Open mike 30/01/2020

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, January 30th, 2020 - 66 comments
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66 comments on “Open mike 30/01/2020 ”

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  1. Dennis Frank 1
    30 January 2020 at 8:00 am

    When in crisis, establish a committee. Britain's adherence to tradition: "UN published a report showing that preventing more than 1.5C meant cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 7.6% every year between now and 2030: a much steeper trajectory than the CCC’s. The committee has set the wrong target, for the wrong date." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/29/climate-targets-committee-on-climate-change-report

    "Its target for reforestation is so feeble that the UK would still have less than half the average current European forest cover by 2050."

    Well, that would be due to selecting mainstreamers onto the committee, as per tradition. Who would expect mainstreamers to be able to discern a crisis when it was happening??

    "When firefighters arrive at a burning building, they don’t set themselves a target of rescuing three of the five inhabitants. They seek – aware that they may not succeed – to rescue everyone they can. Their aim is to maximise the number of lives they save. In the climate emergency, our aim should be to maximise both the reduction of emissions and the drawing down of carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere. There is no safe level of global heating: every increment kills."

    Quite right, George, but why expect average folk to comprehend this? They were born to be victims. Democracy, via it's representation of the typical by the typical, ensures that outcome. Only a meritocracy would produce better results.

    "Even if you say “this target is the minimum”, as the CCC does, politicians treat it as merely the line they need to cross. At this point, they fulfil their legal duty, even if they fail to fulfil their wider duty of care." Oh good, he does get it.

    • RedLogix 1.1
      30 January 2020 at 8:35 am

      Well George Monbiot is another of us 'techno-fantasists' who has asked we actually do something about the crisis for a very long time now. As distinct from exploiting the issue to prop up an underlying agenda that is.

  2. Dennis Frank 2
    30 January 2020 at 8:10 am

    "Trump wrote of Bolton: “… if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now, and goes out and IMMEDIATELY writes a nasty & untrue book. All Classified National Security. Who would do this?”" Ah, Bolton?

    "On Wednesday, Trump also complained about Bolton’s timing. He wrote: “Why didn’t John Bolton complain about this “nonsense” a long time ago, when he was very publicly terminated. He said, not that it matters, NOTHING!”" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/29/trump-john-bolton-twitter-impeachment-testify

    So it doesn't matter that Bolton said nothing. Which is why Trump is angry? He thinks it ought to matter? He ought to just chill. Tweet that Bolton is alt-rightist, or something, "whereas I'm just right".

    "With an unknown number of Republican senators still undecided on the question of calling witnesses, McConnell could still get the votes he needs to block witnesses and stop the trial from reeling off into unpredictable – and potentially hazardous – territory for the president. At least four Republicans would need to join Democrats to force witness testimony."

    Are there at least four Republican senators with a moral compass and an operational spine? I hope so. We'll know soon.

  3. RedLogix 3
    30 January 2020 at 9:28 am

    It looks very much like the Chinese govt has completed failed to contain the coronavirus.

    The only quarantine measure that will make any difference now is a total shutdown of all global travel for a month or so. Already airlines are cancelling China flights, it's only a matter of time before this measure is extended everywhere.

    • Rosemary McDonald 3.1
      30 January 2020 at 9:31 am

      But! But! The Economy!

      • RedLogix 3.1.1
        30 January 2020 at 9:51 am

        The upside is that this may be God's way of teaching us some Chinese geography devil

        • Poission 3.1.1.1
          30 January 2020 at 10:34 am

          Oil demand has decreased by around 250kbbl per day (around half in jetfuel) gaia moves in mysterious ways.

          • Dennis Frank 3.1.1.1.1
            30 January 2020 at 11:00 am

            Possibly too early for tourist company owners to start selling out, but if I were an investor I'd be strategically deploying assets now. Dunno if CEOs will jump out of windows nowadays either – but a sensible tourist company CEO would be scanning the sits vacant sites eh?

            And if the bug proves resilient as well as contagious, aircraft manufacturers may start to feel that Gaia has them in her sights. Well, if they had sufficient wit & imagination, I mean.

            • Graeme 3.1.1.1.1.1
              30 January 2020 at 2:13 pm

              Hopefully local operators will be able to pivot to the displaced NZ outbound market that will have to holiday at home. Outbound and inbound markets are of similar size. How the airlines and airports fare is another matter, you might not want to buy AIA shares today.

            • bwaghorn 3.1.1.1.1.2
              30 January 2020 at 2:16 pm

              This is a temporary blip

              It coronavirus will either be contained or more likely it will spread around the world and once it has it will be bau .

    • James 4.1
      30 January 2020 at 12:39 pm

      Here is hoping. He is unelectable- just like Corbyn.

      • Billy 4.1.1
        30 January 2020 at 12:48 pm

        He's certainly facing a lot of powerful opposition, including Elizabeth Warren and her backers…

      • Kevin 4.1.2
        30 January 2020 at 1:44 pm

        Here's hoping. He is electable just like Trump.

      • Muttonbird 4.1.3
        30 January 2020 at 6:45 pm

        Liar.

        At the 1983 general election he was elected member of Parliament for the Islington North.

        He's held it ever since.

        And on the Labour leadership election:

        His margin of victory was said to be "the largest mandate ever won by a party leader"

        Interesting reading his wiki page. He was a fierce campaigner against war and Apartheid South Africa, and for gay rights and nuclear disarmament.

        I can see why you don't like him…

  5. Billy 5
    30 January 2020 at 12:05 pm

    Elizabeth Warren proposes making it a crime to spread disinformation online.

    Who will get to decide what is true and what is false?

    The government.

    CNBC:

    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/29/warren-proposes-criminal-penalties-for-spreading-disinformation-online.html

  6. Ad 6
    30 January 2020 at 1:46 pm

    CoronaVirus will take at least 1% off China's GDP.

    literally China sneezes we get a cold.

    Tourism, food and beverage, students: it will take at least 1% GDP growth off us as well.

    This could be a new Asia Financial Crisis event for our region

    • RedLogix 6.1
      30 January 2020 at 2:56 pm

      Given the pressures I've outlined previously on the China GDP, 1% may be optimistic. The CCP may succeed in getting this under control, but the window of opportunity to do it easily seems to have slammed shut already.

      We all have to wish them the best in this.

  7. mosa 7
    30 January 2020 at 3:15 pm

    " “The Government’s prioritisation of resource intensive roading projects over the wellbeing of our most vulnerable families is out of line with its rhetoric of poverty reduction and is instead a continuation of the status quo "

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/01/30/low-income-families-left-out-of-12billion-infrastructure-package-aaap

    • Poission 7.1
      30 January 2020 at 3:51 pm

      So an increased borrowing for hnz of around 4billion is doing nothing.

      https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/01/20/991131/kinga-oras-borrowing-limit-lifted-by-4b

    • Wayne 7.2
      30 January 2020 at 4:14 pm

      Infrastructure spending and the relief of the most vulnerable families is really a capital and income distinction.

      The infrastructure spending uses capital (often borrowed) and it is spent over several years to build capital projects. These are capital intensive.

      Relief of poverty is income related, that is more welfare spending, more health and education spending. House building is already proceeding at pace.

      So I would expect those sort of announcements in the budget. They are paid out of current revenue. I imagine another billion or so per year. That would be a 6% increase in benefits and similar level increases in health.

      • Nic the NZer 7.2.1
        30 January 2020 at 10:43 pm

        So with this capital vs income distinction what happens when

        A) the govt unexpectedly finds its welfare outgoings are not covered by anticipated tax revenues.

        B) the govt unexpectedly finds that its committed investment spending is covered by prevailing tax revenues.

        E.g does the DMO look at what is being spent on when deciding how to cover the deficit.

  8. Andre 8
    30 January 2020 at 4:39 pm

    Oh wow. Dershowitz's hallucinatory fantasy about what are acceptable presidential actions is really something.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/29/politics/dershowitz-quid-pro-quo/index.html

  10. sumsuch 10
    30 January 2020 at 10:55 pm

    I'd like to see Bernie, as the final truth, after his lifetime for reality, say it's either him and socialism or the rich's Fascism. But spell it out better for the Yanks. His organisation … Clarity is his only strength.

  11. sumsuch 11
    30 January 2020 at 10:59 pm

    We do understand , getting down to the point in the climate change crisis, it's either socialism, or fascism for the rich. It needs selling, and none of the Left 'sell' anymore while that's all the rich shits do.

  13. Eco maori 13
    2 February 2020 at 6:30 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    Condolences to Mike Moore whanau for their loss.

    That's hot in Hawksbay 37 a record breaker to the deniers are still spinning there lies.

    Condolences to the people who losted their tamariki in Australia.

    That was predicted many years ago New Zealand becaming the holiday home for the rich and famous in the process making it harder for the common tangata to live.

    Ka kite Ano

  14. Eco maori 14
    2 February 2020 at 6:53 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Assistant is needed in the provenances as from what I see they have been drifting backwards for decades. Maori miss out on heaps of business opportunities because the system is discriminatiory against us I have seen it in many industries.

    Waitangi will be interesting this year.

    Te Ka pa Haka is growing every year Ka pai

    Ka kite Ano

  15. Eco maori 15
    3 February 2020 at 8:39 am

    Kia Ora The Am Show.

    We all know how the stuff that ends up in some peoples hip pockets influence their political behaviour and opinions.

    Prince Charles is and has been Championing to minimise and mitigate Human Caused Climate change for decades I can see his influence in Britain they are way ahead of New Zealand's on their policys to minimise their carbon footprint and global warming.

    Ka kite Ano

  16. Eco maori 16
    3 February 2020 at 6:29 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    Fiordland record breaking rains this was all pridicted.

    I have been in that bar.

    I think the government should fully focus and fund the plan to control Kauri Dieback virus the taonga are thousands of years old and in 250 years the could be extinct.

    Ka kite Ano.

  17. Eco maori 17
    3 February 2020 at 6:54 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    That's is cool the statue of Dame Whina Cooper it's great to remember Te Tipuna.

    Cool rasing putea for our Australian neighbours bushfires relief fund.

    Awsome to see new Maori waita.

    I love watching Kapa Haka especially from my whare whenua.

    Ka kite Ano

  18. Eco maori 18
    4 February 2020 at 8:47 am

    Kia Ora The Am Show.

    Times are changing most people in Aotearoa know some of the truths about how this system has treated and is treating Tangata Whenua.

    The Internet is the technology that changed the world for good and bad. Working from home if your mahi is computer based is the way of the future. Skype will be used instead of flying hundreds of miles to business meetings.

    Enjoy your retirement Chris.

    The Mainland yelloweye penguin are quite unique cool.

    Ka kite Ano