Open mike 28/09/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 28th, 2024 - 98 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:


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 …

98 comments on “Open mike 28/09/2024 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Jenny 1
    28 September 2024 at 7:03 am

    Putin’s nuclear threats: empty rhetoric or a shift in battlefield strategy?

    In Britain, the BBC headlined with “Putin proposes new rules for using nuclear weapons”

    https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240927-vladimir-putin-nuclear-weapons-declaration-more-than-an-empty-threat-ukraine-nato-us-war

    My view?

    I come come down on the side of, 'empty rhetoric'.

    I believe that the Russian people would not tolerate the first use of nuclear weapons in this war.

    In my opinion; Putin's nuclear threats are the empty rhetoric of a dictator used to having his own way, frustrated at leading his country into a losing war, verbally flailing around, making threats he knows he dare not carry out, in fear of his own people's reaction.

    • Ad 1.1
      28 September 2024 at 7:19 am

      No one believed Putin when he said in 2014 Ukraine shouldn't exist.

      • Ngungukai 1.1.1
        28 September 2024 at 8:13 am

        Putin is nuttier than Squirrel Shit, however if he does press the button Russia will be flattened in no time as will Putin, he will cease to exist.

        • Ad 1.1.1.1
          28 September 2024 at 8:27 am

          I wouldn't trust the US not to either.

          That's the secret of detente.

          • aj 1.1.1.1.1
            28 September 2024 at 11:05 am

            Always worth asking the question, what country has used used nuclear weapons to date?

            • David 1.1.1.1.1.1
              28 September 2024 at 1:49 pm

              No it’s not worth asking that question. We know the answer, it was the allies, the united nations, so the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand along with the rest of the British empire. The freedoms and human rights that we have were brought with a terrible price in humanity. We did a whole lot of bad stuff during the second world war, but that bad stuff pales in comparison with what the Axis Powers were doing.

      • Jenny 1.1.2
        28 September 2024 at 9:43 am

        I find it interesting that those on this site who have been so vocifierous in their support of Putin's invasion of Ukraine, are now silent.
        Not even they it seems, can muster the enthusiasm to defend the Russian dictator's nuclear rhetoric.

        • mikesh 1.1.2.1
          29 September 2024 at 7:10 pm

          Thanks, Cassandra, for pointing that out.

          • Jenny 1.1.2.1.1
            30 September 2024 at 9:03 am

            No thanks needed

            Cassandra

            Meaning:Shining upon man. Cassandra is a feminine name of Greek origin meaning "shining upon man." This is a Latinized version of the Greek Kassandra—a name shared with a Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecies by Apollo but cursed so that no one would believe her.

            https://www.thebump.com/b/cassandra-baby-name

            I find my curse easy to bear just by knowing that it is true.

            Putin's supporters on thius site just don't want to whisper this truth, even to themselves;

            "Could Putin be more insane than Hitler?"

            Weapons of mass destruction WMDs are not a new phenomenon, nor is the reluctance to use them.

            Putin, for all his apocalyptic bluster will not use nuclear weapons for the same reason that Hitler did not gas London.

            Even as his Nazi regime was exterminating millions in the gas chambers, Adolf Hitler resisted calls to use the deadly nerve agent against his military adversaries….

            ….. In late 1938, the German scientist Gerhard Schrader was tasked with inventing a cheaper pesticide to kill the weevils that were damaging German fields and orchards. By mixing phosphorus with cyanide, he came up with a substance that was way too toxic to use for agriculture purposes.

            After Schrader’s employer, drug conglomerate I.G. Farben, informed the German army of his discovery, some impressed army scientists dubbed the liquid “tabun,” after the German word for taboo. Back in the lab, Schrader tinkered some more and came up with something even more toxic. He called the new substance sarin, an acronym for the names of the four scientists who developed it.

            By the end of World War II, Nazi Germany had produced some 12,000 tons of the deadly chemical compound, enough to kill millions of people. From early in the conflict, high-level military officers pressed Hitler to use sarin against their adversaries. But despite such pressure, Hitler declined to employ it as a chemical weapon against the Allied Powers…..

            https://www.history.com/news/the-nazis-developed-sarin-gas-but-hitler-was-afraid-to-use-it

            Sarin is a Weapon of Mass Murder, less the destruction, not so much a WMD, more a WMM.

            ….Sarin is expected to degrade in the environment fairly rapidly; however, liquid Sarin on surfaces could persist for up to 24 hours or more. Environmental conditions will affect the degradation and evaporation rates of Sarin with cooler conditions enhancing persistence.

            NRT Quick Reference Guide: Sarin (GB)

            If Putin was going to use a WMD on Ukraine, Sarin would be a far better option, not having the same blast effect, or lingering radiation danger. Unlike a nuclear attack, uildings and intrastructure would all be left intact, After sarin attack, the Russian invaders could march right in, as sarin degrades in the environment after 24 hours, the main problem would be dealing with the millions of human and animal corpses.

            • mikesh 1.1.2.1.1.1
              30 September 2024 at 6:35 pm

              “I find my curse easy to bear just by knowing that it is true.”

              Your truth, I guess, is not necessarily anybody else's. What you need is not "truth", but facts; and the facts will not be known until the war is over. You don't really know what Putin will do; that's something that lies in the future. I don't know either, but I'm prepared to wait and see what actually happens. You can mouth off with all the "truths" you like but until the facts are known your so called "truths" are just so much hot air.

      • SPC 1.1.3
        28 September 2024 at 10:32 pm

        The Russian military would remove Putin from power rather than launch a first use of nuclear weapons.

        • Jenny 1.1.3.1
          30 September 2024 at 10:23 am

          Again, there is some historical precedent:

          Stanislav Petrov

          Stanislav Petrov, a little-known Russian whose decision averted a potential nuclear war, died in May at 77, a family friend disclosed….

          ….In response to news of Petrov’s death, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) tweeted, “Times of nuclear tension call for careful restraint. You may not know Stanislav Petrov, but at height of the Cold War, he saved the world.”—ALICIA SANDERS-ZAKRE

          The Man Who "Saved the World" Dies at 77

    • koina 1.2
      28 September 2024 at 9:37 am

      If Putin pushes the button it is not just the end of the war it is the end of the world.

      We all die from the nuclear fall out.

      The USA is saying Russia invading Ukraine in 2022 is wrong .

      The USA is saying Jews invading Palestine in 1948 and the USA enforcing

      the illegal Jew invasion for 75 years is right.

      Such blatent hypocrisy.

      New Zealand Government sides with this USA hypocrisy

      • Mikey 1.2.1
        28 September 2024 at 10:18 am

        I guess they see the existence of a Jewish state as the least of many evils. Rampant islamification doesn't seem to bring great benefits, especially to females.

        • koina 1.2.1.1
          28 September 2024 at 10:36 am

          The 6 million Jews killed in the holocaust died at the hands of the White Western European Christians in Germany Austria Latvia Lithuania Estonia Hungary Czech Slovenia Slovakia Croatia Russia Poland Italy France. Nothing to do with the Muslims. Christitianity has murdered hundreds of millions from the year AD 1 being the most destructive during the White western invasion of the world from 1560 to 1960 including the White Christian invasion of this country from 1840. Jesus Christ is responsible for more murders than all other religions combined.

          • Ad 1.2.1.1.1
            28 September 2024 at 11:05 am

            That's a hot mess

            • koina 1.2.1.1.1.1
              28 September 2024 at 12:41 pm

              Just the truth

              • Ad …
                28 September 2024 at 11:13 pm

                No it's not. Jesus Christ is not responsible for any mass murder.

                Nor was Hitler a Christian.

              • Obtrectator …
                28 September 2024 at 11:13 pm

                Only part of it. Islam has done its share all right. Ask the Armenians, and the Greeks expelled from Anatolia after WW1. And if they hadn't barged into India back in the day, the subcontinent wouldn't be in the mess it is now.

              • Belladonna …
                30 September 2024 at 3:47 pm

                Just like the truth that Te Rauparaha was a cannibalistic mass murderer; responsible for killing far more Maori than died during the whole of the New Zealand Wars.

          • bwaghorn 1.2.1.1.2
            28 September 2024 at 12:04 pm

            Jesus Christ is responsible for more murders than all other religions combined.

            Bit unfair to blame a dead man for what his followers and power-hungry mutts did in his name, dontya think?

          • David 1.2.1.1.3
            28 September 2024 at 1:59 pm

            Bollocks, welcome to humanity. All countries have been invaded one way or another since the beginning of time.

            We are fortunate that people in the Western Europe countries, including The UK, and USA, started to develop a conscious and believe in universal human rights. Or we could destroy what we have, go back to 1500, in the hope that our leaders will take us to paradise. And if you believe that, boy do I have a deal for you… Wait till you hear about my new religion..,

            • koina 1.2.1.1.3.1
              28 September 2024 at 2:42 pm

              Yeah like the White Western Europeans including Britain and the USA enslaved 10 million black Africans for 300 years.

              You define that as Universal human rights .

              Whatever.

              Like Britain involved herself with two pointless world wars which killed 100 million people in conflicts which achieved absolutely nothing.

              Britain and the USA (since 1776) have been involved in more wars than any other countries in world history.

              War is the driving force the lifes blood of both the USA and Britain.

              Take off your blinkered White Western rose tinted glasess just for a second.

              Like Britain stole Paletine in 1919 and backed the illegal Jew invasion of Palestine in 1948. And the USA has enforced the illegal Jew invasion occupation and subjugation of the Palestinians for 75 years with brute force.

              Universal human rights?

              Talk is cheap.

              • David …
                28 September 2024 at 5:07 pm

                All right, you’re obviously pissed that it wasn’t your culture that was on the top of the pile for the past say 500 to 1000 years.

                Just like I'm kinda pissed that my white ancestors don’t work hard enough for me to have inter generational wealth. That’s what it comes down to for all of us.

                It’s 2024, there’s no way we can turn back the clock to another time when all was well and start over, Pandora’s box was opened at the dawn of time. The way the world is now, is pretty much how it’s always been. It’s human bloody nature.

                You ignore the good that has been happening over the past 150 to 250 years with the development of human rights, and that human rights should belong to everyone.

                As for the two pointless world wars, it was between us, the more enlightened western nations, against the much lesser enlightened nations. If we had not won those wars, as bad as the world is now, the alternative would have been far, far worse.

                Unfortunately this is wasted on you.

                Given what you have previously written, especially about “the Jews, your ideal society would be a totalitarian dictatorship (with you in the ruling class) where the most obscene human rights abuses would be committed in the name of righteousness. In other words, if you were German or Austrian, and we went back to 1943, you would have been an enthusiastic SS concentration camp guard.

              • SPC …
                28 September 2024 at 10:37 pm

                Like Britain involved herself with two pointless world wars which killed 100 million people in conflicts which achieved absolutely nothing.

                Did not start either and fought to keep other nations safe. The neutrality of Belgium and the defence of Poland. Perspective, think before you post.

              • Ad …
                29 September 2024 at 12:26 am

                Incoherent fact-free garbage.

          • mikesh 1.2.1.1.4
            28 September 2024 at 6:11 pm

            As Nietzche said: there was only ever one christian, and he died on the cross.

          • Cricklewood 1.2.1.1.5
            28 September 2024 at 8:22 pm

            But lets not ignore the muslim world is no better than the christian one. https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/slavery_1.shtml#:~:text=The%20Muslim%20slave%20trade%20from,those%20of%20the%20Atlantic%20slave

            Also lets be honest the way Iran, the Saudis et al. Treat woman is a fucking disgrace.

          • Visubversa 1.2.1.1.6
            28 September 2024 at 8:22 pm

            Don't forget the Crusades. Christians "reclaiming the Holy Land from the Infidels". And who were these "Infidels'" who were in possession of the "Holy Lands" at the time of the 12th Century? Hint – they were not the Jews. They were Arabs.

            • mpledger 1.2.1.1.6.1
              28 September 2024 at 10:23 pm

              There have been many entities controlling the "Holy Lands" from various African groups, various Arab groups, various Jewish groups, various European groups, various Asian groups (depending on where you place the Ottomans). Where in history do you mark the line that one group owns the land over another?

          • SPC 1.2.1.1.7
            28 September 2024 at 10:42 pm

            Funny how you blame one group of people for the death of the 6 million and yet in another post attack another nation for getting involved in a war against them.

            Do you think that by doing it in separate posts, the nonsense of it might be overlooked?

    • Mikey 1.3
      28 September 2024 at 10:14 am

      The Russian people don't seem to get much say in what Putin does. He's enough of a psychopath to think he'd get away with just a wee nukie on Kiev.

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 1.4
      28 September 2024 at 5:14 pm

      There is only one reason putin doesn't use nukes – he (and his imaginary great russian empire) will die in the response. It isn't because he isn't 'provoked' enough, morality, concern for everyday russians, or that he is just waiting for the best moment. It is simple self-preservation. If it weren't for the consequences, he would have used them long ago – wholesale murder and environmental catastrophe is a nothing for him.

      Despite all the talk and threats – this basic equation hasn't changed.

    • Belladonna 1.5
      30 September 2024 at 3:41 pm

      I believe that the Russian people would not tolerate the first use of nuclear weapons in this war.

      I don't believe that the Russian people have any influence at all over Putin.

      Now, whether the generals in charge of the missile silos would tolerate a Nuclear first strike, is entirely another question. Given that they are less likely to believe their bombastic propaganda, I'd think the answer is 'no'.

  2. Ad 2
    28 September 2024 at 7:18 am

    Everyone in the south:

    Make sure you get along today to a march about the hospital.

    This is a systemic betrayal.

  3. PsyclingLeft.Always 3
    28 September 2024 at 8:35 am

    catholic church apologises..but only partially. IE not really an apology..or accepting the damage caused.

    Abuse in Care report: Catholic Church does not fully accept some findings, survivor says response 'appalling'

    The Catholic Church has apologised again to survivors of abuse in its care, accepting most of the Royal Commission's findings but not fully accepting several others.

    The church did not fully accept a finding that faith-based settings were slow to respond to abuse during the inquiry period between 1950 and 1999.

    "In some instances, this was true. In other instances, Catholic entities were developing responses and implementing changes on par with – or even ahead of – state-based institutions," the statement said.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/529268/abuse-in-care-report-catholic-church-does-not-fully-accept-some-findings-survivor-says-response-appalling

    Re the "In other instances, Catholic entities were developing responses" …yea, hiding and protecting known POS abusers.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_sexual_abuse_cases_in_New_Zealand

    And sending them to our Pacific neighbours. Scumbags : (

    The Detail: Paedophile priests dumped in the Pacific

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/526860/the-detail-paedophile-priests-dumped-in-the-pacific

    • Ad 3.1
      28 September 2024 at 10:52 am

      They were sure faster than this state.

      • SPC 3.1.1
        28 September 2024 at 10:06 pm

        The state (organisations) had 4 months to respond, the religious groups 2 months. The valid comparison is to other religious groups.

        • Ad 3.1.1.1
          28 September 2024 at 11:18 pm

          The religious groups had to ask to be included.

          So they fronted up better than the state on both counts.

          Prepare to compare the Luxon response to the Catholic ones.

          • SPC 3.1.1.1.1
            28 September 2024 at 11:19 pm

            I'll compare the government response to that of the Oz government.

            • Ad 3.1.1.1.1.1
              28 September 2024 at 11:21 pm

              Why?

              • SPC …
                28 September 2024 at 11:32 pm

                Because I'm a political citizen of a democracy, not a member of a church unaccountable to anyone, not even its own laity.

                • Ad …
                  28 September 2024 at 11:39 pm

                  So why choose Australia's response to their own situation as a comparator?

                  What did they do in response to similar institutional crimes?

                  Are those responses useful in informing our own?

                  You must have something better than complaining that the state is more accountable to institutional crime, when clearly the churches here actively stood up to be accountable than our state – and sure faster than our state, have had their own staff members arrested and tried and jailed – far more than the state, and have defrocked staff – when public servants from the `60s 70s and 80s have run free, and formed new protocols, and paid out multimillion dollar recompense – near zero from the state, and changed the names of institutions from names who even had a taint of mismanagement – nothing comparable from the state there, and have done so repeatedly up and down the country.

                  Has the NZ state down any of that?

                  Has the Australian state done any of that?

                  Because it's sure easy to go chapter and verse on Catholic and Anglican accountability.

                  • SPC …
                    28 September 2024 at 11:48 pm

                    So why choose Australia's response to their own situation as a comparator?

                    A recent precedent in a nation state of our type.

                    The real issue for the nation state is why they only do historic accountability. Why no cases 2000-2018, or current complaints?

                    It seems the process is designed to ensure the government is claiming to be immune from investigation/accountability in real time.

                    And no prosecutions of living people can occur (as if they had job immunity).

                    The so called PC Commissioner, said of those past times, then police did not question those of status in society, despite complaints.

                    PS – The lack of accountability of police is totally missing in the process.

                    • Ad …
                      29 September 2024 at 12:21 am

                      The missing list from the state is long indeed. And it's actual individuals that should be named, from:

                      Police. Oranga Tamariki and its predecessor institutions. MSD. DIA. DPMC. ACC. MoJ. Crown Law and Crown Prosecutors. Multiple DHBs and multiple units within them, and predecessor entities within the Ministry of Health. Corrections. Maori Affairs. Ministry of Education. And more.

                      Thousands of public servants, over decades.

                      And our Prime Minister will deign to give an apology to just a few of the sufferers on November 12th.

                  • SPC …
                    29 September 2024 at 12:03 am

                    I find it strange that you complain about my focus on government accountability (I'll leave it to laity, as to the church response) – when your only purpose seems to be to want to praise the religious group response as better.

                    But given your misrepresentation of a religious groups earlier response, without reference to the longer 4 months for state groups to respond … .

                    • Ad …
                      29 September 2024 at 12:24 am

                      PsyclingLeft put up the usual no-context nonsense, and your response was just as blind.

                      Now I'll have to write an entire post on the damn report.

                    • SPC …
                      29 September 2024 at 12:35 am

                      There are varying degrees of blindness, from focus on a group one is not a member of, and comparing red apples with green apples.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 3.1.2
        29 September 2024 at 3:21 pm

        No reply function to your comment here…..

        https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-28-09-2024/#comment-2012340

        PsyclingLeft put up the usual no-context nonsense

        I provided 3 Links..and comment on same. I have previously commented about other abuse in care. But this somehow annoyed you. So you attack me? Whatever.

  4. tWig 4
    28 September 2024 at 10:42 am

    Honest Government Ad 'advocating' for Trump's 2024 campaign. HeeHee.

  5. joe90 5
    28 September 2024 at 11:26 am

    She was awfully good.

    .

    @feedthedrummer

    Everyone will be talking about Harry Potter and Downton, but early years Maggie Smith was so so good.

    https://xcancel.com/feedthedrummer/status/1839659021835338040

  6. I Feel Love 6
    28 September 2024 at 12:34 pm

    "I am so disgusted I have trouble sleeping. I feel partly guilty for this as I believed Luxon when he said if elected, he will reverse any proposed cuts to the hospital. I will never vote National ever again" – in the Otago Daily Times today, & I know the guy who wrote this, a workmate who I have stopped talking politics with a long time ago because he is (was?) such a Nat supporter.

  7. Reality 7
    28 September 2024 at 1:03 pm

    A good many years ago National wanted to close Hutt Hospital. A very well attended protest outside the hospital brought some sense into this nutty idea. For the people of Wainuiomata (which has grown a lot over the years), Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt (which has also had a lot of growth) to get into Wellington Hospital via the only route to Wellington from those regions, and through the inner city to the hospital, it would have been a nightmare.

    Some decision makers have no common sense at all.

  8. adam 8
    28 September 2024 at 1:48 pm

    WOW so kiddy fuckers get no prison sentence, but do peaceful protest – you will get years in jail.

    • David 8.1
      28 September 2024 at 2:10 pm

      No, it’s not a peaceful protest.

      These are self entitled middle class white kiddies who believe they can do whatever they want, and get away with it.

      These groups have attempted to vandalise priceless art works, Stonehenge, and also a commercial airplane. They do it for their own ego, nothing else. These people would become tyrants if the opportunity arises.
      Oh kiddie fuckers do go to jail…

      • adam 8.1.1
        28 September 2024 at 5:01 pm

        Am I to assume you got more rage for protestors, than kiddy fuckers there David?

        That said

        Got any proof to back up

        They do it for their own ego, nothing else.

        Because they say https://juststopoil.org/our-demand/

        And where was the violence? Who was physically hurt? Again got proof for your stupid statement

        it’s not a peaceful protest.

        They knew their was glass, and they knew Stonehenge could handle a wee bit of water based paint. So vandalism, I call bullshit fake rage from you so you can keep being a smug middle class prick doing what you want with no consequences – Happy to be proven wrong on that one.

        • David 8.1.1.1
          28 September 2024 at 5:50 pm

          I’m adult, Im well aware of the consequences of my actions when or if I fuck up. Hopefully I’ve learned something along the way, which is why I’ve done less and less stupid shit as I’ve got older.

          A threat or pretence of causing damage to the art, Stonehenge and in another instance a commercial airplane, is violence and blackmail.

          The type of person who does this is doing so for their own selfish reasons, and they achieve nothing at all.

          They deserve to be jailed.

          • adam 8.1.1.1.1
            28 September 2024 at 10:33 pm

            So you got nothing, but your rage.

          • gsays 8.1.1.1.2
            29 September 2024 at 9:00 am

            "… and they achieve nothing at all." Not true.

            They've got you talking about them for a start.

            • David 8.1.1.1.2.1
              29 September 2024 at 9:58 am

              Okay you’re right, we are “talking about them” which is what “they” want

              Meanwhile the people who are actually doing stuff to combat climate change and to improve the environment are doing what they’re doing without recognition.

              We are talking about the wrong people.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 8.1.2
        28 September 2024 at 5:05 pm

        These groups have attempted to vandalise priceless art works…

        We can only hope that these priceless artworks will be saved for future generations.

        Govt’s ostrich mentality inflaming climate-change crisis [27 Aug 2024]
        Like most of us, I don’t ignore my doctor’s advice on how to stay alive. Can we please have a government that pays attention to the climate-change planet doctors?

        Alas, fossil fuel companies and their enablers will not rest until every last 'drop' of convenient fuel has been harvested – you can get fuel/money from a stone.

        Why Fossil Fuel Companies Can’t Leave Resources Stranded [2 Nov 2023]
        Even as climate advocates call for eliminating fossil fuels, companies continue to launch major production plans.

        Governments plan to produce double the fossil fuels in 2030 than the 1.5°C warming limit allows [8 Nov 2023]
        …governments plan to produce around 110% more fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C, and 69% more than would be consistent with 2°C.

        Fossil fuel use reaches global record despite clean energy growth
        [20 June 2024]

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Stop_Oil#Funding

        Some environmental organisations/movements espouse a belief that this iteration of human civilisation is screwing future generations because of dodgy priorities, and taking a lot of other species down with it.

        The current rate of extinction of species is estimated at 100 to 1,000 times higher than natural background extinction rates and is increasing.
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_extinction

        • David 8.1.2.2
          28 September 2024 at 5:33 pm

          Two separate issues.

          We all know about global warming, climate change and environmental damage. In that case protest in the streets, but don’t fucking vandalise works of art, or an ancient monument like Stonehenge, and for fuck’s sake don’t ever try to vandalise a fucking airplane.

          In this case, these entitled white middle class kiddies have engaged in acts of vandalism have achieved nothing, but risked irreparable damage and possible death, all for the sake of their own ego.

          • KJT 8.1.2.2.1
            28 September 2024 at 5:39 pm

            Just like the womens suffrage protesters. eh?

            Fighting for representation: suffragettes and art vandalism | Art UK

            Pollution causing AGW is vandalising the entire environment we depend on. When are we going to see arrests and jail time for those acts of vandalism.

          • Drowsy M. Kram 8.1.2.2.2
            28 September 2024 at 8:16 pm

            We had a very big climate conference this year and, if you do not relent, I warn you, we will have another!

            …don’t fucking vandalise works of art…
            …these entitled white middle class kiddies…

            Entitlement is everywhere. This particular act of protest/vandalism seems to have been highly effective at provoking outrage – if only that outrage could be redirected towards fossil fuel companies and their enablers – I suppose everyone does what they can.

          • SPC 8.1.2.2.3
            28 September 2024 at 10:27 pm

            The stone of Scone was damaged in the suffragette cause. It was effectively split by an explosion. A nice joke, given there was a time when women's roles on stage were performed by men, and yet a woman was on the throne and head of a patriarchal church. And was later succeeded in this by another women. These few, just wanted victory in their own time. Never … and as Clementine would remind her husband, do not challenge a women to a public debate, till you win one at home (Nancy Astor, I do not want to see WC in my Commons bathroom)

        • Ngungukai 8.1.2.3
          29 September 2024 at 6:52 pm

          Drill Baby Drill – Shane Jones NZF

      • Muttonbird 8.1.3
        28 September 2024 at 7:42 pm

        It's amusing when white right wing nut jobs consider European artworks sacred but fail to acknowledge treasures from any other cultures, including those from the country they themselves are privileged to live in.

      • SPC 8.1.4
        28 September 2024 at 10:20 pm

        It is only the appearance of a threat to the art works. It is not even vandalism, just an inconvenience to that days public display of that art work.

        The point being what the corporate enabling establishment pose as civilisation, the existence of an art gallery open to the public, is not as important as the security of the environment from pollution and or the habitat for human settlement – as per global instability (economic disruption and political oligarchy leading to an undermining of democracy) resulting from climate change.

  9. Muttonbird 9
    28 September 2024 at 3:14 pm

    Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan asked those gathered: “Why are we here? Because we’ve been bloody lied to.”

    ”It was only two weeks ago during a mayoral forum we were assured the promises would be kept. Two weeks, and then the hatchet brothers came to town.

    The hatchet brothers = Bishop and Reti.

    Fuxon seems to have wildly misread this one.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/dunedin-march-against-broken-promise-as-new-hospital-project-faces-massive-cuts/S577ICUA5REYTMW23ZFQXD3FKA/

    • Mike the Lefty 9.1
      28 September 2024 at 4:05 pm

      I bet Bryan Cadogan wishes now that he hadn't been such an enthusiastic cheerleader for National at the last election.

      Vote National – say no to three waters – he told everyone.

      Turns out that Three waters was the least of his problems.

      Be careful what you wish for!

      • tWig 9.2.1
        28 September 2024 at 5:26 pm

        Looks like lovely weather. Before exams was always the best time of year weather-wise in Dunedin, that midspring period, sunny, windless and hot.

        And 35k an amazing turnout in a city of 130k.

        • Muttonbird 9.2.1.1
          28 September 2024 at 6:05 pm

          Perhaps Luxon will suggest a downgraded prefab style hospital.

          He did that when responding to questioning about the cancellation of school buildings.

          He questioned whether school buildings need to be designed, better to do cheap, undesigned templated buildings, and "you can sex it up with a bit of landscaping". That is what he said, and I remember that quote because it was so jarring, not least of which was the offhand way he used the word sex in relation to schools…

          The inference there is that state school students don't deserve buildings which make them proud to be a part of that school. Only private school students deserve infrastructure and environment which encourages them to engage in learning.

          The point is, a hospital building should be decent. It should command a certain authority of care and purpose, architecture which to encourage people to engage with, and not be afraid of, the heath system.

          You're not going to get that if the new, two generation, regional hospital looks like some fucker has done it on the cheap.

          If no aspiration, why have architecture at all?

        • Bearded Git 9.2.1.2
          28 September 2024 at 11:23 pm

          300+ people turned out in Wanaka with 5 minutes notice. Incredible.

          They didn't even have a megaphone for the people speaking.

          National's lies are coming home to roost. One term government.

  10. Patricia Bremner 10
    28 September 2024 at 6:46 pm

    While I was reading that, the word decent struck me. We need a decent pm.

    • Bruce Ellis 11.1
      28 September 2024 at 9:28 pm

      Funny how he appears on the field after the winning effort of the All Blacks.

    • SPC 11.2
      28 September 2024 at 10:55 pm

      Just as well their two leading spinners got tired, or the black caps may have been bowled out on the third day.

      Pick. By lunch on the 4th day. Bowled out twice in less than 5 sessions.

      First team to win a World Test Championship. Seems like when US was the first and only winner of a rugby gold medal – Paris 1924.

      It has not been at the Olympics since.

      The crowd violence during, and the pitch invasion after, the 1924 Olympic Final served to give rugby a poor image (France lost).

      The USA has never made a World Cup quarter-final since then.

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.