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notices and features - Date published:
7:00 am, January 30th, 2020 - 66 comments
Categories: open mike -
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The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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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.
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.
Monitor better be careful least he’s labelled an alarmist and a denier
"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.
Exactly … Bolton is one of the maddest pro-war hawkes in Washington, and now the left is going to embrace him as a hero. pffft….
Amusement at the sight of a RWNJ icon now making life very uncomfortable for the Repug kakistocracy, and watching the RWNJ propaganda machine turn rabid on him, is a bit different to embracing him as a hero.
Bolton's agenda being fairly transparent, remove the President who became an obstacle for his warmongering. And this we should be amused by?
Well, the removal ain't gonna happen. And if somehow it actually did happen, Pence seems very unlikely to put Bolton back into a position where he can indulge his warmongering. Because Bolton would be extremely unpopular with the Drumpfkins Pence would need to keep onside to get elected in November this year (and 2024), coz of disloyalty to the fake-tan fuhrer.
So yeah, I'm amused. Especially since the longer the ratfight between the two petulant overstuffed egos goes on, the likelier we are to see the end of both of them sooner rather than later.
edit: here’s a short summary of a few of the more notable incidents of Spray-tan Stalin’s attempts at witness intimidation.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/29/politics/trump-bolton-tweet-witness-intimidation/index.html
So the takeaway is that we're impeaching Trump for trying not to send weapons to inflame a totally crazy conflict with Russia.
Do I have that right?
Yeah I get the Biden thing, nothing to see there. All good Dems have sons sitting on boards of overseas companies. Tommy Suharto being an outstanding exemplar in this game. 😄
The military aid was a bipartisan measure approved in both chambers of Congress. To support a prospective NATO member suffering an unprovoked invasion and apparent territorial grab from Russia. This wasn't the first time in recent years, remember Crimea?
In the US, Congress holds the power of the purse, to decide what gets funded and when. This is the basis for the Government Accountability Office concluding that withholding the aid was in fact a violation of law.
When it comes to the Bidens, the key question is did Joe Biden take any action to help Hunter into his cushy lucrative position he was totally unqualified for, or subsequently do anything that helped Hunter and Burisma? Or was Hunter just freelance cashing in on daddy's name, as the families of powerful politicians have done since time immemorial? Billy Carter and Neil Bush are just the first two names that immediately come to mind.
The evidence seems very clear that Hunter was freelancing. To my knowledge it has yet to be definitely shown that Joe was even aware of Hunter joining up with Burisma prior to it happening.
As for Joe's actions getting Shokin fired, there was bipartisan agreement within the US, and among US allies, that it was necessary to help Ukraine try to reduce it's corruption problem. Since Shokin was not doing anything to investigate the real problems at Burisma, and there was a chance Shokin's replacement actually would dig in to Burisma, there's a good argument that Joe's actions getting Shokin fired were at best neutral for Hunter's interests, and were in fact much more likely to damage Hunter's interests.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/biden-aides-shunned-2014-hunter-ukraine-beau-death-addiciton-report-2019-11?r=US&IR=T
To support a prospective NATO member suffering an unprovoked invasion and apparent territorial grab from Russia.
Russia and Ukraine are very tightly linked nations, historically, culturally and socially. Many people in Russia will have family or business connections in Ukraine, the two nations Russia have very deep connections, going back centuries or more. The Russian intervention was a direct response to the deposing of Victor Vanukovych by an American backed 'Colour Revolution' in 2014.
Whatever you may think of Yanukovych or the merits of the US destabilising other nations (think back to their inglorious record of meddling in Latin America), there is no question that a legitimately, democratically President was deposed and long standing Russian interests were under threat.
In essence a group of anti-Russian warmongers in Washington saw an opportunity to try and split Ukraine away from Russia and hopefully grab Crimean naval ports that have been a critical component of Russian military strategy since forever.
To suggest the Russian move to secure the Crimea was 'unprovoked' is disingenuous at best.
To my knowledge it has yet to be definitely shown that Joe was even aware of Hunter joining up with Burisma.
Ah the good old plausible deniability defense. If so then the Dems should have no problem with the Biden's giving evidence under oath to the Senate. Because if witnesses are allowed, it will be a sword that could cut both ways.
This whole shit show comes down to a bunch of pro-war, anti-Russian maniacs in Washington who have been deeply frustrated that Trump wouldn't enthusiastically enable their warmongering. I'm certain Russia is not an innocent by-stander in all of this, no great power is. But to indulge a zombie paranoia, an irrational hangover of the Cold War, the very worst aspects of US politics, as the underlying motive to remove Trump … well it's a morally toxic swamp I'd personally want to steer well clear of.
I didn't see anything in your wikipedia link to support the assertion that American meddling was a significant factor in the widespread citizen protests that led Vanukovych running for it.
But there's an awful lot there that explains why Ukrainians would be so unhappy with Vanukovych, to the point of massive uprisings to get rid of him. So not much provocation to Russia that might justify invasion, just an opportunity for a bit of easy expansionism for Russia that they happily grabbed.
As for the insinuation that the Democrats in the House and Senate are part of of some sort of pro-war anti-Russian deep-state, acting out frustration that war wasn't forthcoming – sorry I can't help you take that distorting lens off your worldview.
The simple fact is that the withholding of congress-approved and taxpayer funded aid in order to extort a petty personal political benefit from a foreign country is such an egregious violation of the public trust that to not act would mean there simply aren't any boundaries or constraints anymore.
No constraints/boundaries, but the best border wall – America 1st!
"Live without limits." – Trump gets it! What a shambles.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/29/politics/us-border-wall-falls-over-high-winds/index.html
I didn't see anything in your wikipedia link to support the assertion that American meddling was a significant factor in the widespread citizen protests that led Vanukovych running for it.
As Julian Assange will tell you, publishing hard evidence of this nature is a now a high crime punishable by an effective death sentence. So there is every reason to not expect any media of record to back up proof this assertion with leaked US documents. That is after all the smoking gun you would require, and it's now highly dangerous to publish material of this nature.
However there were numerous allegations made at the time and even a cursory search will find many different sources all more or less saying the same thing, that covert US actors were almost certainly involved in the Colour Revolution to some degree.
And given that the US Congress subsequently voted to back the revolution with arms … well the dots aren’t all that far apart.
Well Russia has spent three hundred years erasing Ukrainian language, culture, faiths and indigenous traditions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russification_of_Ukraine
Also, as for the semantics of "trying not to send weapons to inflame a totally crazy conflict":
I'm not aware of there being any evidence of the craziness or otherwise of the conflict with Russia being a factor in the attempt to withhold the aid. All the evidence and testimony points to the motivation being an attempt to extort Ukraine into smearing Biden for personal political benefit.
It's the personal political benefit part of it that's the grounds for impeachment.
I'm not aware of there being any evidence of the craziness or otherwise of the conflict with Russia being a factor in the attempt to withhold the aid.
True, but without the ability to mind-read Trump (I'm not sure who would be game for such a mis-adventure) we cannot know that he had at least some reluctance to extend a conflict that every sane person knows is an utter folly. Ukraine and Russia had a family squabble, the USA has no business pouring petrol onto it.
It's the personal political benefit part of it that's the grounds for impeachment.
Indeed, but it's entirely an assumption that this was the sole reason. It is very easy to show there was also perfectly reasonable national interest grounds as well.
If there were any component of national interest or desire to avoid inflaming the situation further factoring into the decision-making, don't you think they would have tried to make that case by now?
The closest they've come to trying, and quickly abandoned, was bullshitting that it was about corruption in general. That fell apart when it was shown there was zero interest in corruption in general, just in dirt on the Bidens. That argument was further undermined by the news that Hair Furor wants to change laws so it's legal for US citizens and corporates to bribe foreigners.
I'm not aware of any attempt to argue that withholding the aid was motivated by a desire to influence the conflict. It was purely transactional, the dirt for the dollars.
I'm certainly not of a mind to defend Trump, but that does not preclude pointing out that the context of this impeachment reeks of some very dubious motives that progressives should probably be very cautious of.
Oh! come now! There is a raft of circumstantial evidence that there was no other reason for it it. Day after day there has been one revelation after another – if you had been following – that links the withholding of funds to the "announcement of an investigation into the Bidens" that is all it was – it didn't even have to actually occur. Just the fact that the Ukrainian Govt was to investigate the Bidens would be sufficient.
some links here:
Above links from WhatTheFuckHappenedToday community discussion and updated daily. As you can see there is a mountain of evidence which points firmly towards the fact that this aid was withheld purely for the purpose of electoral gain on the chumps part. It was only released when the shenanigans were discovered.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Like Stalin was?
The enemy of my enemy is my very temporary friend if I have any brains at all..
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.
But! But! The Economy!
The upside is that this may be God's way of teaching us some Chinese geography
Oil demand has decreased by around 250kbbl per day (around half in jetfuel) gaia moves in mysterious ways.
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.
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.
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 .
Or not. Both my partner and I have suffered a few nasty bronchitis episodes in the past few years, so I've good reason to think we're vulnerable. At 3% mortality that's potentially 225m deaths. More than a blip buddy.
To be clear I think this is pretty unlikely, but it can't be ruled out either.
An outbreak in south auckland or the pacific islands,where measles occurred leaves a large target population with diminished immune responses.
thought to peak around april.If china inc remains on quiet,you may have to feed the cull ewes till may.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/119145269/coronavirus-threatens-meat-processing-as-cool-stores-fill-with-export-product
Wowzers, maybe Bernie can do it?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/sanders-campaign-predicting-iowa-caucuses-victory
Here is hoping. He is unelectable- just like Corbyn.
He's certainly facing a lot of powerful opposition, including Elizabeth Warren and her backers…
Here's hoping. He is electable just like Trump.
Liar.
He's held it ever since.
And on the Labour leadership election:
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…
Was talking in the context of PM – as we are generally speaking about the leader of the country as context not the local election.
Ok. Like Simon Bridges unelectable.
I’d bet he gets more votes than jacinda (Nat vs labour) come the election.
Yet still unelectable. Doubly awful.
The Nats are pumping their "outrage" gland in preparation for being robbed of their right to rule by Jacinda again!
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
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
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.
" “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
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
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.
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.
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
[I think I’ve managed to fix the width of the image]
The full image needs to be viewed. On a desktop, right-click on the image and select View Image.
Dunno how to do it on a mobile, sorry.
Try this: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/cartoons/cartoons_of_the_week/2020/04/-8-mike_luckovich-mike_luckovich_for_jan_24_2020.html
Use the back arrow & check out #4 too. I tried copying the cartoon pic (but got an error message saying it was too long when I pasted it as comment).
LMAO…thank you
Trump builds the best Walls ever! And Mexico is paying for it.
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/480608-portion-of-newly-built-wall-on-mexico-border-collapses?fbclid=IwAR1kBNQlA4O0UI_w1eRUZuhi5aRGoaoS8pcqMQ2Ab8MqLnvQ625H_R9VR_8
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.
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.
Using terms like rich shits makes me think you have some envy going on there sumsum.
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
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
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
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
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.
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
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