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6:00 am, February 28th, 2024 - 53 comments
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Who thinks the reason Nikki Haley is still in the GOP primaries is because she plans to run as an independent against Trump and Biden with a view on winning in 2028?
If she is, then she should prepare to be comprehensively defeated.
The political machine in the US effectively makes it impossible to run for President, except through the Republican and Democrat parties. Which is why Trump is running through the Republican Party – even though he shares little of their actual political identity.
Also – one of the two (Biden/Trump) will be ineligible to run – you're only allowed 2 terms – and both are at one term, now.
I wouldn't bank on the two-term rule remaining in force (or even being enforced) if Trump gets back with a compliant Congress.
And the signs of there being a compliant Congress are? Republicans (at the Congressional level) are not exactly doing well in the polls; and the projected mid-term Red wave (mid-term elections typically favour the party opposed to the President) – was barely a ripple.
Even if Trump is elected, he is much more likely to be a lame duck President, with an opposed Congress.
I think haley is still there for two reasons..
One is she was hoping opposition to trump would coalesce around her. .which hasn't happened..
The other is being the only one still standing .. should trump fall..(for whatever reason..)
She is there to get name recognition. If she fails spectacularly it won't matter because in four years time it will be her name that is remembered not the outcome.
That too…
Somebody just texted in to RNZ Morning Report "I didn't realise Mr. Luxon supported blokes with fags in their mouths shooting semi-automatics from their Ford Ranger"…(paraphrased a bit)
I’m not a huge Hipkins fan but he sounded pretty damn good this morning on RNZ after listening to the drivel coming from the C of C ministers.
Otago and Southland fuck-knuckles with full gunracks sure don't need more moral support than they already get around here.
Anyone recall the 500 dudes in utes who rolled up when the Minister of Conservation dared reducing the full herd of Thar in National Parks?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/rural/2020/07/over-500-vehicles-gather-for-tahr-culling-protest-against-department-of-conservation.html
I am in full support of hunters who take out deer, mustelids, pigs and feral cats in our forests. Plenty at my work have got their allocated blocks for the Roar.
But it's beginning to look like the Howl of a Protest tractor+ute grunts have actually taken over Parliament.
Luxon keeps banging on about New Zealand being in crisis mode. Do you think that somewhere in that tiny little brain of his that his Coalition IS THE CRISIS. They are running rampant. Straight out of John keys book of dirty politics. How do we stop this everything under emergency crap? Vote of no confidence? I also see that our this Dickson? Real estate lady is being supported by Hobsons Choice (Atlas?) who are trying to raise funds for her Court Case to fight her suspension for not taking (Forgot the name) in Māori protocols and History. Is she another plant?
All part of the right wing play book.
Manufacturing consent with phoney culture wars and spin that there's a crises they had nothing to do and only they can solve it.
Show's how owned the media is as we all saw this coming, imagine proper journalism and hold that thought because that's as far as it'll go.
How do we stop this everything under emergency crap?
Ahem, check the last Governments form for passing legislation under urgency
[Address the comment to which you’re replying instead of trollish whataboutery – Incognito]
Mod note
Straight out of the standard political playbook. If you can convince the population there's a crisis (better still if you can create a climate of fear) then you can much more easily make excuses for breaking promises and / or not delivering in certain areas or even doubling down.
You can justify more extreme negative treatment of those whose are at fault for all of the economic woes (beneficiaries of course) and if you're good you can even stretch it to justifying things like more austerity for those other financial and economic destroyers (people on low incomes)
You can get away with blaming the previous government for a longer time period and for more things you are struggling with or about to stuff up as well as the crisis being a nice little soft landing for some bad news or unwelcome data you know is about to be released.
This government is just the current crop doing it, all sides are guilty of it to varying degrees when they're in power.. (sorry I meant in office … of course.)
Yep, nothing like a good crisis to bring out the pitchforks of some… and distract the rest.
Man I hate that I've become this cynical !
Labour and the Greens did not manufacture a crisis to frighten people. Covid did that.
Huge numbers dying each day, hospitals overwhelmed, then the cool store containers of bodies, people trapped on cruise liners, that was real.
Now National screamed about ram raids, and our current PM posed outside a dairy. That was a sad case, but the truth of reducing ram raids was ignored and the faithful like JMM reported how bad it was along with Mitchell posing and exaggerating to create fear and a "crisis" So no apples and pears mate.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/510362/productivity-commission-head-hits-out-at-cruel-and-thoughtless-way-it-has-been-axed
Ganesh Nana moaning to RNZ National about something that should have been entirely predictable to him. He completely subverted the original purpose of the Productivity comminssion. Of course it was for the chop.
If he couldn’t work this out without being advised in person then it is more evidence why he was not up to his job.
Was "the original purpose of the Productivity comminssion" much different to this?
Yet another 'last chance to see' – under our coalition of chaos and crisis 'government', self-interest rules, and our productive landLords are set to do very well – funny that.
Yes. The original purpose of the Productivity Commission was purely focused on looking at how the value add componment of the economy could be enhanced rather than maximising non economic activities such as the environment and social well being. The last government added these other goals which essentially destroyed the original purpose of the commission and by appointing such a person as Ganesh Nana further removed it from that purpose.
Social wellbeing is an economic activity / state.
Are you sure Gos? You seem pretty sure, even absolutely sure, but I have doubts.
Note that this quote is cut and pasted from the original version of the Act, "as enacted" in 2010, and sans additions – at least as far as I can tell.
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2010/0136/17.0/096be8ed8067a3eb.pdf
Funny what tricks ideology can play on one's mind and memory, eh Gossie
The virulence with which the Right tries to silence any prominent voices they dislike, sits oddly with their supposed championing of free speech.
Ummm… The Productivity Commission was subverted by the previous government and moved away from it's original remit. Much of the original purpose of the Commission is now going to be handled by the Ministry for Regulation. There is therefore no need to keep the Commission going.
By "subverted" you merely mean "changed" it’s just a difference of opinon not a subterfuge misdemeanor or crime.
By subverted you just mean changed. It's a difference of opinion, not a subterfuge, misdemeanor or crime. The right do not like the change, or the person leading it, so have ended it.
There would be no Productivity commission without the ACT party requesting it as part of their agreement with National post the 2008 election. The reason ACT set it up was to identify areas of the economy that had barriers to improving productivity. It was not meant to focus on Social or Environmental areas. The last government changed the focus and therefore essentially killed it as soon as the current government looked like they were going to take power. If the last government wanted it to last they should have left it how it was.
Social and environmental concerns are some of our largest barriers to productivity. Except in the fevered fantasy world of Seymour and co. The blighted lives, and lost production, after the ACTIOD' s in 84 Labours and Richardson's National swath of destruction still affect productivity even now.
ACT don’t want to remove “barriers to productivity” they want to remove barriers to their bribers/sorry, funders, making money. A not so subtle difference.
Nonsense one of the first areas they looked at when set up was the privitisation of welfare. They found essentially it didn't work and was highly problematic eg in Australian rural areas it failed quickly as there isn't any profit to be made in areas with few jobs (pretty much the same market failure that leads to rail lines closing, power costs being higher for country communities, etc).
They also found that when the profit motive was introduced unsurprisingly the focus was on the clients that paid the most so they left people alone until they hit twelve months and that it where the biggest payment was. Rational market behaviour for sure.
I thought the work they did in areas like this was really useful.
I'm sad to see them go I thought they did lots of good stuff which oft was taken no notice of. They produced some of the most interesting work to read in the last 10 years – them and the Treaty Settlement documents have been really refreshing bits of public discourse.
The "Ministry of Regulation" you mean our inhouse twerp? The Monty Python Act removing Regulations. That one? All puns intended.
A Ministry is not the same as a Minister.
Nor is a twerp the same as a twerker…
…hang on…
Oh..!…so that act guy is taking over..?
Nothing to worry about then…eh..?
Shit..!..newshub is closing..in June..
It became a warners brothers business eventually after mark Weldon did a merchant bankers CEO stint and trashed it.
Look it's just a coincidence it’s the hobbit law folk again move along sheeple.
Fuck Warner Brothers.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/510391/live-newshub-to-close-down-newsroom-in-june-sources-say
Happy Leap Year.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/media-insider-super-anxious-three-and-newshub-staff-called-to-11am-warner-bros-discovery-meeting/2OVBMDSPPRH2JFTVBFX6AU4S3Q/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/350194958/newshub-close-end-june
Knowing someone involved in the planning, end goal is terrestial tv3 is turned off late 25 and it will move to a completely digital streamed service showing content from the discovery stable with news content coming from a sky news type feed and some cheap to produce local content to tuck a few boxes
They signalled that with the "cost of free to air and news".
https://www.thepost.co.nz/business/350185007/tvnzs-new-boss-planning-day-television-will-be-online-only
https://archive.li/tfOqQ
The impact of this on the some of the aged without online devices might be good for Sky – they might provide a continuing old fashioned “TV” service – to those older folk home alone or in aged care homes.
You've heard of go woke, go broke.
Welcome to go nut job, find a new job.
We’re a whisker away from Trump’s America.
It took decades of Fox News there. Here we’ve got poisonous mushrooms all sprouting and far right billionaires closing one if our four mainstream newsrooms.
A mining company can openly run a candidate. Who knows what else has been going on because we’re not able to check.
Our government certainly has a few people to the right of Andrew Jackson, waiting until they can speak openly.
We’re not better than the USA, just less cooked. Someone has fired up the grill this month for sure.
And we lost Efeso Collins.
Are we sure we’re worth saving?
The government has a plan.
To build up (intensification on transport routes and mixed zoning – residential in town centres), cities must plan to build out.
Landbankers will be able to sell land to foreign investors building to rent. They pay no CGT on their landbanking profits to government.
The GST on the property development goes to local councils – less money to government.
Smaller government revenue, growing wealth to landbankers (especially those in the know pre election) and locals paying rent to offshore property owners.
This also means foreign competition to Kiwi Saver Funds and the NZSF for land, if they intended to invest in rental accommodation – that is higher cost.
PS More land for building out does not mean it is all available for that purpose if there is no policy to counter land bankers – drip feeding supply if there is no land and or CG tax on such land if there is no building on it.
Hardly surprising when studies have found microplastics and nanoplastics in fruit and vegetables, buried in Antarctic sea ice, within the guts of marine animals inhabiting the deepest ocean trenches, and in drinking water around the world.
.
Microplastics have been found in every human placenta tested in a study, leaving the researchers worried about the potential health impacts on developing foetuses.
The scientists analysed 62 placental tissue samples and found the most common plastic detected was polyethylene, which is used to make plastic bags and bottles. A second study revealed microplastics in all 17 human arteries tested and suggested the particles may be linked to clogging of the blood vessels.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/27/microplastics-found-every-human-placenta-tested-study-health-impact
And let's not forget that among the most efficient delivery systems to humans of the forever plastics…
..are butter and red meat.. especially pig..
How is that bacon butty looking..?
There will be money in supplying water, food and air without plastics …
Will our descendants be looking to the stars for a new habitable planet earth within the range of a human lifetime's journey … so their children have a better future.
Has human civilisation finally understood the consequence of allowing an imperial cult of mammon to guide the social, economic and political order environment?
Will knowledge of this result in the late stage capitalism oligarchy fascism …where the haves try and maintain their privilege/lifestyle as long as they can?
The logic of Richard Prebble – a master class in conflation.
He said the base benefit increased from 215 to 340 (its 337.60) – the rent increased in that period from $400 to $600. So he is lying. The increase in income was marginally above the increase in rent.
https://figure.nz/chart/azFwYTVvUcrcxT3m-Cn6TyuSQBZ8Kacee
And by 2025, rent increases will have matched or gone up faster than benefits.
The number of children in hardship is a function of the numbers on benefits with children (higher) and the impact of the rising cost of rent on those in work (the MW increases were also above inflation but below that of rent increases). Not the amount paid in benefit.
He then goes onto conflate levels of income support with numbers who are without work, if somehow placing those on benefits into greater poverty reduces dependence – when he really means reduced tax burden on others results in their higher after tax spending creating jobs – which those on benefits.will be desperate to get in a competition with migrant labour (thus keeping wages low and profits high).
Helping people into work reduces dependence, well-paid work and affordable rent ends poverty but sufficient support when between jobs is what first world nations do.
ACT and its advocates have got Randian ideology, they believe in a society order based around profit to capital and user pays – so there is no concept of society or community apart from an authority maintaining government over the have nots on behalf of the haves. Returning the democratic nation state citizen to the status of subject. Authority maintaining government over the people refers to the unaccountable nature of it and its lack of transparency.
Atlas Network – holding up a regime above the landless people without capital.
https://archive.li/6g4k1
It's almost hilarious watching the mental gymnastics going on in their constant efforts to justify pure cruelty. Do you think they genuinely believe what they're saying, or is it a show for the base and the media?
I've been around long enough to remember when a 1-bedroom private rental in Auck/Wgtn was (much) less than the core Invalids/SLP benefit. Now it's more than the core benefit (and with no options of finding somewhere cheaper) and the maximum of every supplement going is necessary in order to pay the rest of the bills. I have absolutely no idea how anyone with kids does it.
Rents are the biggest cause of poverty in NZ right now.
ACT is the class war front of National.
It's a legacy of the surrender to the market of the lite-weight division of 1980's Labour absorbed into neo-liberalism, an ideological conversion cult within the Randian Atlas Network.
As for housing, I'm hoping to see a lot of small build "granny" flats (factory en-mass) being consented on sections – 2 in place one sub-divide. And village communities of them, good use of half of golf course land – rest park. And also for older folk (owned or income related rent) as per Kiwibuild/state mixed housing.
And in the provinces iwi using them to house their aged on any spare land.
Heartwarming sustained tribute to Efeso in Onehunga.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350194661/come-you-are-family-invite-public-farewell-green-mp-faanana-efeso-collins
The RB forecasts the OCR at 5.5% till late 2025.
For mine, it will go down in 2025 and be 5% by the end of the year.
Inflation – well rents, rates, and insurance are at 10% pa still. So despite the 0.5% quarter late 2023 – it could well be 3% end of 2024.
The external (upward) risk would be cost of carbon/petrol/fertiliser from war/shipping cost.
The internal risk continuing rise in construction costs (because of government build pent up demand) and water investment demand from councils throughout the term. Thus inflation staying at 3% and the OCR at c5% to late 2026.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2024/02/reserve-bank-holds-official-cash-rate-at-5-5-percent.html
Well well well Treasury informed National they could not meet their target without a CGT and the mastermind of Fonterra has concluded something
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/national-slides-back-into-the-red-that-surplus-position-is-challenged-nicola-willis-warns-surplus-promise-may-not-be-met/ACH2CI5JGJAMPO4TDEGLWXX6XY/
The retired ANZ Board Chairman picks a doubling of house prices in 10 years.
That would be going up at over twice the increase in wage each year.
He cites rising population through migration – so he indicates the only way to stop it.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2024/02/sir-john-key-reveals-his-prediction-for-the-housing-market.html
A higher cost of rent to wage and longer time to pay off a mortgage is a decline in return to labour – this indicates a growing population makes the worker poorer.
But allows the land banking property speculator/investor to become wealthier and wealthier.
It also means a growing proportion of the economy is clipped by the bank for profit. He makes a strong case for a windfall profits tax on banks.
Of course the pertinent issue is productivity.
Requiring a growing population to maintain growth is a sign of low productivity – and this indicates low quality of investment (just to extract CG from the economy – its people/workers).
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/02/productivity-commission-head-hits-out-at-cruel-and-thoughtless-way-it-has-been-axed.html
So Dimitry Rogozin isn't the only racist POS.
/
Sri Lanka has told hundreds of thousands of Russians and some Ukrainians staying in the country to escape the war that they must leave in the next two weeks, immigration officers said.
The immigration controller issued a notice to the tourism ministry asking Russian and Ukrainian people staying on extended tourist visas to leave Sri Lanka within two weeks from 23 February.
[…]
It comes amid a furious social media backlash over Russian-run businesses with a “whites only” policy that strictly bars locals. These businesses include bars, restaurants, water sports and vehicle hiring services.
https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/sri-lanka-russia-tourist-visa-ukraine-war-b2502986.html