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6:02 am, September 29th, 2018 - 104 comments
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Brilliant journalism.
“A CIA lucky break? How the death of the ‘Smiling Pope’ helped Washington win the Cold War.
The sudden death of Pope John Paul I, exactly 40 years ago today, stunned the world. The ‘Smiling Pope’ had only served for 33 days. His demise and replacement by John Paul II marked an important turning point in the old Cold War.
The year 1978, as I argued in a previous op-ed, was the year today’s world was made.
There was nothing inevitable about the ascendancy of Reagan and Thatcher, the rise of groups like Al-Qaeda and IS, and the downfall of the Soviet Union. The neoliberal, neoconservative world order and its associated violence came about because of key events and decisions which took place 40 years ago. The Vatican was at the heart of these events.”
The drama which unfolded there in the summer of 1978 would have been rejected as being too far-fetched if sent in as a film script. In a space of two and a half months, we had three different Popes. There was no great surprise when, on August 6, the first of them, Pope Paul VI, died after suffering a massive heart attack. The Supreme Pontiff, who had served since 1963, was 80 and had been in declining health. But the death of his much younger successor, John Paul I, a radical reformer who wanted to build a genuine People’s Church, has fuelled conspiracy theories to this day.”
Read the whole article here.
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/439831-john-paul-smiling-pope/amp/
From that great source of investigative journalism, RT. Not
(Well at least not since the departure of Abby Martin)
John Paul I was replaced by the reactionary John Paul II who backed the CIA created Solidarity “union” that managed to turn Poland into a Catholic theocracy after the wall came down.
Craig Murray nails it.
“#BoycottTheGuardian Because it is a neo-con rag that deliberately promotes false left identity politics to undermine horizontal solidarity between the exploited ordinary people”
What on earth are you talking about?
How about a link, or something.
So I googled “#BoycottTheGuardian” And came up with links to Mint Press and The Canary, partisan supporters of the Assad regime, both caught circulating or fabricating false stories about the civil war in Syria.
It doesn’t surprise me, that two virulently pro Assad websites would be leading a campaign to boycott the Guardian.
The Canary
Mint Press
Brilliant Ed, I gave up on the Guardian some time ago.. because of people like yourself who outlined its flaws.
Yep – ed has warned us for years and I wish he’d taken his own advice. Stop your msm watching ed (I mean Duncan garner really?) it is not good for you – I worry that this may have become an addiction for you.
It’s a form of self abuse.
I heard of the new left, and the old left, but this false left sounds interesting. What is that again?
Your eagle eye Ed has brought forward some interesting things to ponder in Nos.1 and 2.
Ed is the only one who can view msm without been corrupted and warn us of its evil. He does gods work as our morale conscience, educator of the people and the benevolent policing of our thoughts instructing us with love who and what is suitable material for our contemplation. I would be lost with out him, he nails it and he rocks
Ed in a previous incarnation.
https://digitalnz.org/records/22675857
Perhaps you know what the false left is then?
More US neocon wars on the way.
“In an interview to The National newspaper, US Deputy Secretary of State Tim Lenderking announced that the White House plans to unite the Arab states in a coalition against #Iran by December.”
https://t.co/uDIszGgLU3?amp=1
The US won’t invade Iran. They simply do not have the will power or the resources to invade and occupy that country. Afghanistan was easy to invade because they were fighting a bunch of goatherds with AK47 and clapped out MiG 21’s, Iraq’s military was pretty much worn out by 2 wars and 12 years of sanctions, while Iran’s forces have access to the latestcutting edge Chinese and Russian technology and tactics, even more so with the Revolutionary Guards. The neo-cons are just sabre rattling, they know they cannot fight another war, having maxed the credit cards out on the last two.
They might facilitate the House of Sad recruiting more headchoppers in hiluxes though.
Kavanagh is recommended. Vote on party lines 11-10.
Senate vote probably next week.
Hellava tilt to the US Supreme Court.
Very true recap of Kavanaugh testimony.
Well worth a read.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/28/brett-kavanaugh-testimony-nominee-supreme-court
Yes and this is an excellent read too
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/28/kavanaugh-trump-accusers-response
Also:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/28/jeff-flake-brett-kavanaugh-latest-confirmation-senate
I salute one of the most courageous women of our time:
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford
Interesting discussion on Kim on Radionz Kavanaugh and USA furore (that the commenter says brought about a pre-revolutionary sensation for a time after loud voices in the hearings).
9:40 Charles Lane – The Kavanaugh hearing
Charles (Chuck) Lane
Charles (Chuck) Lane Photo: Screenshot / YouTube
After a gripping day of testimony yesterday from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and the woman accusing him of historic sexual assault, Christine Blasey Ford, the Senate Judiciary Committee has voted, as expected, to approve of Kavanaugh’s nomination. However, a handful of key Republican senators threaten to scupper the final vote by the Senate – they’ve asked for a week-long FBI investigation into Ford’s allegations.
Kim Hill looks at the facts with journalist Charles (Chuck) Lane – an opinion writer for The Washington Post. Charles Lane was a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in editorial writing. He is the author of The Day Freedom Died: The Colfax Massacre, the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of Reconstruction and a frequent commentator on television and radio.
Good critical look at Kavanaugh testimony where he has dropped the previous scripted answers,considered judicial demeanor and some tears instead he came out all guns blazing.
Apparently its common tactic of abusers when they finally realise they may face consequences.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/9/27/1799292/-Kavanaugh-s-opening-remarks-are-a-masterclass-in-a-common-sexual-abuser-defense-tactic#read-more
You kind of wonder if he still enjoys a drink or three too.
he loved his Brewskis- a slang term for keg style cheap watery beer
Kim Hill’s interview this morning of Charles Lane (referred to in 4.1.1.1.1) was very topical as this issue is changing by the hour. Here is the link.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018664667/charles-lane-the-kavanaugh-hearings
RNZ News have also been following the situation closely and here is their latest news report on Trump ordering the FBI to reopen their investigation.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018664667/charles-lane-the-kavanaugh-hearings
Vox made a chart.
There were several noticeable differences between the Senate testimony of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman accusing him of sexual assault, Christine Blasey Ford.
The most obvious was the tone each took. Ford was polite and quiet in recounting her accusation against Kavanaugh; he was angry and loud in his denials of the allegations against him.
Beyond the style of their testimonies, there was a striking difference in the content of their words. Both Ford and Kavanaugh fielded questions from senators and the prosecutor hired by Republicans, Rachel Mitchell.
But only Ford made an effort to answer every single question.
Kavanaugh actively dodged questions. He often repeated the same non-answer over and over. Other times, he insisted on answering a question with “context” — which inevitably was a long story about his childhood — but never actually answered the question.
https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2018/9/28/17914308/kavanaugh-ford-question-dodge-hearing-chart
As expected.
Here is all the news on the Kavanaugh situation neatly summed up by Matt at WTF. Full quote because lots of happenings and changes of opinion over the past 24 hours:
https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/
From Media Lens, an excellent UK organisation.
“A must-read article. Especially note this crucial suggestion:
‘We should now start the ball rolling and complain whenever the corporation’s coverage omits climate change when it is a legitimate part of another story…
‘Good luck and keep watching the news, closely…’
Media Lens refer to this story.
“What did it take for the BBC to admit that its coverage of climate change was fundamentally flawed? Ofcom this year ruled that the Radio 4 Today programme breached its own accuracy guidelines. The same programmed was previously censured by the BBC’s own complaints unit in under similar circumstances and was criticised for not fully implementing the findings of a review in 2011 by the BBC Trust of the “accuracy of the BBC’s coverage of science”. Then, last month, dozens of environmentalists wrote an open letter in which they said they would refuse to appear on programmes in which climate sceptics had been invited on to provide ‘balance’.
Faced, in effect, with an interviewee strike, something finally shifted. The BBC’s director of news and current affairs, Fran Unsworth, sent a memo to staff admitting that, “Climate change has been a difficult subject for the BBC, and we get coverage of it wrong too often.” She went on to say that, “To achieve impartiality, you do not need to include outright deniers of climate change in BBC coverage, in the same way you would not have someone denying that Manchester United won 2-0 last Saturday. The referee has spoken.” This admission is long overdue and welcome, even if the Sunday Times still managed to report it as the BBC ‘freezing out’ climate sceptics. It’s easy to forget that the basic physics and chemistry of climate change has been known for centuries, and its link to the economic exploitation of fossil fuels for over a hundred years…….
……We should now start the ball rolling and complain whenever the corporation’s coverage omits climate change when it is a legitimate part of another story. An example from recent days might be when City traders were reportedly ‘braced’ for the impact of high oil prices driven by the impact on supply of Hurricane Florence, itself an extreme weather event fuelled in part by global warming, a consequence of burning fossil fuels like oil. There’s an irony wrapped inside a paradox. A further irony of course is that when the price of oil rises, oil companies make windfall profits.
We should also call-out when there simply is not enough coverage of the deeper implications of our changing climate. The watching, reading and listening public have a right to be informed about the likely consequences of the choices we are making in the economy, in our lifestyles, and in the world we are building around us. To make it easier, you can find out everything you need to know about making a complaint to the BBC here: https://bbcwatch.org/complaints/
Good luck and keep watching the news, closely…”
The whole article is here.
https://t.co/n7hlZ3Bk4m?amp=1
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12133319
National wrote the film industry a blank cheque the fucking idiots.
@ bwaghorn – from his/her link, weird Kiwi taxpayers are paying 25% of some film industries costs… more redistribution from the poor to the rich multinational under the idea of ‘competitivness… oh but we can’t pull out because then they can sue us…
“In 2013 the National government signed a memorandum of understanding with Lightstorm Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox committing the government to paying for a quarter of the costs of the upcoming Avatar sequels.
Parker said any changes to the subsidy scheme would expose the government to legal risks.
“The advice we had is that the last government had agreed to an uncapped liability for future subsidies for the Avatar film series. If we were to cancel that and to pull out of that deal there would have been litigation issues,” he said.
Parker said the costs to government from that deal would be significant. The 2013 agreement suggests the Avatar films will cost a minimum of $500m, of which a quarter – or $125m – will be paid by government.
“I’m somewhat surprised that the prior government agreed to an uncapped liability for that – particularly when they didn’t budget for it,” he said.
Briefings to Parker, obtained under the Official Information Act, detail officials’ concerns that despite having paid out around $1 billion over the past decade to attract international film productions, government officials were still unable to prove the spending was worthwhile.”
Parker said the costs to government from that deal would be significant. The 2013 agreement suggests the Avatar films will cost a minimum of $500m, of which a quarter – or $125m – will be paid by government.
Actual spending on the films – and the accompanying subsidy – is likely to substantially exceed this minimum as two films are already in production with the prospect of two more in the pipeline.
The first Avatar film cost $360m to produce in 2009, and Hobbit trilogy of films, also filmed in Wellington under the subsidy scheme, ended up costing a total just over $1b.
Parker sheeted this exposure, potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to the taxpayer, back to the previous National government.
No cap, the excesses of neo liberal spending on its favoured projects, matched by the excessive limitation of spending available to modern requirements for health, management of reliable employment and housing for livable wages.
We are being bled by National Party supporters who are akin to a NZ Mafia.
The mafia of course has advanced its core business from just prostitution and protection.
(Just watching Jonathan Pie’s latest and he is on about Brexit, gonnohroea and the shortage of sperm. What would we do without the opportunity to laugh at these stupendous rants. Saying what we all are, or haven’t got round to, thinking.)
We of course stand to collect 25% of the gross. No?
Nope – nothing ,nada ,zilch etc. National party business skills at their apex.
Kept a lot of lefty artist and Champaign socialist in work can’t be a bad thing
Bewildered
You are a creepy pretender. You know how to spell the whine but pretend to be one of the lower classes, who you spy for you sly howlow man.
Nup sorry to disappoint you greywarshark just agood old boy from working class Upper Hutt Just been around long enough see bs when I see it
“Kept a lot of lefty artist and Champaign socialist in work”
And national wanted that ? Like any business like tha,t 20% goes to ordinary workers and 80% to the management tier and the financiers- Nows thats a demographic national can love.
you obviously have not looked at many business pnls or balance sheets then, just pulled that stat out of your rear end
Was that an MBIE masterstroke? Just seems like it might be.
Gordon Campbell on Elizabeth Warren’s plan to save capitalism from itself
Warren is not offering the left’s usual solutions i.e. new and costly government programmes to compensate those left behind by unfettered market capitalism. Instead, and as set out in the Accountable Capitalism Act she launched in August, Warren aims to rein in those market forces. In future, large firms and multinationals will no longer be able to act as sociopaths with no obligations to anyone (or anything) but their own shareholders. Here’s Vox’s Matthew Yglesias:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1809/S00160/gordon-campbell-on-elizabeth-warrens-plans.htm
AD’s post on Warren’s plan.
https://thestandard.org.nz/elizabeth-warren-and-accountable-capitalism/
Of course cooperatives are the thin end of the creeping socialism wedge, unless you’re a dairy farmer.
/
Dr. James Peter Warbasse opined in the journal Co-operation, “Once the people of New York City lived in their own houses, but those days have gone. … The houses are owned by landlords who conduct them, not for the purpose of domiciling the people in health and comfort, but for the single purpose of making money out of tenants.” That was in 1919.
A century later, things have gone from bad to worse. A quarter of U.S. households pay more than half their income in rent. In New York City, homelessness has hit record levels.
[…]
Today, more than 100,000 New Yorkers live in apartments built by the labor movement between 1926 and 1974, mostly through an organization called the United Housing Foundation. Roughly 40,000 still-affordable cooperative housing units—Amalgamated Houses, Concourse Village and Co-op City in the Bronx; Penn South in the heart of Manhattan; 1199 Plaza in East Harlem; Rochdale Village and Electchester in Queens; Amalgamated Warbasse in Brooklyn—stand as monuments to what an organized working class can achieve. This housing provides a bulwark against gentrification and a blueprint for ending the housing crisis. Let’s look at how it all got started, how it came to an end and what it would take for labor to build again.
http://inthesetimes.com/features/unions-housing-crisis-labor-coop-apartments-new-york-homeless-rent-control.html
In NZ the houses built by the labour movement are being demolished to make way for apartments – of which many will be privately owned – but the ratepayers will be expected to provide the insurance via councils for the new builds, not the builders or developers profiting from them… who are rarely held to account…. something is wrong with the NZ picture… why is there not a separate charge made to developers that is insurance against any future problems so that the ratepayers don’t pick up the bills…
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/367531/auckland-council-report-reveals-600m-surplus
Trying to understand our times? A fan or not of Obama? Where is the ordinary person in this present morass? Follow this woman I suggest. I think she is following the trail of the evoslution of ordinary man and woman in a revealing way – she is studying a small dying town fighting for survival at the local level and how they are getting on and their ways. (I think this is referred to at the end of the interview but can’t remember.)
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday
8:09 Jeanne Marie Laskas – To Obama, with Love, Joy, Hate and Despair
Jeanne Marie Laskas is the New York Times bestselling author of Concussion and her 2009 GQ article ‘Game Brain’ inspired the Golden Globe-nominated movie, Concussion, starring Will Smith and Alec Baldwin. She is the author of seven books, including Hidden America and The Exact Same Moon. Her writing has appeared in the New Yorker, GQ, Esquire, the New York Times Magazine and many other publications. She is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, where she teaches creative writing, and lives on a horse farm in Pennsylvania with her family.
Laskas speaks to Kim about her latest book, To Obama: With Love, Joy, Hate and Despair, which looks in detail at a small number of the approximately seven million letters sent to Barack Obama during his years as US President. She also looks at the writers, including Bobby Ingram, pictured above, whose letter made a huge impression on Obama.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018664665/jeanne-marie-laskas-to-obama
Who is Larry Williams? Just curious.
He’s a loudmouth ZB presenter. Used to work in the late afternoon slot but since I haven’t tuned into the station for years, not sure if he still does.
yes . Still Drivetime, not that I would ( or even could) listen. I think hes even more right than Hosking
Recently, I criticised Stuff’s coverage (for want of a better word) of the launch of a book written by Craig Heatley. Compare and contrast that with the much more subtle plug of the new book by Max Rashbrooke.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/107316253/national-portrait-max-rashbrooke
The points about labours ‘top down reviews’ was interesting.
Couldnt be more stark with the Little Justice Summit budget disclosures.
nearly $1 mill for ‘consultants”.
I think Little made the mistake of leaving it up to officials to organise who then run to PwC and other big names who probably have no real idea what to do either but charge like wounded bulls for the privledge of using them.
I think the huge costs of hiring experts/consultants is a separate issue that tends to cloud the main one, which is lack of democratic representation.
I recently argued for more involvement of lay-people. One argument against this often is that lay-people lack the necessary expertise and don’t know what they’re talking about. Given that most of those reviews and what have you will have direct impact on people of which the majority are lay-people I think this argument is incredibly naive or patronising & arrogant.
https://thestandard.org.nz/whats-wrong-with-asking-people-for-their-ideas/#comment-1519059
https://thestandard.org.nz/whats-wrong-with-asking-people-for-their-ideas/#comment-1519221
Many (academic) experts are more than happy to fulfil their duty as academic and as citizen and actively participate in the various reviews and the likes and often they do this for free!
Billy Bragg coming to NZ in November Auckland only.
Quite a man. Good interview with Kim.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgPHwLSMEiY
Here:
Hollywood Cinema Avondale
Here is the other side of the Massey University issue. Professor Huia Jahnke suggests opponents of Jan Thomas are using the Don Brash thing as an excuse to push back on plans to integrate Maori practice and Te Reo into it’s structure. She says:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/107444484/embattled-massey-university-vice-chancellor-jan-thomas-backed-by-mori-staff-and-students
So it’s not surprising Brash and his supporters inside the University and outside the university are outraged because there’s nothing worse for them than more Maori culture and more Te Reo.
They want to assimilate Maori in order to dilute their customs, culture, voice and language. Make no mistake, this is the end game for Brash and co. His peculiar rant on hearing Te Reo on RNZ is a stark and recent reminder of this, not to mention the infamous Orewa speech.
Then there’s this from the same article:
So there’s a history there where Brash’s Hobson’s Choice echoed Brashs’ RNZ rant and were being deliberately rude and provocative while guests on campus. Not surprising Thomas didn’t want a repeat.
Observable – old white men Don Esslemont and Mike Butler.
What other information do we have about their judgments and adaptability to new ideas of cultural norms? I guess reading on may provide some.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/103807738/full-house-at-massey-university-for-mori-wards-forum
More detail about the actions of the determinedly Anti-Maori culture behaviour that was OTT.
https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=C3BB5E37-A904-4FA0-A09F-08747A06A44C
The forum on Māori wards at Massey University last week provided an opportunity for students and staff to hear from both sides. The speakers for the establishment of Māori wards were Wiremu Te Awe Awe and Teanau Tuiono, while Don Esslemont and Mike Butler spoke against it.
Prior to the commencement of the debate, Esslemont, the organiser of the campaign to overthrow the Palmerston North City Council’s decision to establish Māori wards, walked out of the MUSA student lounge because he refused to listen to a mihi – a short welcome in te reo Māori that lasted for less than 30 seconds.
He stood on the other side of the glass doors until the mihi was finished and then returned to take his seat.
Esslemont didn’t leave the room to take a phone call or for any other reason – he had told the staff member who welcomed everyone that he wasn’t going to listen to a mihi or anything else in te reo Māori. This was relayed to the audience.
Esslemont confirmed his exit was an intentional act when he was challenged by Wiremu Te Awe Awe during the debate. Esslemont said the proposal for Māori wards was “evil”.
Don Esslemont – Marketing Research with a commercial focus.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Don_Esslemont
Mike Butler – appears ready to argue on any statement made about Maori rights or grievances.
https://www.hobsonspledge.nz/mike_butler
Mike Butler is the author of Tribes Treaty Money Power, The First Colonist, and has produced Treaty Transparency, a project researching treaty settlements. He is a rental property manager in Hastings. He was chief sub-editor of the Hawke’s Bay Herald-Tribune from 1986 to 1999.
https://www.hobsonspledge.nz/tags/mike_butler
7 Sept 2018
This piece from 2013 under the auspices of New Zealand Centre for Political Research.
https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2013/03/mike-butler-historian-caught-twisting.html
Why these two biased people as the ‘other side; at Massey? It could be expected to have some open-minded intelligent input which wouldn’t be forthcoming from this two.
You last point is complete wrong headed. Thomas had zero judgement in excluding Brash from the campus.
If she had any knowledge at all about New Zealand (or even commonsense judgement) she would know you don’t do things like exclude a former leader of the opposition from a university. And then have an invented excuse to justify it.
Brash is hardly in the category of an extreme alt right speaker.
Surely, you are not that naive, Wayne?
I’ll give you a hint: the Overton Window.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window
I’ll give you another hint: with complex (socio-political) issues never try to single out one person, one narrow topic.
A NZ hurt or killed in London – the Court enquiring is told that he was in the wrong spot at the wrong time. It has taken five years for authorities to care enough to pay attention to checking on real safety in the era of Health and Safety micro-control over everything that ordinary people do and attempt to run.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/107475317/shop-sign-that-killed-kiwi-jacob-marx-in-london-was-dangerously-insecure
“The sign had been dangerously insecure for a long period of time and could equally have fallen on any other passerby, customer or indeed employee.
“Mr Marx was spectacularly unlucky to be in just the wrong place at just the wrong time.”
The bookmaker had enlisted various subcontractors to carry out the fittings, with work starting on the sign in 2006, the court heard.
William Hill had the overriding and overall duty that what was done on its behalf was safe and did not present a risk to the public, Ageros QC said.
http://gisborneherald.co.nz/localnews/3655053-135/gisborne-mans-death-in-london-goes
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270707/Jacob-Marx-Lawyer-killed-falling-sign-Camden-holiday-lifetime-New-Zealand-girlfriend.html
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12131397
Oh dear.
Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin “Bibi” Netanyahu addressed this year’s UN General Assembly. As he does every time he makes one of these addresses, he had visual aids. Today’s were pictures of Iran’s secret atomic warehouse.
[…]
There’s only one problem, it’s a Persian carpet cleaners. Apparently Israel does not know what Iran is doing.
https://www.balloon-juice.com/2018/09/28/prop-humor-is-really-not-bibi-netanyahus-forte-un-general-assembly-edition/
Money creation – something to chew on.
Richard Werner
Monetary Institute
Published on Apr 23, 2018
The Monetary Institute’s “Our Money, Our Banks, Our Country – Money Creation in the Modern Economy” conference was held in Zurich, Switzerland on February 5, 2018.
Quote “Centralised decision making has failed”. Listen for that and other bits
of info – in Germany there are lots of small banks and lots of small family
businesses.
High growth without bubbles.
Lots of things to listen to.
Let’s eliminate cash? More centralised control. Orwellian dystopian control.
He is looking around and ahead and we should be aware of what is being planned.
We need decentralisation – local people in local banks with local power!
Also:
Richard Werner: Economist dont understand banks or money.
Richard Andreas Werner (born January 5, 1967) is a German economist who is a professor at the University of Southampton.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxvzKktTLVbSWdpVZXZLqvlCZgSH
This is what happens when we allow the greedies to steal our water.
‘Asahi-Schweppes has been bottling up Stanley’s only source of fresh water, selling it off, and making millions at the expense of the people who depend on it.
This small Australian town has been fighting back — but after two years the community has racked up a whopping $90,000 in legal costs. It’s facing a terrible choice: give up or face bankruptcy.’
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12133451
The secret diary of Derek Handley…. classic Steve braunias I lol +++++
I would love to know how involved in his selected charity he is .
I know. I read the donation was to ‘the tech sector’ whatever that means.
Hardly the charity some parties are claiming here.
The thing I find probably the weirdest about the whole UN trip is why here Ardern’s attitude to Neve with the press is refusing to allow so much as a photo of her, round parliament, to the point of the speaker threatening to boycott anyone who takes a photo of her, changing to display her to the worlds cameras every time she did a speech.
But then I’m a cynic
Not that weird when you consider that NY or UN is not NZ.
Fair call
It has more intrusion on the child than NZ
A cynic? Nah that isn’t the term I was thinking of…
You’ve shown us with this comment what type of person you are.
Personal attack rather than commenting on my point
Thanks for that
ChrisT – you must know that the reason for Jacinda allowing the world media to see and photograph Neve, while at the same time asking NZ media not to do that, is because they will revel in the delight and wonder of it all, and here, we’ll bitch and gripe about Neve being “exploited” for political gain. That’s how cynical we’ve become. Sad. For us.
Really?
I would have thought it would be the other way round.
The NZ press were pretty rampant over the baby stories, photos or not.
It is no biggy. Just can see it might not go unnoticed amongst the press who have been pretty nicely respectful through the whole thing here, with the privacy of the baby
“A cynic? Nah that isn’t the term I was thinking of…
You’ve shown us with this comment what type of person you are.”
What is the personal attack there Chris?
Depends what type of person you think I am
Your comment is pretty vague
I assumed it was a derogatory type
Do you mind clarifying?
If it is that I am an awesome type, thanks in advance
So where was the personal attack again Chris?
You’re right. There was none
I jumped to conclusions.
And as you say it was’nt a personal attack it must have been you praising me
I apologise
Thank you for saying I am a cool type of person
apology accepted thanks
Chris T jacinda would have no control over international media. Likely Clark really wanted to hear her talk, so only option to go and accept media attention
They are travelling with her nanny
Not calling you a liar Chris T but I haven’t seen reports of a nanny. Would you mind pointing to where the Nannies existence is identified. Thanks.
From the Independent.
“Last week the rules in New Zealand were adjusted to allow the prime minister or ministers to travel with a nanny on overseas jobs and for the taxpayer to cover this. ”
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/new-zealand-pm-jacinda-ardern-brings-baby-to-un-general-assembly-in-world-first/ar-AAACpnV
Don’t know what’s going on here but:
JACINDA AND CLARKE DID NOT TAKE A NANNY.
There was a function – must have been the Trump hosted event – when members of her staff looked after Neve while Jacinda and Clarke attended the function. The rest of the time little Neve was with her parents. Jacinda is still breastfeeding her baby and I guess she wasn’t going to let a conference get in the way of that.
As Alwyn posted, it was reported she changed the rules to pay for her nanny and personally paid for Gayford.
Have no issue with this at all, in fact it is just basic logistically a good idea.
That article says nothing of the sort. There is no talk of a Nanny being taken on this trip. The rules have been changed for future members to take nannies if required. You and Alwyn are either being accidently ignorant or wilfully ignorant, which is it, or did you simply go to the Judith Collins school of Fake News?
Yes I read about the nanny. But it may be they wanted their daughter there at the historic occasion
She wants the publicity in New York and the only way to get it is to show off her fashion accessory.
In New Zealand she knows the women’s magazines will pay for phot ops of the baby. In the US they certainly won’t. The payment here may be worded as a donation to something or other or perhaps just lots of very favourable publicity in the next election campaign and a promise not to publicise all the stuff-ups by the CoL but it’s a payment none the less.
Am I cynical? Yes. Am I right in what I say? Yes.
What payments are you muttering about al?
“fashion accessory”
Do you think you’re funny, Alwyn? Clever? Hip?
You don’t seem to be resonating with anyone here. Could it be you’re…lame? Perhaps on the wrong blog? Living in the wrong century?
Alwyn is not a good fit for the Standard. Lacks empathy.
You will love this one.
Peter Wilson – ex press gallery and anti Labour Party – calls the Prime Minister a “media darling”, and “a highly desirable media morsel”.
In this RNZ piece he devotes one fifth of his analysis to JA’s international commitments and 4/5ths to beltway issues at home.
No wonder he has an asterisk next to his name.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/367530/week-in-politics-national-on-attack-while-pm-visits-un
Wow alwyn, for reals with your comment, or are you just stirring?
A breast feeding baby is not a fashion accessory, it is a tiny vulnerable human being who relies on another human being for breast milk.
Breastfeeding can be challenging at times, but the feeling one has when breastfeeding their baby is one of the most magical experiences one can ever have.
In a way is kinda sad that men can’t experience it, because it’s a feeling of pure love, warmth and magic.
Kudos to our PM for being able to breastfeed Neve, kudos to all of those around her supporting her to do so.
Fashion accessory far out… ignorant as thinking.
PS. She dosen’t need a baby to get attention, haven’t you worked that out yet?
Alwyn. You’re not cynical. That implies a sort of intelligence. You’re just stoopid. Mispelling intentional.
I’d say as a new mum she just wants to be close to her baby. Some commenters obviously have no idea what that feels like.
None of the photos of Neve I’ve seen are anything but incidental in NZ or the US. Nothing has been promoted, just a few visuals of an extraordinary family doing extraordinary things.
I’m sure there will be features further down the track but I’d say there has been no leveraging of Neve for political purposes at this point – just a young family doing what they have to do in a high pressure environment, despite some people hating on them for doing just that.
“I’m sure there will be features further down the track”
Which I await with a certain amount of cynicism
Alywyn I understand that’s what you think
He really seems like an evil little man.
my fb page has become infested with cheeezy posts from nationals party mp’s.
they want you to sign up!
for gossip etc.
you cannot comment.
take a punt
Is the US heading toward a Constitutional Crisis, where democratic procedure is put aside, armed Right Wing vigilante thugs parade openly, and due process is suspended?
Mike Moore thinks so.
Bill Maher” asks Mike Moore whether “fascism” is coming to America
Michael Moore is not the only one. Not even the first one.
heh
https://twitter.com/SamuelLJackson/status/1045815031928160256
Thanks Jo! alternative link here as … my twitter feed not playing his Lying Fatboy Ass!!
Smart!, If you don’t laugh … you’d …
https://ew.com/movies/2018/09/28/brett-kavanaugh-pulp-fiction-mash-up/?utm_content=link&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_term=149AC39A-C368-11E8-89E2-B2BD4744363C&utm_campaign=entertainmentweekly_ew
Thanks for that
R&R We need to give te tangata Mahi housing and social services Mahi is good for the Wairua I see some councils moning about how much rates they are owed I say if they looked out side the square they would generate jobs for the people so the people can pay there rates. everyone need’s to focous on providing good jobs .
. I say jobs could be Marae based industry’s we all pool together for Tangihana unavailing I’m pushing for that at OUR Marae .
At the minute our industry’s work against tangata whenua the work based drug testing is not fair and weed is now a big part of Maori recreational culture. One can work perfectly when they indulged the nite before a test and get tested next minute no job .
I say the tests should be raised so as to stop people using at work or just before they go to work this is why forestry can not get worker’s they don’t want to go through the bias tests thats how it works for alcohol and PEE.
Ka kite ano
The hui that is what we need to do to save Papatunuku and her creatures us as well recylcing our waste minimizing waste is going to be a big part of this problem modern socity’s waste .
I say we need to keep Maori TV going this is a big part of raising maori te reo and culture I say IT need a regig to become a popular TV channel it wont be hard.
Ka kite ano
This is a common Phononen Eco Maori find’s documentary’s on Maori book’s they all DON’T have Te Tairawhiti storys or one can not get the movies this is not a coincident.
I know what it is suppression Kia Kaha ka kite ano Lost in Translation I can only get 6 episode
Kia ora Newshub I’m sure the boat owner’s can afford the extra price of fuel .
There will less quick drives to the local shops so people will be walking more now and less carbon burned .
There will be more Teslar car’s on the road in Aotearoa Elon.
Yes we will be getting a rush of poor elderly people retiring in the near future.
At the minute they benefited from the good time’s in the early day’s.
Now every thing changed because of oversea advice user pay’s education and no low cost loan’s to buy a house sell our assets.
There was not much footage on that Indonesian earth quake and tsunami Ruamoko has been active.
Ka kite ano Gary is holding his long tooth well