Open mike 28/04/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 28th, 2024 - 73 comments
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Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

73 comments on “Open mike 28/04/2024 ”

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    • Dolomedes III 1.1
      28 April 2024 at 3:21 pm

      On that note, a new Curia poll suggests the NZ public are more sensible than most of our politicians:

      http://familyfirst.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Child-Gender-Dysphoria-Poll-Results-April-2024.pdf

      Green Party supporters are the only significant demographic that leans towards supporting so-called "gender-affirming care" of minors.

      • ianmac 1.1.1
        28 April 2024 at 4:41 pm

        What a silly survey for Family First. Are Primary School kids taught" that they can "choose their gender" . I would say they aren't and shouldn't be.

        However if the question was, "Should a Primary School child who has anxieties about gender, be offered support?" Yes most would say.

        How about when a child is a diabetic; "Should Primary School children be taught that they can choose to be a diabetic or not?"

        • Visubversa 1.1.1.1
          28 April 2024 at 4:55 pm

          You might want to have a look at the RSE Curriculum for years 1 to 8 and see what they are being taught. Start with the "Glossary" if you want to save time.

          • ianmac 1.1.1.1.1
            28 April 2024 at 5:27 pm

            Thanks Visubversa. I have just looked at the RSE quickly and will return to it tomorrow. Will look to see if there is a connect between the survey questions and what is actually taught in lessons. I hope that the glossary is just a reference to be informed when questions arise rather tha lesson plans.

        • Tabletennis 1.1.1.2
          28 April 2024 at 5:18 pm

          "What a silly survey for Family First. Are Primary School kids taught" that they can "choose their gender" . . "

          A bit confusing as it is not clear if by 'gender' they mean sex or gender (as in outer appearance feminine/masculine). Assuming they mean sex then:
          Yet one in four persons, who voted Greens or Labour last time, don't think it a silly question and answered -yes- to the question.

          22 April 2024
          "The German Parliament, or Bundestag, passed one of the world’s most far-reaching sex self-determination policies on April 12, despite protests from women’s rights campaigners. The Self-Determination Act (SBGG) establishes ‘gender identity’ as a protected characteristic and allows parents to change the sex marker on their children’s documents from birth."

          "If parents choose to do so, they may alter the identifying information of their children from birth. The SBGG stipulates that the consent of a child is necessary from the age of five, and, “from the age of 14, minors can do it themselves, but require the consent of their guardians.”
          https://reduxx.info/germany-passes-gender-self-identification-law-allowing-infants-to-transition-imposes-massive-fine-for-deadnaming/

          So much for the right of the child…
          Read that again: asking for the consent of a 5 year old!!

          • weka 1.1.1.2.1
            28 April 2024 at 5:23 pm

            I commented below about definitions. I don't think we can assume the poll means sex. In the RSE guide, gender is defined differently from sex.

        • weka 1.1.1.3
          28 April 2024 at 5:21 pm

          Do you believe that primary age children should be taught that they can choose their "gender" and that it can be changed through hormone treatment and surgery if they want it to be?

          The problem with the Curia poll isn't asking that question, it's that gender isn't defined in the question. Many people still use 'sex' and 'gender' interchangeably.

          As Visub points out, we can look to the curriculum as to what is being taught in schools,

          https://hpe.tki.org.nz/assets/healthpe/pdfs/RSE+Guide+y1-8.pdf

          That guide does have a definition of gender,

          Gender: Gender is an individual identity related to a continuum of masculinities and femininities. A person’s gender is not fixed or immutable.

          They don't define masculinities and femininities. Given this is year 1 – 8, does this mean that if a boy likes playing with girls/girls toys/girls games, he has a gender that isn't boy?

          Other definitions,

          Gender binary (male/female binary): The (incorrect) assumption that there are only two genders (girl/boy or man/woman)

          Gender diverse: An umbrella term used to encompass people who do not necessarily identify with being transgender but don’t feel their gender fits into the binary of male or female

          Gender expression: A person’s presentation
          of their gender through physical appearance – including dress, hairstyles, accessories, and cosmetics and also mannerisms, speech, behavioural patterns, names, and personal references. Gender expression may or may not conform to a person’s gender identity.

          Gender fluid: Describes a person whose gender changes over time and can go back and forth. The frequency of these changes depends on the individual.

          …

          Sex: The biological sex characteristics of an individual (male, female, intersex)

          Sex assigned at birth: All babies are assigned a sex at birth, usually determined by a visual observation of external genitalia. A person’s gender may or may not align with their sex assigned at birth.

          Sex characteristics: A person’s physical features relating to sex, including genitalia and other sexual and reproductive anatomy, chromosomes, hormones, and secondary physical features emerging from puberty

          …

          Transgender (trans): This term describes a wide variety of people whose gender is different from the sex they were assigned at birth. Transgender people may be binary or non-binary, and some opt for some form of medical intervention (such as hormone therapy or surgery).

          Trans man: A transgender person who was assigned female at birth but identifies as male

          Trans woman: A transgender person who was assigned male at birth but identifies as female

          Transitioning: The process a transgender person may take to live in their gender identity. It may involve social, legal, and/or medical steps.

          There's a big arrow there pointing to boys are blue and girls are pink. You can imagine how feminists feel about this after decades of work to dismantle gender roles and stereotypes.

          Just what are the mannerisms that are feminine or masculine?

          Note also that trans is identifying as a sex not a gender role/stereotype. Or female is a gender not a sex. Female and male aren't defined but the implication from the sex definition is they mean biological sex. So which is it? That someone identities as a biological sex they aren't? Or the societally imposed gender roles? Nice mess there.

          So what is being taught? Indirectly, there is this, under the heading of Human Rights,

          In the context of RSE, this means that schools need to:

          • ensure inclusive environments for all young people
          • allow their ākonga freedom of expression in relation to their gender identities and sexual orientation, including the right to determine their own identity and name
          • include content on the diversity of sex characteristics, sexuality, and gender identities in their curriculum programmes.

          my first question is what is being done to support gender non-conforming children outside of a transition framework? Because of a boy wants to do girl stuff, is there support for that that doesn't involve transition? How about the tomboys? The word tomboy doesn't appear in the document.

          If you want to see what is being suggested by the guide, keyword search 'gender'.

          Note the suggestion that boys can use girls' toilets. That's dangerous.

          • Visubversa 1.1.1.3.1
            28 April 2024 at 8:19 pm

            The minute they use the term "sex assigned at birth" we know that they are captured and lying. Sex is determined at conception, and in mammals is bi-modal and immutable. If they lie about that – they will lie about anything because they have abandoned biological reality in favour of a homophobic and misogynistic ideology.

      • Obtrectator 1.1.2
        28 April 2024 at 5:28 pm

        My security software assesses that .pdf as a "security risk" and won't download it.

  2. joe90 2
    28 April 2024 at 10:49 am

    Thread.

    Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D

    @RVAwonk

    Look, I obviously know the circumstances are different, but there is a ton of overlap between what is going on now and the various iterations of the so-called campus free speech wars that we’ve seen for years. We know how this will unfold. Here’s a sneak preview.

    https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1783609217204527494

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1783609217204527494.html

    • joe90 2.1
      28 April 2024 at 11:05 am

      Balaclavas and roof-top snipers. Whatever could go wrong.

      /

      @PatrickQuinnTV

      WATCH: Among those arrested today were Noelle McAfee, Chair of the Philosophy Department at Emory University. I’ve asked for a comment from Emory on this arrest, no word yet. This video provided to us by an #Emory PHD student. You can hear him in this video.

      @ATLNewsFirst

      https://twitter.com/PatrickQuinnTV/status/1783532600637681964

      https://www.thelantern.com/2024/04/university-says-officers-had-readied-firearms-directed-toward-protesters-from-ohio-unions-roof-once-arrests-began/

      • weka 2.1.1
        28 April 2024 at 5:24 pm

        did that get fact checked? I followed a few threads on twitter yesterday where people were arguing if the police were using a scope to observe individuals rather than it being a sniper.

        • joe90 2.1.1.1
          30 April 2024 at 11:07 am

          using a scope to observe

          Identify your target with a monocular scope. Otherwise, it's binoculars.

          In the United States, mass arrests took place on Thursday at the Ohio State University, in Columbus, Ohio and Indiana University, in Bloomington, Indiana. Prior to the arrests, students photographed and videotaped armed police snipers on the rooftops of campus buildings with their weapons trained on students.

          https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/04/25/fwco-a25.html

          • weka 2.1.1.1.1
            30 April 2024 at 11:35 am

            sure, but I was hoping someone had fact checked it by now.

            • joe90 2.1.1.1.1.1
              30 April 2024 at 11:45 am

              One of the primary rules of firearm safety is to never point a firearm at something/someone that you don't intend to shoot. Police were observed and documented doing just that.

              What's to fact check?

              • weka …
                30 April 2024 at 1:55 pm

                someone knowledgeable about firearms who can confirm their rifles were being used for sniping rather than scoping. The threads I was watching were saying things like the rifles weren't usable as a firearm.

                Even if they were just scoping, it's still an issue. I just prefer to know what was going on.

                • joe90 …
                  30 April 2024 at 4:22 pm

                  I just prefer to know what was going on.

                  Witnesses and local legislators knew what was going on. Police used binoculars to scope protesting students and then they sent the message.

                  State Rep. Matt Pierce D-Bloomington, who is also a senior lecturer in the Media School, released a statement Friday condemning IU’s role in the arrest of protesters in Dunn Meadow on Thursday.

                  "It's ironic that University leaders who continually use the excuse of potential violence to suppress speech it opposes invited onto campus state police with military-style weapons that included what appeared to be snipers stationed on rooftops to force a physical confrontation with protesters,” his statement read. “This reckless decision is indefensible. Does President Whitten not remember Kent State?”

                  […]

                  The Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus released a statement Sunday in response to “heavy police presence during peaceful demonstrations” at IU.

                  “What we are seeing on the news and hearing from firsthand accounts gives us great concern that First Amendment Rights and even personal safety could be at risk on the Indiana University Campus,” the statement read. “While we understand this is a fluid situation we still worry about the sheer amount of police in riot gear, including snipers, called in to manage what has been reported as a peaceful protest.”

                  https://www.idsnews.com/article/2024/04/politicians-respond-dunn-meadow-encampment-clearing-arrests-protest

  3. Reality 3
    28 April 2024 at 11:20 am

    The Standard is rather quiet of late. Have people shrugged their shoulders and accepted we are stuck with Luxon and Co and are just getting on with their lives as best they can?
    Or are we all shell-shocked from the barrage of decisions being made by the government which are making life pretty tough for many?

    I was reading in the Herald yesterday about a couple who have a very disabled 23 year old son they care for at home. The difficulties they face daily are extreme and how they manage to do this I cannot imagine. They previously were entitled to have a paid weekend stay at a hotel (can't recall how often) so they can relax and have a good night's sleep. This has now been stopped.

    The lack of empathy and humanity by that sacked minister to the plight of people like this couple I find very disturbing.

    • Kay 3.1
      28 April 2024 at 12:05 pm

      To be a Tory politician, one must have, at the very least, sociopathic traits. Be hardwired to feel incapable of empathy or compassion, in order to harm so many citizens and still sleep at night.

      There is something particularly dangerous about the Tory women put in charge of welfare portfolios over the years (Shipley, Bennet et al) The amount of damage they have overseen to so many people- makes one wonder how they've been selected for their positions.

      • Dolomedes III 3.1.1
        28 April 2024 at 3:30 pm

        "To be a Tory politician, one must have, at the very least, sociopathic traits. Be hardwired to feel incapable of empathy or compassion, in order to harm so many citizens and still sleep at night."

        Is that you, Angela Rayner? This kind of smug self-righteousness does no credit to the contemporary left.

        The only NZ MP's who opposed the inclusion of gender identity in the Conversion Practices legislation were eight "Tories": https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/02/15/conversion-practices-ban-passes-in-parliament/

        Those eight conservatives (most of the Nats are liberals) were the only MP's who stood up for vulnerable young people at risk of irreversible damage by transgender ideology. Not a single "progressive" MP stood up to support them.

      • Tabletennis 3.1.2
        28 April 2024 at 6:03 pm

        "To be a Tory politician, one must have, at the very least, sociopathic traits. Be hardwired to feel incapable of empathy or compassion, in order to harm so many citizens and still sleep at night."

        We only need one person like Victoria Atkins (UK Health secretary and tory mp) in our government, with this amount of empathy or compassion, I know my observation, but still. Others might follow. Watched by well over 33,000 people

    • Kat 3.2
      28 April 2024 at 12:09 pm

      Although I was not surprised the decision the electorate at large made last election, it is still sad and disturbing living with the reality that so many Kiwis in their political naivety can be so easily manipulated that they vote for such a hopeless bunch as Luxon and Co.

      The only sane thing left is just get on with life and do the best we can.

    • Sanctuary 3.3
      28 April 2024 at 12:39 pm

      I have a more important job now which limits my time to respond, and in addition, my employers firewall detects commenting on sites like this as spam and blocks them, that counts out the comments I usaed to make during my lunch hour.

    • Sanctuary 3.4
      28 April 2024 at 1:24 pm

      The other thing I would say is the Standard spends far to much of it's time hijacked by a moderator who is a single issue fanatic. The fact is Weka's obsession with trans issues, her ridiculous womens rights party, and that she comes across as a remarkably uniformed and rather dull person has killed the interest of a lot of people in the site.

      My suggestions for the Standard are the following:

      Update the sites mission statement – Novara Media provides an excellent example:

      "…Novara Media is an independent media organisation addressing the issues that are set to define the 21st century, from a crisis of capitalism to racism and climate change. Within that context our goal is a simple one: to tell stories and provide analysis shaped by the political uncertainties of the age, elevating critical perspectives you’re unlikely to find elsewhere. Driven to build a new media for a different politics, our journalism is always politically committed; rather than seeking to moderate between two sides of a debate, our output actively intends to feed back into political action…"

      Novara specifically aviod entangling themselves in idiotic identity conflicts because they think it distracts them from their mission statement.

      Look, this site has some brand recognition and it uses the masthead of a storied publication. It could be built into a fine and trusted alternative media source, surely that it can get some seed funding from somewhere.

      1 – refresh your team.

      2 – Get off whatever is hosting the site and create a "proper" media platform capable of (eventually) supporting an end game including Youtube, podcasts, long form studio interviews etc.

      3 – Create a Patreon page.

      4 – Create regularly updated premium content for Patreon users – like using the contributors/moderators you do have as contributing editors to contribute articles on the areas they are subject matter experts in.

      5 – Look at syndicating a Sunday reading omnibus by cross-posting from the likes of David Slack, Nick Rockel, Gerard Otto, Greater Auckland, David Farrier, Russell Brown, The Kaka – some as Patreon only (if the content owner needs to be paid per view) and some free.

      6 – Get more outreach for your posts, especially from the contributing editors, by publishing across multiple platforms – Slack, Substack, Reddit, Discord, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, LinkedIin etc .

      7 – Look to generate enough patreon and donation revenue or find enough grants to hire at least part time a social media manager & a researcher initially.

      8 – The end game would be a finding a good interviewer and doing a regular monthly 60 minute long form interview about left wing ideas and a professional, bright, enthusiastic, optimistic, must view, weekly 60 minute Youtube show presented by a couple of likeable, smart, passionate, unabashedly left media trained people under 40 in a proper studio – Pat Brittenden has the idea bless him but to be blunt his production and content is amateur and he is in Dunedin, which is a hopeless backwater these days.

      Anyway, perhaps something for me to do when I can afford to give up the rat race of paid employment.

      • Phillip ure 3.4.1
        28 April 2024 at 1:47 pm

        Agree with your suggestions…apart from the paywall…

        This would be a good time to do what you suggest….

        And I can't find any reasons not to involve/empower the readers more..

        One way this could be done is by making available an uptick option for readers to endorse what others have said..

        I would use that..and I am sure many others would also..

      • Tabletennis 3.4.2
        28 April 2024 at 2:36 pm

        @Sanctuary
        "her ridiculous womens rights party", and
        "our journalism is always politically committed; "

        Sounds like a contradiction in terms, maybe you’re not interested in what might be interesting or important to other people in today's political landscape, esp if there are women?

        "Novara specifically aviod entangling themselves in idiotic identity conflicts because they think it distracts them from their mission statement"

        and than this: visiting Novara for the 1st time:

        "The Cass Review was hyped as the nail in the coffin for a lawless cult of child mutilators. After all that, what we got was a 400-page GCSE sociology essay that ignored decades of research in favour of pure vibes. How embarrassing."

        "Gemma Stone is a transgender writer and co-founder of Trans Writes."
        https://novaramedia.com/2024/04/15/spare-a-thought-for-hilary-cass/

        What did you say about "aviod entangling themselves in idiotic identity conflicts"

        after reading that anti-scientific hogwash, seen enough. Give me WEKA anytime, at least you won't read anti-scientific ramblings like that.

        • Nic the NZer 3.4.2.1
          28 April 2024 at 3:01 pm

          Unfortunately a lot of the progressive commentary on this has promoted strawman narratives as opposition to the review. The main point opponents don't deal with is the description of youth-trans being peer pressure induced in many cases. We have seen many peer induced conditions with similar demographics (e.g teenage anorexia, bulemia even suicide attempts) and the appropriate treatment there seems to be good counciling.

          Unfortunately I didn't see a lot of engagement with the potential for some children to be starting on a medical path by peer pressure, but I did see a lot of implication this was not a thing.

          • weka 3.4.2.1.1
            28 April 2024 at 6:08 pm

            The Cass Review talks about it, and I think this will shift the debate over time. Lots of barriers have been broken in the past few weeks.

            • Nic the NZer 3.4.2.1.1.1
              28 April 2024 at 7:42 pm

              Seems to be one of the most difficult points for this commentary to deal with. Since the point of political commentary on the report ought to be to summarise what it says you don't get any approval from me with claiming an understandable analogy to peer pressure induced conditions, is actually claiming trans people are just cos playing and don't exist. If thats the only way a commentator understands psychology they are clearly not qualified to discuss a review of psychological practice.

              • weka …
                28 April 2024 at 7:55 pm

                I tend to agree. I find that whole line tedious tbh. I would also say that that level of commenting is politics not discussion of psychology and the impact and role of social media, peer-induced conditions (a better framing than contagion).

                One of the dynamics is the contemporary liberal idea that children know what they need. I'm of the generation where my peers as parents let their children decide what to eat (in the sense of overall diet) 🙄 I think later parents also handed over a level of responsibility for social media to young people and children, that has been a huge mistake.

                I also have an appreciation for why so many people have gone down the 'there's no such thing as a trans child' route. Lisa Littman tried to do research on rapid onset gender dysphoria and basically got cancelled. Now we have lots of parents who have kids who are medically transitioning and those parents are very very angry about the safeguarding failures.

      • Cricklewood 3.4.3
        28 April 2024 at 3:12 pm

        The moderation pendulum swung to far to the heavy handed side sadly. It certainly pushed a bunch of people away and so many interesting veiw points are gone. Redlogix springs to mind as an example.

      • Jilly Bee 3.4.4
        28 April 2024 at 4:52 pm

        Sadly, Sanctuary, I agree with your sentiments regarding commentary on The Standard lately. I say this as an aging feminist who despairs at what I read some days. I said several months ago that this site used to be my go to read for enlightened left wing commentary on matters political, but that seems to be no longer the case on the majority of days. I get far more thoughtful input from my Twitter mates.

        • weka 3.4.4.1
          28 April 2024 at 6:10 pm

          the main people writing posts currently are micky and Ad. Is that who you are referring to?

          If you want different content, maybe say what you would like to see?

          • Sanctuary 3.4.4.1.1
            28 April 2024 at 6:46 pm

            Mickey and Ad could both contribute well informed content as contributing editors on their expert subjects. Robert Guyton is an achiever with a deep love of the environmnet and hands on experience of governance. Not sure about Ianmac, but I imagine he would have a contribution based on experience in his area of excellence. Why not geWhat is your skillset? I'd love to find someone who could do a review of the weeks ethnic newspapers in Chinese and Indian languages – what on earth are those communities talking about? Its a skinny horse to start but let's fatten up Boxer over time.

            Monthly long form? It would be about ideas. Not the same parade of pundits discussing the horse race or activists – actual ideas. Why not talk about religion from the left? Talk to Peter Lineham, the Catholic Archbishop, the heads of the Anglican Communion. goodness, try and get a genuine evangelical pastor in for a hour long chat and counterpoint it talking to the pastor at Ponsonby Baptist a week later. Talk to the Maori King, Sarah Page of the kindness Collective, the dean of philosophy from Auckland University, Brian Easton and Craig Rennie, Bernard Hickey – once you've got a bit of credibility syndicate Novara media's downstream content with a kiwi panel to adjudge it relevance to NZ, then the likes of Ted Goia, Grace Blakeley and Marxist philosopher Richard Seymour, find a leftist expert on China’s economy and someone to give a leftist critique of the EU – gosh there is so many, that is over a year just there of the top off my head! Filling an ideas gap bigger the grand Canyon in NZ could make you the compulsory watch/listen on a Monday night!

            • Phillip ure 3.4.4.1.1.1
              29 April 2024 at 5:04 pm

              That 'idea'/information gap is why I started doing (proto-aggregation) site whoar,..all those years ago…

              I felt strongly that we were very poorly served as a nation…(The Herald and 6pm news were about it then.)

              And yet the good stuff was out there…even back then…intelligent writing was my main criteria..

              And I used to find about thirty stories a day I would deem worthy of inclusion…

              That a generalist take on the events on any given day…and included politics/entertainment in all its forms..etc..etc..

              Bugger all sport..I must confess..

              And I think it is so much easier now..to find that good stuff…(It is more an editing exercise…having a 'good eye'..)

              I say this in support of sanctuary's ideas for the standard…

              It could become what he is envisioning…

          • Cricklewood 3.4.4.1.2
            28 April 2024 at 6:57 pm

            Tbh I find the most interesting snippets came from the comments, the posts themselves are more a starting point. Thats why it's sad so many interesting particpants have been lost. Didnt always agree with them but the point of veiw often lead to further reading and a better understanding of the subject at the very least.

            It does worry me that we seem to be becoming ore fragile as a nation in terms of opposing views. The latest postponment of the panel @ Vic being a case in point.

            • weka 3.4.4.1.2.1
              28 April 2024 at 7:14 pm

              speaking as a long time commenter and author, the best way to get a more vibrant commentariat here is to support the posts. Read the post, comment under them, make an effort to create the kind of debate you want to see. For quite some time now there have been more comments in OM than under the posts. That's not sustainable.

              Commenters come and go, I have people I miss too. But without the authors and support for them, the site doesn't exist.

              I'm also concerned about the lowering ability to handle opposing views.

              • Cricklewood …
                28 April 2024 at 8:09 pm

                Personally speaking, I almost ignore Mickey's posts as they're almost always about the Nats or coalition and what theyre doing wrong. I'd rather hear his ideas about what a left govt should do… Id also suggest to you Weka that you be more open to opposing views on your posts even if they derail them a little. You have to screen a lot of worthless rock to find gold.

                I'd also add that I was ambivious to the gender stuff, although my partner had a read one day and went wtf and is now positivly engaged so while some dont like the posts keep it up.

      • ianmac 3.4.5
        28 April 2024 at 4:53 pm

        Refreshing ideas Sanctuary.

    • Puckish Rogue 3.5
      28 April 2024 at 5:06 pm

      I've been through the emotional wringer and had to go through some things which were not pleasent and included very dark thoughts

      Which was completely my own fault because I'm an open person and that was used against me

      So I'm not posting as much to keep myself safe and my career safe

      I will say that Weka does a good job moderating

      • weka 3.5.1
        28 April 2024 at 6:11 pm

        cheers PR.

        Your cautiousness seems sensible and I doubt you are the only one posting less for this reason.

      • Cricklewood 3.5.2
        28 April 2024 at 7:03 pm

        Someone figured out your psuedo? Pretty shit if so…

        • Puckish Rogue 3.5.2.1
          28 April 2024 at 7:39 pm

          Again it was my own fault or rather my own naivety

          • Cricklewood 3.5.2.1.1
            28 April 2024 at 7:51 pm

            Nah it's not, its some fragile individual whos so opposed to your world view that they'd seek you out and essentially attempted have you silenced. Your real life experience as you see it was valuable espexially here amd kinda matched my more limited experience as a contractor moving through Rimutaka. In a nutshell its the part of the left thats completely lost the plot.

  4. adam 4
    28 April 2024 at 12:17 pm

    Good on the Aussies. Getting their gun laws lined up.

    Whilst we have a bunch of wankers hell bent on enabling the next massacre.

    It's like our politicians are corrupted by greed and stupidity.

  5. Sanctuary 5
    28 April 2024 at 2:02 pm

    Personally I don't mind uptick as long as it doesn't include down vote, which is a form of groupthink bullying IMHO.

  6. Kay 6
    28 April 2024 at 2:19 pm

    While Pharmac definitely needs some tweaking done (read: major funding boost), I can't help but be extremely afraid about the future of medication access in New Zealand

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/515385/former-deputy-pm-paula-bennett-appointed-pharmac-board-chair

    • Tabletennis 6.1
      28 April 2024 at 2:40 pm

      @Kay
      "the future of medication access in New Zealand"

      Doesn't it depends on what the boards members tasks and expectations are?

      • Kay 6.1.1
        28 April 2024 at 4:05 pm

        More what the expectations of the relevant Ministers are. We may be pleasantly surprised, and something positive and beneficial for all might happen, but look at the players. The benefit to greater society is never on their agenda.

        • Tabletennis 6.1.1.1
          28 April 2024 at 6:10 pm

          "The benefit to greater society is never on their agenda."

          You know the dollar can be spent only once, right?
          It is so easy to stand on the sideline and criticise.
          What if you are faced with a budged and have to make chooses.
          a) helping 1000 people with a costly medication that extend their lives by average 6 months or
          b) helping 1000 people with medication to make them enjoy live more, over a longer period?

          With even more information the chooses become more difficult…

    • Joe90 6.2
      28 April 2024 at 4:35 pm

      Tbf, the last mob's former cabinet minister, Maharey, is being replaced by one of the new mob's former cabinet ministers.

    • Rodel 6.3
      29 April 2024 at 12:59 am

      Bennet's crony appointment to pharmc makes about as much sense as Seymour being associate minister of health. Couple of know nothings.

  7. Adrian 7
    28 April 2024 at 2:44 pm

    Best idea in a long time sanctuary. Congratulations.

  8. joe90 8
    28 April 2024 at 3:24 pm

    Goebbels lives.

    The Dystopians

    The Tech Baron Seeking to “Ethnically Cleanse” San Francisco

    If Balaji Srinivasan is any guide, then the Silicon Valley plutocrats are definitely not okay.

    […]

    “What I’m really calling for is something like tech Zionism,” he said, after comparing his movement to those started by the biblical Abraham, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith (founder of Mormonism), Theodor Herzl (“spiritual father” of the state of Israel), and Lee Kuan Yew (former authoritarian ruler of Singapore). Balaji then revealed his shocking ideas for a tech-governed city where citizens loyal to tech companies would form a new political tribe clad in gray t-shirts. “And if you see another Gray on the street … you do the nod,” he said, during a four-hour talk on the Moment of Zen podcast. “You’re a fellow Gray.”

    The Grays’ shirts would feature “Bitcoin or Elon or other kinds of logos … Y Combinator is a good one for the city of San Francisco in particular.” Grays would also receive special ID cards providing access to exclusive, Gray-controlled sectors of the city. In addition, the Grays would make an alliance with the police department, funding weekly “policeman’s banquets” to win them over.

    “Grays should embrace the police, okay? All-in on the police,” said Srinivasan. “What does that mean? That’s, as I said, banquets. That means every policeman’s son, daughter, wife, cousin, you know, sibling, whatever, should get a job at a tech company in security.”

    In exchange for extra food and jobs, cops would pledge loyalty to the Grays. Srinivasan recommends asking officers a series of questions to ascertain their political leanings. For example: “Did you want to take the sign off of Elon’s building?”

    https://newrepublic.com/article/180487/balaji-srinivasan-network-state-plutocrat

    • Obtrectator 8.1
      28 April 2024 at 5:45 pm

      Reading such chilling nonsense immediately called to mind this short story from long ago (published a few years after Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four):

      • joe90 8.1.1
        30 April 2024 at 11:13 am

        Ripe for the plucking.

        .

        @RpsAgainstTrump

        Trump supporter: “This country needs a dictator. I hate to say it, but this is the truth.” Never Trump.

        https://twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1784230836356677939

        Pew asked another question that gets at the democracy issue more obliquely. How important is it, they asked respondents, for losing candidates to concede an election? Both Democrats and Republicans (and leaning independents in both cases) largely said that it was “very” or “somewhat” important. But while 77 percent of Democrats/leaners said it was very important (as did 60 percent of all respondents), fewer than half of Republicans agreed.

        https://archive.li/Ux7hW#selection-823.0-823.443 (wapo)

    • satty 9.1
      28 April 2024 at 6:59 pm

      She chose a career as “unelected bureaucrat”, how nice for her. I guess trying to win a mayoral election was in the too hard basket.

      • Cricklewood 9.1.1
        28 April 2024 at 7:05 pm

        I'd say that was a play to get a choice roll which is now landed.

        Therw power brokers are quite happy with Wayne Brown tbh I prob vote for him if he stands again.

        • satty 9.1.1.1
          28 April 2024 at 7:16 pm

          Good point. Had a similar thought after pressing “Submit”.

          talking about unelected people pulling the strings of government. Is Bill English, the minder of the useless finance minister, paid by the tax payer, the National Party or by the financial supporters of the party?

  10. ianmac 10
    28 April 2024 at 5:12 pm

    Thank goodness we have Mark Mitchell to clear up crime in NZ.

    Armed robbers storm Michael Hill Jeweller store, use hammers to smash cabinets at Auckland mall.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/emergency-services-responding-to-aggravated-robbery-at-west-auckland-mall/L534V5VCPZACRMVXW4AM4AYIXU/

    Armed police guard scene of Partridge Jewellers Newmarket after second ram-raid in nine days

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/armed-police-guard-scene-of-partridge-jewellers-newmarket-after-second-ram-raid-in-nine-days/RRLQBE7RENCSXD5AQKIXJQH6VE/

    Note the outrage from Media!

    • bwaghorn 10.1
      28 April 2024 at 6:03 pm

      Funny how it's not the governments fault any more!!

    • satty 10.2
      28 April 2024 at 6:55 pm

      Same with the petrol price… it’s nearly funny how there’s no mention of high oil / petrol prices compared to pre-election.

      The media, especially in NZ, is such a joke.

  11. joe90 11
    28 April 2024 at 6:49 pm

    Apartheid Clyde's free speech absolutism….

    /

    X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, suspended an account owned by the grandson of former South African President Nelson Mandela on Friday.

    It is currently unclear why the social media platform, owned by Elon Musk, banned Zwelivelile Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa. The company has issued no statement regarding its decision to restrict the South African politician’s speech, but the timing is questionable.

    https://news.yahoo.com/why-did-elon-musk-just-211706089.html

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