The horrific attacks in Germany all have one thing in common
The reality is that Germany has suffered a series of attacks which are equally worrying but which apparently have little in common. While more information will no doubt come out in the coming days, the causes of each case could so far be summed up as follows:
Psychological instability mixed with neo-Nazi inspirations.
Inspiration from Daesh.
A record of violent behaviour.
Suicidal tendencies with a link to Daesh.
One factor in common, however, is that the attackers were all people who almost certainly felt marginalised within German society. Those responsible for the events in Ansbach, Reutlingen and Würzburg, meanwhile, also had an extra element in common – that they’d all previously lived in countries with recent histories of extremely violent conflict. But all four people had very real psychological issues, whether these were related to marginalisation or the horrors of war.
Whenever there’s injustice, marginalisation, and/or indoctrination, there’s also desperation, anger, hatred, and/or mental torment. And violence is just one consequence of these feelings – whether it manifests itself as neo-Nazi attacks, Daesh-inspired attacks, or any other kind of attack.
If Germany is to avoid another week like the one it’s just had, one action it can and must take is to pay much more attention to the psychological needs of the most vulnerable people in its society – no matter where they were born.
Consider: Ukraine and Greece .. Iraq, Libya and Syria … Bolivia, Venezuela and a string of other nations whose policies displeased Washington and Wall Street. Great overarching narratives on the governance of these nations are built – prior to interventions overt or covert – on the back of dodgy evidence. By weight of repetition, and through the sober intonations of politicians and ‘impartial experts’, these narratives acquire the status of unassailable truth. I’ve heard experienced academics – men and women who routinely and rightly take their students to task for failing to substantiate assertions in their essays – trot out such unconsciously pro-imperialist views without a shred of evidence. I’ve had a seasoned and courageous leftwing activist tell me, when challenged to back up a claim that Assad is every bit as bad as ISIS, that she’d see if she could “dig something up” – then lose her temper when I said that smacked of looking for evidence to prop up an a priori conclusion. (Other than a link to Al Jazeera, its own source that splendid chap at Syrian Observatory, I’ve yet to hear back.) And I’ve had a Jewish friend tell me the dirt on Assad “can’t all be made up”. Lesser chaps than I might fall into the slough of despond when such as he – kinsman to folk who do know a thing or two about industrial scale smear – talk like this.
in every instance where the west has put its military and financial weight behind unseating an alleged tyrant in the middle east the results have been: murderous chaos … privatisation … the destruction of welfare provision … fat profits not only for arms suppliers but Big Capital in general, aided by opportunist politicians – check Haliburton-Cheney, Clinton-ExxonMobil. In sum, those with most to gain by removing the ‘tyrant’ just happen to be those controlling the narrative on his tyranny. That doesn’t automatically invalidate the narrative but should make us suspicious. So why doesn’t it? Why do so many on the left and centre-left repeat and relay that narrative without troubling to do a bit of independent appraisal of the evidence? And, yes, I do know that some folk have jobs, kids and busy lives. Not everyone can sink hour on hour into investigating every single claim by billionaire media but what we can all do is make room for old fashioned scepticism and that perennially useful question, cui bono?
This opinion piece doesn’t absolve Assad. Nor does saying he’s not as bad as the rest add any justification for the atrocities that this war has led to, and that his regime has undoubtedly contributed to.
Assad was asked to step down in 2011 by many world leaders shocked by him ordering military strikes that killed thousands of civilian protesters in cities around the country so he could snuff out the popular uprising. Remember Homs?
China and Russia, voted against the UN resolution in 2012 that was led by Morocco requesting Assad step down to enable peaceful democratic transition. These two powers had a clear self interest to block this – and knew that the end game in doing so would be civil war.
I am definitely not defending the Western powers involvement in all this, but it is absolutely reasonable to assume that had Assad stood down in 2012 all of this bloodshed and destruction might have been avoided.
Any argument that Assad decided to stay on in power in order to stop Syria becoming a puppet state of the West is negated by the fact that it was already a puppet state of Russia and Assad had demonstrated he was quite willing to bomb civilians in order to retain pesonal power.
The reality now, irrespective of the arguments surrounding the causes of the civil war, is that there are multiple Syrian factions (including Assad) waging a horrific war against one another, while other nations – none of whom have clean hands – provide money, weaponry and direct military support
The tragedy of 5 years of war is evident to the world….. miilions of people displaced, families irreparably harmed, hundreds of thousands slaughtered – and mindless, amoral, unceasing bombing and destruction of their homes…. these pictures are too moving to describe: http://www.boredpanda.com/before-after-war-photos-aleppo-syria/
Any argument that Assad decided to stay on in power in order to stop Syria becoming a puppet state of the West is negated by the fact that it was already a puppet state of Russia and Assad had demonstrated he was quite willing to bomb civilians in order to retain pesonal power.
Sorry mate, but NATO member Turkey, as well as France and the USA, have also been quite willing to bomb civilians in order to get their own political way in Syria.
The west has ratcheted up pressure and sanctions on Assad for years in the hope that his country would spiral out of control and Israel + Saudi Arabia would win.
A climate crisis (worst drought in 1200 years) provided the background of social instability that the western regime change programme could exploit.
And exploit they did, by infiltrating thousands if jihadist terrorists, weapons and money into Syria in an illegal attempt to destroy the legal government of a foreign country.
Bottom line is that had the west had its way, and Russia not defended their long time ally, the black flag of ISIS would now be flying over Damascus, and millions of women would now be living under Sharia law, and members of all ethnic and religious miniorities enslaved or beheaded.
TL/DR the west needs to stop trying to get rid of secular heads of state in the ME and replacing them with head chopping, pilot burning, Christian slaying, Kurd killing Islamic fundamentalists.
I find it incredibly depressing that an increasing number of decent and I assume civilised people think it’s okay to go to extremes and take anything they don’t agree with as a means of justifying or excusing their ‘less evil’ version of a monster – not that your argument goes this far CV
but frankly I find it absolutely terrifying that there is so much burgeoning emotionally driven support for out and out fascists
what was it that John Stewart said.. something along the lines that ‘it’s fine to provide gymnastic arguments to support my lying, racist, despot – so long as he gets into power’
I don’t even know what this means in this context. The US/Turkey/Qatar/Saudi Arabia decided to try and replace Assad with ISIS. That wasn’t for the good of the Syrian people mind you, or protecting protestors, or democracy or whatever other BS PR they put out. That was for their own geopolitical rationales.
The only reason the black flag of ISIS is not over Damascus right now is because the Russians had enough of the west and their mates sponsoring Islamic terrorism in the Middle East.
Was Assad wrong to shoot hundreds of protestors? Yes. Was the west wrong in using that to justify a regime change effort by Islamist proxies which has now killed 400,000 Syrians. Yes.
Assad is more than guilty of murdering ‘hundreds’ – it was thousands of unarmed Syrians he murdered in the civil protests during 2011 –
And Assad’s regime – amply supported by Russia and its allies – has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians during the 5 years since
framing the massive number of people killed as “regime change effort” suggests blame for the shelling and bombing of cities, and monstrous war crimes inflicted on civilians for the past 5 years is all on the shoulders of the Islamists and those behid the ‘regime change effort’ – and that this destruction is somehow not also the result of Assad (with Russia’s support) fighting a war to retain absolute power and in Russia’s case to control access to a strategic port
it still holds that if the Russians and Chinese had backed the UN resolution to get Assad to step down in 2012 this war might have been prevented, and if there had been a UN managed transition of power four years ago a humane democratic Syrian leader may have emerged to establish a stronger more unified force against ISIS…
but this is all ifs
your framing that the black flag of ISIS isn’t over Damascus because of the Russians suggests that you think they are saviours – and that you don’t believe they have equally sponsored terrorism in the Middle East
let’s not kid ourselves, the great powers will continue to play dirty games in the dire politics of this region probably for hundreds of years to come… which is why it is imperative to expose them wherever we can, and hold them to account rather than picking sides or excusing dictatorial regimes
let’s hope to heck that for at least a short while Russia and the US can work together once this war ends to help Syria rebuild, recover and establish democratic institutions – much as they did for Germany and Japan after WW2
Shock claim that US commander masterminded Turkey failed coup leads to torching of NATO base vicinity
The situation in Turkey is now at the hysterical stage. Last night an area close to a US-NATO base in Turkey was set alight. Sabotage is suspected, though no one has claimed responsibility.
However, it is likely the fire was begun as a direct result of claims in a pro-Government paper, Yeni Safak, that US commander John F Campbell (retired) was the architect of the coup attempt. If this allegation turns out to be true there will be major repercussions with regard to Turkey’s role in NATO and the entire Midle East region will be affected. If they turn out to be false, given that the paper is a mouthpiece of President Erdogan, US-Turkey relation will be seriously harmed.
That would be the “fake” coup that allowed Erdogan to massacre those on the list (kept so close it could be used within hours) of people who opposed the government.
Now they have taken treasonous school children captive.
Best explanation is that it was a real coup, but Erdogan got several hours notice (information from Russian intelligence), and let it happen after taking steps to ensure that it would fail.
The coup plotters had to push their launch forward by several hours and only had a fraction of the forces they thought that they would have.
Democrats in the United States have been scrambling to contain damaging revelations of an insider effort to hobble Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, with the party boss abruptly announcing her resignation on the eve of the convention to officially nominate Hillary Clinton.
I am disappointed that Bernie has fallen in behind Hilary. They must have something over him for him to have capitulated like that. Should be an interesting convention!
+100 Garibaldi…why did Bernie fall in behind Clinton?…is he a phony?…he certainly doesn’t have the fight that Corbyn has …or courage of his convictions…and nor does Elisabeth Warren imo
I have been told that candidates sign an agreement from the outset that they will support whoever is ultimately selected, and I don’t think Bernie is the type to break such an agreement. His stated aim is to change politics, and I think he will from now on concentrate on getting like-minded people into congress.
Interesting parallels with UK Labour. Claims in the Daily Telegraph that Labour Party General Secretary, Iain McNicol, tried to stitch things up to keep Corbyn off ballot …
… McNicol as the UK’s answer to Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters have accused the head of the Labour Party of “subverting” internal rules and keeping legal advice “hidden” to effectively block him running for the leadership, legal papers have revealed.
In documents seen by The Telegraph, Mr Corbyn’s backers claim Iain McNicol, Labour’s general secretary, went to “great lengths” to keep secret a crucial party board meeting about his future.
They also accuse Mr McNicol of trying to “manufacture a situation whereby Jeremy Corbyn’s name will be omitted from the leadership ballot” despite being bound to remain impartial during the contest.
“There is no greater crime being perpetuated on future generations than that committed by those who deny climate change. The scientific consensus is so overwhelming that to argue against it is to perpetuate a dangerous fraud. Denial has become a yardstick by which intelligence can be tested. The term climate sceptic is now interchangeable with the term mindless fool.”
Indeed. In opposing taking real meaningful government actions to combat climate change, claiming climate change does not exist, does not cut it anymore.
Those who oppose taking real meaningful action to combat climate change take a much more subtle approach these days.
Taking a position and verbalising it is not a crime, and never should be
Yes, it often is and should be.
“Taking a position and verbalising it” can describe fraud, incitement to violence, incitement to riot, conspiracy, obtaining credit by deception, blackmail, reckless endangerment, negligence, perjury, and a variety of other criminal offences.
Actually, if I’m at all familiar with the research into climate change and I advise someone that, for example, they’ll be fine if they build an expensive home on beachfront property with the intention of selling it in twenty or fify years time, then I could well be charged with “causing loss by deception” under section240 of the Crimes Act 1961.
A serious lapse of judgement by wikileaks dumping millions of private emails and personal information about all women voters in Turkey has potentially put thousands in extreme danger:
We are talking about millions of women whose private, personal information has been dumped into the world, with nary an outcry. Their addresses are out there for every stalker, ex-partner, disapproving relative or random crazy to peruse as they wish. And let’s remember that, every year in Turkey, hundreds of women are murdered, most often by current or ex-husbands or boyfriends, and thousands of women leave their homes or go into hiding, seeking safety.
great of the piece’s author to draw such huge publicity to the existence and location of these databases, as well as carefully describing their contents, for the sake of her own career. She even says that other news outlets did not really examine the leaked info in the detail she did, and missed presenting these facts.
Now she’s let all the non IT savvy stalkers in the world know.
Highly educated and highly stupid all at the same time.
First of the 60 UK Labour frontbenchers who resigned en masse … asks to return.
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, is to rejoin the shadow cabinet less than a month after her dramatic resignation. On 28 June, in the aftermath of Brexit, she tweeted: “I have just stepped down from my shadow minister job, but not my responsibilities to my constituents, party or victims of abuse.”
Champion now formally retracts her resignation and asks Corbyn to be reinstated as Shadow Home Office Minister. Welcomed back with open arms. Expected to be first of many returnees, now that the writing’s on the wall.
As Left-Wing Activist / Corbyn-supporter, Aaaron Bastani tweeted:
Champion, like much of party, was persuaded by arguments generated by instigators of coup: that Boris would be PM & call immediate election … Consciously created, exploited, dynamic of urgency. Many excellent MPs made decisions I think they now regret. Am told all welcome to return
Donald Trump comes out of his convention ahead of Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House, topping her 44% to 39% in a four-way matchup including Gary Johnson (9%) and Jill Stein (3%) and by three points in a two-way head-to-head, 48% to 45%. That latter finding represents a 6-point convention bounce for Trump … There hasn’t been a significant post-convention bounce in CNN’s polling since 2000 …
… The new findings mark Trump’s best showing in a CNN/ORC Poll against Clinton since September 2015. Trump’s new edge rests largely on increased support among independents … Pre-convention, independents split 34% Clinton to 31% Trump, with sizable numbers behind Johnson (22%) and Stein (10%). Now, 46% say they back Trump, 28% Clinton, 15% Johnson and 4% Stein …
… Beyond boosting his overall support, Trump’s favorability rating is also on the rise (46% of registered voters say they have a positive view, up from 39% pre-convention), while his advantage over Clinton on handling top issues climbs. He now holds double-digit margins over Clinton as more trusted on the economy and terrorism … (and has) … cut into Clinton’s edge on managing foreign policy (50% said they trusted her more, down from 57% pre-convention).
The convention also helped Trump make strides in his personal image. A majority (52%) now say Trump is running for president for the good of the country rather than personal gain, just 44% say the same about Clinton. He’s increased the share who call him honest and trustworthy (from 38% to 43%), and who would be proud to have him as president (from 32% to 39%). And nearly half now say he’s in touch with the problems ordinary Americans face in their daily lives (46% say so, 37% did before the convention) …
… Clinton’s ratings on these same measures took a hit, though in most cases her drop-off was not quite as large as Trump’s gain. Perhaps most troubling for the Clinton supporters gathering in Philadelphia this week: 68% now say Clinton is not honest and trustworthy, her worst rating on that measure in CNN/ORC polling.
CNN/ORC Trump 48, Clinton 45 ……………………………………………… Trump +3 CBS News Trump 44, Clinton 43 ……………………………………………… Trump +1 Economist/YouGov Trump 42, Clinton 47 ………………………………. Clinton +5 LA Times/USC Trump 45, Clinton 41 ……………………………………….. Trump +4 CNN/ORC Clinton 39, Trump 44, Johnson 9, Stein 3 ………………… Trump +5 Economist/YouGov Clinton 40, Trump 38, Johnson 5, Stein 3 …. Clinton +2 CBS News Clinton 39, Trump 40, Johnson 12 …………………………… Trump +1
Video of departing Democratic Party chair person Debbie Wasserman Schultz being booed down at a breakfast meeting of Florida’s Democratic convention voting delegates.
Wasserman Schultz had to be escorted out of her own party’s breakfast event by security.
I am not sure how reliable this is, but the claim is that Sanders will be “placed in nomination” at the DNC. I take it that such a move would be intended to show the strength of Bernie’s support base, thus weakening Hillary’s ability to get away with making only minor policy concessions. http://usuncut.com/politics/bernie-speech-hot-mic-nomination/
Hi Anne. There’s no way that I can be clearer than I have been that I think Trump would be a far better POTUS for NZ than Hillary Clinton.
Less likely to go to guns against China and Russia in the Pacific. Will put the TPP into the shredder by lunch time. Won’t ask NZ troops to take part in “coalition” wars of regime change.
Suggests just over half of Sanders supporters who voted in the Democratic Primaries will support Clinton come Election Day. Just 5% say they will back Trump, but almost 40% are intending to back one of the minor candidates – Stein slightly ahead of Johnson.
Poll probably conducted immediately prior to Debbie Wasserman Schultz revelations, though. May cut into that Clinton support.
Sanders Supporters who voted in Dem Primaries Favourability towards Clinton
Unfavourable … 58%
Favourable ……. 42%
(They’re overwhelmingly unfavourable to Trump and are more favourable to the Greens’ Jill Stein than other partisans. Will their antagonism towards Trump ultimately triumph over their anger at Clinton and see them holding their collective noses to tick Hillary ? Or have the latest revelations changed everything ?)
Sanders Supporters who voted in Dem primaries Feelings about Clinton as Dem Candidate
Enthusiastic ………………………………………… 8%
Satisfied but not Enthusiastic ……………… 29%
Dissatisfied but not Upset …………………… 34%
Upset ………………………………………………….. 29%
Not sure if you were the one put up a link to this…but I read that Bernie’s supporters may vote Clinton…but they are now for the most part passive voters.
They aren’t going to campaign for Clinton, they aren’t going to push their friends and family to turn out on the day for Clinton, they might not even make it to a polling booth on the day if they get busy.
Donald Trump is riding high in the polls, surging past Hillary Clinton to leads in all six of the latest national polls released since Saturday.
That’s good news for Trump. Some wondered if the Republican National Convention last week might not give the Republican nominee the post-convention polling bump most presidential candidates get — but it’s looking like it did.
The liberal media piece then spends several hundred words reassuring lefties why this isn’t really a big problem for Clinton and why 6 polls are just rogues.
A fascinating read in intellectual self-deception.
Did anybody hear Merepeka Raukawa-Tait on TVNZ’s Breakfast 7.15 this morning. My God did she sock it to the Government about the moribund CYFS Department and the ineffective treatment of our young children. She basically said that if the Department cannot deliver and do their job it should be disbanded and allow others who can have “access to the front doors” of these vulnerable children, to do the job. It was in answer to the Government’s idea to have the police pay informants who witness abuse. The lady said it was a shocking indictment that they have to go as low as pay informants when they should be tackling the root of the problem – which of course we all know.
What a hopeless Government we have. This lady was eloquent, to the point and didn’t waffle, and is wasted wherever she is and should be elevated to a role where she can really deliver on what she wants to see happen to these children. She is what our pollies should be, passionate and bloody determined that our littlies and older children should not have to put up with the shit that is happening in their lives. God bless her and I hope she is cherry picked for Government – not that I think such a great lady would want to soil her life by association with Government and the people in it. All power to her.
Putin is hardly a red under the bed, he’s one of the finest examples of the 0.001% using whatever means available to screw over everybody else for his own benefit. A perfect fit with Trump.
Let’s assume for a minute your US conspiracy theory is true, what if like dropping an attomic Bombs was an excuse to put an end to the war & that say if Russia did the hack then the ends justified the means – a bloodless move to avoid WWIII?, Hillary is not the Victim, she used her unsecured personal email server for her corrupt private deeds & for sharing classified information on a vunrable server, a 12yr old could have used A malware bomb that then sends a copy in her name to bypass DNC & Govt emailservers (bypassing security in place), sure she’s a digital native who compromised National Security but is innocent & snowden leaked classified info yet is the traitor? – did I get that right?
From zerohedge.
“Hillary Clinton is implicitly running on only two themes…..
1) Trump is scary. I am not Trump.
2)Things aren’t really bad. I’ll continue along the path we’ve been on.”
If this is true then she will lose the election because a large majority think the country is headed in the wrong direction. She should have chosen Bernie !
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The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
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 ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
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The horrific attacks in Germany all have one thing in common
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/07/25/horrific-attacks-germany-one-thing-common/
Assad the tyrant?
https://off-guardian.org/2016/07/25/assad-the-tyrant/#comments
Excellent post – especially the link. I recommend everyone read it.
This opinion piece doesn’t absolve Assad. Nor does saying he’s not as bad as the rest add any justification for the atrocities that this war has led to, and that his regime has undoubtedly contributed to.
Assad was asked to step down in 2011 by many world leaders shocked by him ordering military strikes that killed thousands of civilian protesters in cities around the country so he could snuff out the popular uprising. Remember Homs?
China and Russia, voted against the UN resolution in 2012 that was led by Morocco requesting Assad step down to enable peaceful democratic transition. These two powers had a clear self interest to block this – and knew that the end game in doing so would be civil war.
I am definitely not defending the Western powers involvement in all this, but it is absolutely reasonable to assume that had Assad stood down in 2012 all of this bloodshed and destruction might have been avoided.
Any argument that Assad decided to stay on in power in order to stop Syria becoming a puppet state of the West is negated by the fact that it was already a puppet state of Russia and Assad had demonstrated he was quite willing to bomb civilians in order to retain pesonal power.
The reality now, irrespective of the arguments surrounding the causes of the civil war, is that there are multiple Syrian factions (including Assad) waging a horrific war against one another, while other nations – none of whom have clean hands – provide money, weaponry and direct military support
The tragedy of 5 years of war is evident to the world….. miilions of people displaced, families irreparably harmed, hundreds of thousands slaughtered – and mindless, amoral, unceasing bombing and destruction of their homes…. these pictures are too moving to describe:
http://www.boredpanda.com/before-after-war-photos-aleppo-syria/
Sorry mate, but NATO member Turkey, as well as France and the USA, have also been quite willing to bomb civilians in order to get their own political way in Syria.
The west has ratcheted up pressure and sanctions on Assad for years in the hope that his country would spiral out of control and Israel + Saudi Arabia would win.
A climate crisis (worst drought in 1200 years) provided the background of social instability that the western regime change programme could exploit.
And exploit they did, by infiltrating thousands if jihadist terrorists, weapons and money into Syria in an illegal attempt to destroy the legal government of a foreign country.
Bottom line is that had the west had its way, and Russia not defended their long time ally, the black flag of ISIS would now be flying over Damascus, and millions of women would now be living under Sharia law, and members of all ethnic and religious miniorities enslaved or beheaded.
TL/DR the west needs to stop trying to get rid of secular heads of state in the ME and replacing them with head chopping, pilot burning, Christian slaying, Kurd killing Islamic fundamentalists.
so two wrongs make a right CV…
I find it incredibly depressing that an increasing number of decent and I assume civilised people think it’s okay to go to extremes and take anything they don’t agree with as a means of justifying or excusing their ‘less evil’ version of a monster – not that your argument goes this far CV
but frankly I find it absolutely terrifying that there is so much burgeoning emotionally driven support for out and out fascists
what was it that John Stewart said.. something along the lines that ‘it’s fine to provide gymnastic arguments to support my lying, racist, despot – so long as he gets into power’
I don’t even know what this means in this context. The US/Turkey/Qatar/Saudi Arabia decided to try and replace Assad with ISIS. That wasn’t for the good of the Syrian people mind you, or protecting protestors, or democracy or whatever other BS PR they put out. That was for their own geopolitical rationales.
The only reason the black flag of ISIS is not over Damascus right now is because the Russians had enough of the west and their mates sponsoring Islamic terrorism in the Middle East.
Was Assad wrong to shoot hundreds of protestors? Yes. Was the west wrong in using that to justify a regime change effort by Islamist proxies which has now killed 400,000 Syrians. Yes.
Assad is more than guilty of murdering ‘hundreds’ – it was thousands of unarmed Syrians he murdered in the civil protests during 2011 –
And Assad’s regime – amply supported by Russia and its allies – has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians during the 5 years since
framing the massive number of people killed as “regime change effort” suggests blame for the shelling and bombing of cities, and monstrous war crimes inflicted on civilians for the past 5 years is all on the shoulders of the Islamists and those behid the ‘regime change effort’ – and that this destruction is somehow not also the result of Assad (with Russia’s support) fighting a war to retain absolute power and in Russia’s case to control access to a strategic port
it still holds that if the Russians and Chinese had backed the UN resolution to get Assad to step down in 2012 this war might have been prevented, and if there had been a UN managed transition of power four years ago a humane democratic Syrian leader may have emerged to establish a stronger more unified force against ISIS…
but this is all ifs
your framing that the black flag of ISIS isn’t over Damascus because of the Russians suggests that you think they are saviours – and that you don’t believe they have equally sponsored terrorism in the Middle East
let’s not kid ourselves, the great powers will continue to play dirty games in the dire politics of this region probably for hundreds of years to come… which is why it is imperative to expose them wherever we can, and hold them to account rather than picking sides or excusing dictatorial regimes
let’s hope to heck that for at least a short while Russia and the US can work together once this war ends to help Syria rebuild, recover and establish democratic institutions – much as they did for Germany and Japan after WW2
Didn’t Assad use chemical weapons on civilian areas in Damascus? Seems pretty valid to have a bad opinion on him.
Pfffft.
No he didn’t.
The chemical signatures of those weapons did not match those from Assad’s armoury.
Basically, anti-Assad forces produced and used those chemical weapons as a false flag and almost got away with it.
Russia presented the chemical analysis to Obama, and that is why Obama did not trigger his “red line” against Assad.
Russia brokered the deal where Assad handed over all his chemical weapon stockpiles which were then destroyed.
+100 Paul …yes very good thought provoking article
Shock claim that US commander masterminded Turkey failed coup leads to torching of NATO base vicinity
http://www.thecanary.co/2016/07/25/us-commander-accused-masterminding-turkey-coup-leads-torching-nato-base-vicinity/
That would be the “fake” coup that allowed Erdogan to massacre those on the list (kept so close it could be used within hours) of people who opposed the government.
Now they have taken treasonous school children captive.
Best explanation is that it was a real coup, but Erdogan got several hours notice (information from Russian intelligence), and let it happen after taking steps to ensure that it would fail.
The coup plotters had to push their launch forward by several hours and only had a fraction of the forces they thought that they would have.
Email leak rocks Democrats
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11681153
The democrats caught out being most undemocratic toward one of their own.
Thing is they are mostly all owned by unseen corporate masters.
They are trying to blame the email leak on Putin lol
Now Snowden has chimed in: he says the NSA can use XKEYSCORE to definitively assess who did leak the emails.
Guccifer 2.0 claims responsibility. He is Romanian and no doubt offended the Democrats are spinning this into a Russian conspiracy.
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/dnc-hacker-guccifer-20-interview
I’d avoid pissing off hackers Romanian or otherwise if I were them.
Which would account for the reference to two hacking groups with links to Moscow. Don’t forget to denounce that as establishment propaganda.
Uh what?
The NSA’s XKEYSCORE programme can definitively reveal where the email leaks came from.
There doesn’t need to be any mystery or misinformation here.
I am disappointed that Bernie has fallen in behind Hilary. They must have something over him for him to have capitulated like that. Should be an interesting convention!
Yeah, it’s called Trump!.
+100 Garibaldi…why did Bernie fall in behind Clinton?…is he a phony?…he certainly doesn’t have the fight that Corbyn has …or courage of his convictions…and nor does Elisabeth Warren imo
I have been told that candidates sign an agreement from the outset that they will support whoever is ultimately selected, and I don’t think Bernie is the type to break such an agreement. His stated aim is to change politics, and I think he will from now on concentrate on getting like-minded people into congress.
Interesting parallels with UK Labour. Claims in the Daily Telegraph that Labour Party General Secretary, Iain McNicol, tried to stitch things up to keep Corbyn off ballot …
… McNicol as the UK’s answer to Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/25/labour-leadership-contest-legal-documents-reveal-depth-of-split/?x
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11681154
“There is no greater crime being perpetuated on future generations than that committed by those who deny climate change. The scientific consensus is so overwhelming that to argue against it is to perpetuate a dangerous fraud. Denial has become a yardstick by which intelligence can be tested. The term climate sceptic is now interchangeable with the term mindless fool.”
Telling it like it is
Indeed. In opposing taking real meaningful government actions to combat climate change, claiming climate change does not exist, does not cut it anymore.
Those who oppose taking real meaningful action to combat climate change take a much more subtle approach these days.
how about the people who deny that 2 deg C warming is a done deal. Aren’t they lying to the public about climate change as well?
Yes trump is a liar.
yeah in that case he’s lying, but on the points CV agrees with Trump is telling the truth…
In answer to your query CV I would say;
Miracles we can do now*
The impossible takes a little longer.
*[If we choose to.]
Taking a position and verbalising it is not a crime, and never should be
The wording and logic is wrong
Think it through
Yes, it often is and should be.
“Taking a position and verbalising it” can describe fraud, incitement to violence, incitement to riot, conspiracy, obtaining credit by deception, blackmail, reckless endangerment, negligence, perjury, and a variety of other criminal offences.
“There is no greater crime being perpetuated on future generations than that committed by those who deny climate change”
Denial is not a crime!
Officer: you know who murdered that child
Offender [lying]: no I do not
That denial is a crime.
Insurance company: do you have a history of heart disease?
Offender [lying]: no I do not
That denial is a crime.
employee: have you used that coffee cup to hold cyanide?
Offender [lying]: no I have not
That denial is a crime.
You can’t seriously be that big of a dolt…can you?
The context, is so called climate change denial, which is not a crime
No matter who claims it to be!
Actually, if I’m at all familiar with the research into climate change and I advise someone that, for example, they’ll be fine if they build an expensive home on beachfront property with the intention of selling it in twenty or fify years time, then I could well be charged with “causing loss by deception” under section240 of the Crimes Act 1961.
You genuinely are operating at a low frequency which explains your interpretations of ‘ actual knowledge’
Another option is that you’re a total dickhead, which is essentially one and the same
In case you do have a mental health problem, my apologies and I withdraw
Whatever your condition, stay off my comments as well
Lol
You’re not operating at a higher frequency, it’s just a mosquito buzzing around where your brain should be.
A serious lapse of judgement by wikileaks dumping millions of private emails and personal information about all women voters in Turkey has potentially put thousands in extreme danger:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zeynep-tufekci/wikileaks-erdogan-emails_b_11158792.html
great of the piece’s author to draw such huge publicity to the existence and location of these databases, as well as carefully describing their contents, for the sake of her own career. She even says that other news outlets did not really examine the leaked info in the detail she did, and missed presenting these facts.
Now she’s let all the non IT savvy stalkers in the world know.
Highly educated and highly stupid all at the same time.
Coup Crumbling
First of the 60 UK Labour frontbenchers who resigned en masse … asks to return.
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, is to rejoin the shadow cabinet less than a month after her dramatic resignation. On 28 June, in the aftermath of Brexit, she tweeted: “I have just stepped down from my shadow minister job, but not my responsibilities to my constituents, party or victims of abuse.”
Champion now formally retracts her resignation and asks Corbyn to be reinstated as Shadow Home Office Minister. Welcomed back with open arms. Expected to be first of many returnees, now that the writing’s on the wall.
As Left-Wing Activist / Corbyn-supporter, Aaaron Bastani tweeted:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sarah-champion-unresigns-labour-shadow-8490897#ICID=sharebar_twitter
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2016/jul/25/mcdonnell-accused-of-downplaying-seriousness-of-malhotra-office-row-politics-live
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2016/07/sarah-champion-wants-un-resign-and-join-jeremy-corbyns-shadow-cabinet
Trump post-Convention Poll Bounce
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/25/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-poll/index.html
Most Recent 2016 Presidential Polls
Polls released Monday July 25
CNN/ORC Trump 48, Clinton 45 ……………………………………………… Trump +3
CBS News Trump 44, Clinton 43 ……………………………………………… Trump +1
Economist/YouGov Trump 42, Clinton 47 ………………………………. Clinton +5
LA Times/USC Trump 45, Clinton 41 ……………………………………….. Trump +4
CNN/ORC Clinton 39, Trump 44, Johnson 9, Stein 3 ………………… Trump +5
Economist/YouGov Clinton 40, Trump 38, Johnson 5, Stein 3 …. Clinton +2
CBS News Clinton 39, Trump 40, Johnson 12 …………………………… Trump +1
The DNC Convention has not started smoothly with lots of anti-Clinton booing by pro-Sanders delegates.
We also know that the convention is receiving a tonne of live media coverage.
We also know that the general public is way more keen on Sanders than Clinton.
Maybe the Democrats are going to find it hard to get a good bounce from their 4 day convention.
Sanders has tweeted, asking the maddies to tone it down.
He’s not in charge of these people any more and I predict the volume is going to go up not down.
Video of departing Democratic Party chair person Debbie Wasserman Schultz being booed down at a breakfast meeting of Florida’s Democratic convention voting delegates.
Wasserman Schultz had to be escorted out of her own party’s breakfast event by security.
https://twitter.com/NDN_BrentBatten/status/757568128419237889
Good to see you using moderate and inclusive language, to try and not starting a flame war there te reo putake.
I am not sure how reliable this is, but the claim is that Sanders will be “placed in nomination” at the DNC. I take it that such a move would be intended to show the strength of Bernie’s support base, thus weakening Hillary’s ability to get away with making only minor policy concessions. http://usuncut.com/politics/bernie-speech-hot-mic-nomination/
CV @ 8.1
“I’m hoping the Democrats are going to find it hard to get a good bounce from their 4 day convention.”
Fify. 🙄
Hi Anne. There’s no way that I can be clearer than I have been that I think Trump would be a far better POTUS for NZ than Hillary Clinton.
Less likely to go to guns against China and Russia in the Pacific. Will put the TPP into the shredder by lunch time. Won’t ask NZ troops to take part in “coalition” wars of regime change.
And on all of those points you’re delusional.
Just released Economist/YouGov Poll
Suggests just over half of Sanders supporters who voted in the Democratic Primaries will support Clinton come Election Day. Just 5% say they will back Trump, but almost 40% are intending to back one of the minor candidates – Stein slightly ahead of Johnson.
Poll probably conducted immediately prior to Debbie Wasserman Schultz revelations, though. May cut into that Clinton support.
Sanders Supporters who voted in Dem Primaries
Favourability towards Clinton
Unfavourable … 58%
Favourable ……. 42%
(They’re overwhelmingly unfavourable to Trump and are more favourable to the Greens’ Jill Stein than other partisans. Will their antagonism towards Trump ultimately triumph over their anger at Clinton and see them holding their collective noses to tick Hillary ? Or have the latest revelations changed everything ?)
Sanders Supporters who voted in Dem primaries
Feelings about Clinton as Dem Candidate
Enthusiastic ………………………………………… 8%
Satisfied but not Enthusiastic ……………… 29%
Dissatisfied but not Upset …………………… 34%
Upset ………………………………………………….. 29%
Not sure if you were the one put up a link to this…but I read that Bernie’s supporters may vote Clinton…but they are now for the most part passive voters.
They aren’t going to campaign for Clinton, they aren’t going to push their friends and family to turn out on the day for Clinton, they might not even make it to a polling booth on the day if they get busy.
The liberal media piece then spends several hundred words reassuring lefties why this isn’t really a big problem for Clinton and why 6 polls are just rogues.
A fascinating read in intellectual self-deception.
http://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12270288/donald-trump-polls-beat-clinton
Did anybody hear Merepeka Raukawa-Tait on TVNZ’s Breakfast 7.15 this morning. My God did she sock it to the Government about the moribund CYFS Department and the ineffective treatment of our young children. She basically said that if the Department cannot deliver and do their job it should be disbanded and allow others who can have “access to the front doors” of these vulnerable children, to do the job. It was in answer to the Government’s idea to have the police pay informants who witness abuse. The lady said it was a shocking indictment that they have to go as low as pay informants when they should be tackling the root of the problem – which of course we all know.
What a hopeless Government we have. This lady was eloquent, to the point and didn’t waffle, and is wasted wherever she is and should be elevated to a role where she can really deliver on what she wants to see happen to these children. She is what our pollies should be, passionate and bloody determined that our littlies and older children should not have to put up with the shit that is happening in their lives. God bless her and I hope she is cherry picked for Government – not that I think such a great lady would want to soil her life by association with Government and the people in it. All power to her.
I wonder if the polls are just as fixed as the rest of the political crims….
Why Putin might be trying to mess with Clinton (besides being buddy-buddy with Trump)…
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/clinton-putin-226153
How the war party establishment labels everyone that they do not like “Putin’s useful idiot”
From Snowden to Trump to Tsipras to Jeremy Corbyn
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-24/presenting-putins-useful-idiot-anyone-who-disagrees-establishment
Let me remind people that Putin’s popularity in Russia is 80% to 85%.
This compares to Hillary Clinton’s own 35% to 40% favourability rating in the US.
And 55% unfavourable rating.
Andre, move past it
It’s not the reds under the bed
The NSA are the world hackers!
Putin is hardly a red under the bed, he’s one of the finest examples of the 0.001% using whatever means available to screw over everybody else for his own benefit. A perfect fit with Trump.
Which makes either of them worse than Hillary, bankers [name the establishment], how?
Andre, your comments don’t make sense and you seem to not identify bullshit when it’s in front of you
Did you say you were American, or were raised there?
Let’s assume for a minute your US conspiracy theory is true, what if like dropping an attomic Bombs was an excuse to put an end to the war & that say if Russia did the hack then the ends justified the means – a bloodless move to avoid WWIII?, Hillary is not the Victim, she used her unsecured personal email server for her corrupt private deeds & for sharing classified information on a vunrable server, a 12yr old could have used A malware bomb that then sends a copy in her name to bypass DNC & Govt emailservers (bypassing security in place), sure she’s a digital native who compromised National Security but is innocent & snowden leaked classified info yet is the traitor? – did I get that right?
Thought this was good, and timely. Also funny.
Yes – and our Labour Party hasn’t been left since 1984.Thanks Adam, I love that guy.
From zerohedge.
“Hillary Clinton is implicitly running on only two themes…..
1) Trump is scary. I am not Trump.
2)Things aren’t really bad. I’ll continue along the path we’ve been on.”
If this is true then she will lose the election because a large majority think the country is headed in the wrong direction. She should have chosen Bernie !
NatWest paves way for introduction of negative interest rates
Does that mean savers can then claim taxes off the government for the negative interest?
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/25/natwest-paves-way-for-introduction-of-negative-interest-rates?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=183253&subid=13842748&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
China seeks to eradicate ‘vile effect’ of independent journalism
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/26/china-seeks-to-eradicate-vile-effect-of-independent-journalism