanted that I could have spent less time and just looked at any TV news or just made it up myself.
Unfortunately RT in my view tend to be like climate change deniers. The only linkages they provide are self-referential and make some staggering presumptions. As McFlock also points out, for a given topic, the same individuals there will give five different explanations for the same event – all of which are straight assertions without any real checkable links. Basically they are, in my view, completely untrustworthy as a source for information.
I tend to notice crap like that. I can’t see any real difference between RT and those fuckwits at Fox…
So you don’t watch fox news, what is wrong with you? Can’t handle actually finding out what the right think?
oh, I reckon I pick up enough of that bile from other sources.
Name names please. Because at this point I’m thinking you are in a echo chamber.
Oh, some links from here, you know, the people who express a point and include a relevant link in support.
TV and newspaper for local/national events mostly.
International news is more difficult: a couple of email bulletins from foreign policy magazines (like Foreign Policy magazine), warisboring.com is pretty good, vice.com seems to be really interesting but only read that for a few weeks so far, gwynn dyer, a few others.
Most of the fb links I get turn out to be bunk.
edit: btw, I think you’re just a jerk with more arrogance than intellect, but whatever.
Sounds kinda like an echo chamber.
How delightful, I think of you as a smug know it all McFlock. So not too much of a difference of opinion there then.
congratulations, you actually managed to make two points of your very own in a single comment.
I note you were too chickenshit to subject yourself to the same examination, but it’s a start.
Let the anger flow through you McFlock – it almost lets you get to a comedic place. But not quite – maybe a bit more rage!
Jandals and handles is it.
Oh dear McFlock, you seemed to have missed, that I’m not tethered to having to be right. Fine if I’m proved right, but I don’t have to be.
Right, schmight – what would be nice is seeing you actually making an argument for once.
[All three of you – draw a line under this childish nonsense now. Thank you.] – Bill
bold words for someone who took how many comments to make even a basic point? And I’m sure you’re right about what your opinion of me is.
[See above. Enough.] – Bill
Same with most actual news outlets and their owners.
Which is why I limit myself to taking media that I know what the bias levels are like. The Economist comes to mind – I know that they are always going to prefer a liberal (in the economic sense), but that they will usually point to the alternate arguments while dismissing them.
Unlike RT, which just seems to have the objective of overloading the media dialogue with random shit…
I’ve watched a reasonable amount of RT. When you’re around hotel rooms in Europe it is one of the few English language channels. Their app is also on my TV (along with a large numbers of others).
I treat it as being only useful for entertainment value only, just like Fox News and for exactly the same reasons). When I have investigated stories from there that sounded interesting, you usually run into the issue that they seem to have carefully left out all of the bits of debate that don’t fit their preferred narrative.
But it is broadcast media – which is pretty useless at doing anything apart from expressing opinions. Their ‘facts’ usually just depend on what footage they captured, or the talking heads that they corralled for the day.
Basically it is like reading Bomber or Cameron Slater or Paddy Gower or the complete dork Hoskings.
They expect me to follow their story lead with a drooling tongue without bothering to check the presented facts or consulting my brain. It infuriates me is that they often present their opinion as being hard facts – usually in time frames that clearly make it impossible to be certain of anything. Faced with alternate scenarios, like Fox or Bomber, they seize on any microscopic discrepancy and try to build a mountain of discord off it. I guess that is easier than actually thinking about it.
Basically just trash entertainment level only. Give me clearly biased media outlets that aren’t so interested in avoiding dispute and dissension in their presentation of fuzzy facts. That are less interested in avoiding displaying their underlying ignorance.
So the only value in RT is to see why they are pushing a particular meta-narrative. But it is like watching game or reality shows – it usually only takes a couple of minutes to see where they are trying to push drama buttons.
BTW: I have a pretty simple basis for evaluating the obvious deficiencies. Just look at the quality of links to source materials and to alternate opinions. If they haven’t just pulled their story out of their arse, then they researched it at least a bit.
the only value in RT is to see why they are pushing a particular meta-narrative.
…and the only real value in that is to better predict their next move, which is a dull, reactive pursuit at the best of times.
“He hit me, so I hit him first”. Knowing your opponents moves is good defence, for sure, but it doesn’t leave much time for growth.
finding out WHO your opponents are would be really useful.
https://twitter.com/Geostrat_ME/status/856619948852088832
…and all coming wrapped up in a pleasant fug of gentlemanly cricket and jolly hockey sticks.
Couldn’t be better put…🙂
I agree with that to. BBC world is better in print than on the box. The box is an exercise in untangling unspoken presumptions. The print is a more up to date version of wikipedia – a page written by committee.
For you McFlock when it comes to international issues, thinking is a real issue. I’ve never seen you not parrot the official line. Not once that I can think of, if you can prove me wrong, I’d be happy to apologies.
P.S.
I know you did not watch it – which begs the question why comment. Feeling touchy about not being a socialist? Why do I know, because you missed the second part of the show – irony is a funny thing.
Do you have anything substantive to bring to the discussion or are you just going to wave the ad hominem white flag some more?
Yes, I going to ask, do you read any right wing press?
Of course I do. Mostly it’s dull and irritating and I wonder why I bothered: their rhetoric is so derivative and predictable.
As for videos, however, I prefer to read transcripts: much easier to separate the wheat from the chaff that way.
So the right wing press you read is not propaganda? Nor the corporate media?
Sorry, not playing this “twenty-questions” game. State your purpose. I’ll read it tomorrow.
Simply put, what is your definition of propaganda? And why do you not use a filter or source checking with absolutely everything you read? I do, filter that is – absolutely everything. And I fact check the lot. No point in singling out one source or other as bias, start with premises all are bais, and take out what is good.
Nothing I put up here is truth with a capital T. Not a damn thing. I do have a problem with the hate people have for RT. Which I find silly and just a little sad, filter it, like you should with everything else.
protip: asking two questions is not stating a purpose.
Almost a squib.
A – for effort.
A lot faster as well. Video is goddamn slow.
Video has it’s place, when you are doing other things, and/or have a pile of other reading to do.
It’s why the narrative approach of documentaries can be good, good ones generating a good pace, and keeping you engaged. But they have many of the same issues of bias.
couldn’t be bothered wasting half an hour of my life watching a link from a nutbar. It takes concentration to watch videos, whereas I can keep the telly or music on for reading and writing.
As for my opinions, you’re welcome to criticise them. Just try to use your own words, yes? It’s good for one’s brain.
So I’m a nutbar now. Such a please having that personal attack McFlock. You are such a joy to talk with, well no more.
p.s. if I’m a nutbar why all the blue screen from you, and the response in the first place?
you utter hypocrite. You accompanied your link with an ad hom, and get pissy when people do that to you.
The response was because you had misrepresented the issues with looking at an RT post. I’m intrigued you haven’t yet worked that out.
My first comment was not a ad hom directed at an individual. If you took it as such – sorry for you.
lol nice – it’s somehow less of an ad hom if it’s aimed at a group of people, rather than a specific individual? You’re still a hypocrite.
Funny I always though ad hominem was directed at an individual.
As the Latin was “to the person”
But like everything, please just change the real world to suit you McFlock.
so people in a group aren’t people? Good to know. /sarc
It is still attacking the people in that group – those who chose not to risk wasting their time with your link.
You might want to debate the latin semantics of verb conjugation, but that’s just like pleading that you’re guilty of a massacre but not the murder of a named individual who was killed in that massacre.
Edit: Fair enough Bill.
just saw bill’s order.
Thankyou. Disagree as vehemently as you like, but when it all goes down the toilet of personal vitriol…yeah, ‘ts’ isn’t a message board, aye?
Charming.
Theresa May would fire Britain’s nuclear weapons as a ‘first strike’ if necessary, the Defence Secretary has said.
Michael Fallon said the Prime Minister was prepared to launch Trident in “the most extreme circumstances”, even if Britain itself was not under nuclear attack.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-nuclear-weapons-first-strike-michael-fallon-general-election-jeremy-corbyn-trident-a7698621.html
edit: video
http://crooksandliars.com/2017/04/charles-krauthammer-preemptive-nuclear
joe90
I suspect that the only circumstance where this would happen is if there was a nuclear attack on a NATO member.
Otherwise it is virtually impossible to imagine the circumstances where this would happen (other than the UK being subject to a nuclear attack).
While I was and am convinced that Hillary Clinton was the superior candidate, just looking at Macron’s rise from pretty much political nothing to likely President of France there’s a democratic lesson for me as much as anything:
Much and all as Wikileaks, the CIA, and the Russians all had their effect, Hillary wasn’t the fresh, bold charismatic star that the Democrats needed. I sure ain’t saying Sanders or Corbyn was any of that either. All destined to be wrong, wrong, wrong.
Now I look at Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macon, Alexander Van Der Bellen in Austria and I find people of substance, excellent training and experience, yet not tainted by being part of some stale elite. It’s a good reason Theresa May is surprising the UK: how can someone new yet experienced appear out of the woodwork and be a competent leader?
Answer: appear both fresh and competent, and not spooky-scale radical, and the public will reward you.
Macron is an investment banker cut of the same cloth as the Smiling Assassin.
As for your “answer” Ad, you know as well as anyone that private equity-owned media define who is “spooky” and who is “fresh and capable” these days. Theresa “I’m not going to call a snap election” May is night and day different to Macron. All they share is their pandering to financial elites who reward those leaders whose policies will align with their investors’ interests.
“All they share is their pandering to financial elites” is a fair bit to share.
While May is a Euroskeptic of course, her economic and social politics look pretty similar to both Merkel and Macron.
The centrists, more and more, are looking like the remaining grownups.
Too bad they all support privatisation, deregulation and the paring back of social services.
Nicola Sturgeon is growing in stature all the time by daring to call it as it is.
https://www.thecanary.co/2017/04/24/nicola-sturgeon-just-said-no-one-else-dared-tories-video/
Nicola Sturgeon: The Tory vision should be ringing alarm bells loudly and clearly… Because make no mistake… the hard-liners have taken over the Tory Party. And now, those Tory hard-liners want to take over the country as well… It’s no surprise that UKIP, right now, is losing support to the Tories. Because the Tories are now threatening to take the UK in a direction that, a few years ago, UKIP could only have dreamed about.
It sure looks that way. Thanks for the heads up BG.
Theresa May should probably be glad that the SNP doesn’t campaign south of the border. I suspect that there are some demographics in the younger voters (ie <45 yo) in the urban parts of the south of England would put aside their accents and start speaking with a burr.
http://www.ibtimes.com/kim-dotcom-wants-fbi-director-james-comey-be-questioned-new-zealand-police-2529975
Kim wants NZ police to question FBI head
This has a certain appeal!
well it is a reasonable line to investigate
Did the NZ police know they were breaking the law when they broke it?
Did the FBI know they were breaking NZ law when they broke it?
Putting James Comey on record over this and requireing him to seek answers from further down the food chain could very possibly bring out an answer to these questions.
That isn’t likely to happen . However I suspect it can consume a court hearing. Which means he gets another one. That makes it worth while for him.
The daft thing about this case, which has been dragging on fruitlessly since Jan 2012, is that there simply isn’t a case to answer under NZ law – which is why after 5 years it has shifted from copyright to fraud. It is highly questionable if there is a case to answer under the US laws specified (like ‘racketeering’ – a politicians nonexistent and non-provable offence if I ever heard one). However I guess that keeping DotCom in court has now become and end in itself. He has now has a hell of a civil case against the NZ and US governments.
Surely some senior idiot lawyer (even Findlayson) is eventually going to realise that ratcheting this stupid cockup is just going to make things worse for them in the long term. And it isn’t like the film industry are going to put their hand out to help.
All in all, the DotCom case provides a perfect example about why NZ shouldn’t get involved in the daft cesspit that Americans call law and why we shouldn’t accept anything like the last drafts of the TPPA before Obama got booted.
Comey has fled to hawaii
https://planefinder.net/flight/N616RK/time/2017-04-25T22:25:00%20UTC
You’re off the list, Travis.
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/04/23/technology/travis-kalanick-pushes-uber-and-himself-to-the-precipice.html
https://techcrunch.com/2006/07/05/use-red-swoosh-to-serve-files-for-free/