Search Results

1. 

   US is spending $28 billion to colonise your brain

   Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 12:38 pm, October 25th, 2024 -  9 comments
   Categories: China, defence, FiveEyes, journalism, media abuse, Propaganda, us politics, war
   Tags:

   Whoever owns the narrative owns the world – and things just got a lot tougher for those of us opposed to US influence campaigns.  In a staggering increase in funding for propaganda and covert action the US House has passed the Countering the PRC (People’s Republic of China) Malign Influence Fund, kicking in an extra $1.6 billion.

2. 

   Sneaky Simon somersaults on support for Terrorism Bill

   Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:30 am, October 23rd, 2019 -  24 comments
   Categories: Andrew Little, greens, immigration, International, law, law and "order", Politics, Simon Bridges, terrorism, the praiseworthy and the pitiful
   Tags:

   National has welched on a promise to support the Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill so that it can play politics with law and order issues.

3. 

   About the $7.5 billion surplus

   Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:43 am, October 9th, 2019 -  37 comments
   Categories: grant robertson, labour, national, Politics, same old national, Steven Joyce, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, uncategorized
   Tags:

   The announcement of a $7.5 billion surplus for the last fiscal year combined with a $5.5 billion surplus the year before proves once and for all that Steven Joyce’s claim of a $11.5 billion deficit in Labour’s costings was bollocks.

4. 

   The world cannot afford to have billionaires

   Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:48 am, January 30th, 2019 -  246 comments
   Categories: Donald Trump, Economy, International, tax, us politics
   Tags: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

   American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that it is immoral to have a world that allows for billionaires. She may well be right.

5. 

   Fear and loathing in Aotearoa

   Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 8:47 am, September 18th, 2017 -  55 comments
   Categories: bill english, election 2017, Environment, farming, farming, jacinda ardern, national, Politics, same old national, sustainability
   Tags: simon wilson, thespinoff

   It is difficult to understand National’s election campaign. Instead of campaigning on what they have achieved and what they plan to do they are using fear of Labour to try and win the election. And saying some palpably untrue things on the way.

6. 

   Ardern on Nat’s campaign of ‘fear and lying’

   Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 12:20 pm, September 13th, 2017 -  98 comments
   Categories: accountability, election 2017, labour, national
   Tags: #ChangeTheGovt, election 2017, let's do this, lies, nasty nats, negative campaigning

   Jacinda Ardern has spoken out about National’s campaign of “fear and lying”. Meanwhile Joyce keeps lying about his imaginary hole, and English tries to reinvent the fart tax attack.

7. 

   Bill English reckons that landlords can’t raise rents

   Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 8:57 am, July 5th, 2017 -  51 comments
   Categories: bill english, housing, national, useless
   Tags: accomodation supplement, official advice, rent, rental crisis, virtual bill

   The last budget raised accommodation supplement – against the advice of Treasury who said that landlords would capture the cash. Not to fear though, because Bill English reckons that landlords can’t raise rents…

8. 

   The NZDF will never clear its name – and neither will Bill English

   Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:03 am, April 3rd, 2017 -  154 comments
   Categories: accountability, afghanistan, bill english, journalism, war
   Tags: audrey young, hit and run, inquiry, truth

   It’s likely that some time this week Bill English will announce that there will be no inquiry into operation Burnham. The NZDF will lose any opportunity to clear its name. Fronting up to the truth, whatever it may be, is better than the perception of a shabby coverup.

   Update: And there it is – no inquiry.

9. 

   A Punitive Climate of Fear

   Written By:  tracey -  Date published: 1:59 pm, January 9th, 2015 -  64 comments
   Categories: economy, health, human rights, Politics, quality of life, Social issues
   Tags: bullying, disability, sanctions

   Whatever the reason for a person’s disability if it is to such an extent that they cannot work we condemn them to a life of subsistence living with a big pay rise when, and if, they reach retirement age to 65% of the average wage!

10. 

    Bill Gates on Piketty and inequality

    Written By:  mickysavage -  Date published: 10:00 am, December 26th, 2014 -  64 comments
    Categories: blogs, books, capitalism, class war, discrimination, tax
    Tags: Bill Gates, Thomas Piketty

    Thomas Piketty in his book Capital in the Twenty-First Century came to the strong conclusion that capitalism left by itself will increase inequality and cause increased risk of social, economic and democratic upheaval.  He has an unlikely supporter, albeit critical, in Bill Gates, one of the richest men in the world.

11. 

    Campbell Live on ‘Feed the Kids Bill’

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 11:24 am, November 5th, 2014 -  14 comments
    Categories: activism, child welfare, democratic participation, greens, hone harawira, journalism, Metiria Turei, poverty, tv, winston peters
    Tags:

    The main message from Campbell Live last night is we really need the “Feed the Kids” Bill to pass it’s first reading: then the Bill will go to Select Committee, so everyone can have a conversation. Update: reading postponed ‘cos Key’s war statement debate gets priority.

12. 

    Moving away from the politics of fear

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 8:30 pm, November 2nd, 2014 -  53 comments
    Categories: blogs, labour, Media
    Tags: cameron slater, foreshore and seabed, Labour leadership

    Politics from a position of fear is never going to be successful. Politics based on conviction and the ability to put forward a sound argument is a much better strategy. Yes, anyone selected is going to be subject to attack. But there’s no point in allowing that to cloud our judgement.

13. 

    Hager, fear & the surveillance state

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 12:55 pm, August 12th, 2014 -  82 comments
    Categories: democracy under attack, election 2014, Spying, telecommunications
    Tags: GCSB, sis

    Nicky Hager’s latest book will be unveiled tomorrow. I look at his research interests, & his approach to investigative journalism; plus Hager’s speech on the GCSB Bill, & opposition party policies on state surveillance services.

14. 

    Smell the fear

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 2:28 pm, August 27th, 2013 -  236 comments
    Categories: david cunliffe, Economy, grant robertson, greens, john key, labour, leadership, national, polls, russel norman, Shane Jones, slippery, spin
    Tags:

    John Key claims he doesn’t care who becomes the next parliamentary Labour leader, while trying to drive a wedge between candidates. As Cunliffe gains momentum, Key turns negative on Cunliffe & throws some stones in his glass house. Gordon Campbell puts things in perspective.

15. 

    The innocent have nothing to fear?

    Written By:  Mike Smith -  Date published: 10:50 am, August 21st, 2013 -  18 comments
    Categories: newspapers, Spying, uk politics
    Tags: David Miranda, edward snowden, Glenn Greenwald, the guardian

    It’s not just journos who should watch out if the GCSB Bill goes through. David Miranda, partner of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, was detained by British police yesterday while in transit through London. All his electronic equipment was confiscated. After the nine hour limit was up this “terrorist” was released into Britain! All because his partner has been the journalist who wrote about Snowden’s revelations about internet surveillance by GCHQ, NSA, and GCSB.

16. 

    When fear tactics backfire 2 – and GCSB roundup

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 8:20 am, August 21st, 2013 -  46 comments
    Categories: activism, david shearer, john key, Spying
    Tags: bunny mcdiarmid, CTU, GCSB, greenpeace, privacy, privacy under attack, Spying

    John Key (the PM who has on multiple occasions overspent the budget on his own protection staff) really dug himself a hole when he accused opposition leaders of wanting to “run for the hills” in case of a terrorist attack. Not only did David Shearer get to remind him of the occasions that he has been under fire – and run to help – but now some other voices have chimed in too.

17. 

    When fear tactics backfire

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 2:47 pm, August 20th, 2013 -  93 comments
    Categories: david shearer, john key, Spying
    Tags: courage, fear tactics, GCSB, Spying

    John Key’s fear tactics backfired badly when he tried to smear David Shearer…

18. 

    Chorus of opposition to Key-Dunne spying Bill continues

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 9:45 am, August 7th, 2013 -  15 comments
    Categories: accountability, john key, national, Spying
    Tags: colin espiner, Dame Anne Salmond, GCSB, IITP, law society, Peter Dunne, Spying

    Yesterday Opposition parties filibustered, and successfully delayed the passage of the Key-Dunne spying Bill. This buys more time to protest, and to put pressure on MPs.

    We have never before seen in New Zealand such a broad and ongoing chorus of opposition to government legislation as we are seeing with this Bill. Just yesterday alone…

19. 

    Journos need to get serious on spy Bill

    Written By:  Zetetic -  Date published: 6:43 am, July 29th, 2013 -  64 comments
    Categories: Spying
    Tags:

    Key’s new spying law will mean our own spooks can legally spy Kiwi journos. Experience shows it will happen. Time for that ‘democracy under attack’ Herald campaign. Time for journos to start taking this seriously. In a democracy, we don’t give the State powers that it doesn’t need and/or that are open to abuse. We don’t create a turn-key totalitarian state just because it’s ‘convenient for the spies’.

20. 

    Nothing to hide, nothing to fear?

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 8:01 am, July 28th, 2013 -  64 comments
    Categories: activism, afghanistan, capitalism, news, Spying, us politics
    Tags: Jane Kelsey, nicky hager

    Nicky Hager’s investigative journalism explains why the government uses state surveillance against investigative journalists, academics and political activists.  Jane Kelsey explains why spying is used to prevent legal activities, democratic processes and NZers speaking truth to power.

21. 

    Knuckleheads – nothing to fear?

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:12 am, July 12th, 2013 -  51 comments
    Categories: accountability, Media, national, Parliament, Spying
    Tags: GCSB, privacy under attack, Spying

    The knuckleheads (tm John Key) in the parliamentary press gallery are concerned about their privacy. Are they concerned about ours too?

22. 

    GCSB Bill scaring off investors

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:22 am, July 4th, 2013 -  103 comments
    Categories: business, International, internet, national, Spying, telecommunications
    Tags: GCSB, google, telecommunications

    One of National’s favourite lines of attack on any significant lefty policy is that it will “scare off investors”. So how now do they respond to Google’s threat that global telecommunications companies may well abandon New Zealand because of the compliance costs of the new GCSB legislation?

23. 

    If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 7:34 am, June 26th, 2013 -  91 comments
    Categories: accountability, john key, national, Spying
    Tags: GCSB, privacy, Surveillance state

    Yesterday Key actually ran the classic justification for “police state” surveillance: if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear. This argument is bollocks. Here’s why…

24. 

    GCSB Bill: & Dotcom versus FBI, “NZ Intelligence Community” et al

    Written By:  karol -  Date published: 10:21 am, May 8th, 2013 -  47 comments
    Categories: accountability, activism, capitalism, copyright, democracy under attack, john key, nz first, slippery, Spying, telecommunications, us politics, winston peters
    Tags:

    John Key is using “urgency” to push through his anti-democratic Big brother GCSB surveillance Bill.  Dotcom’s lawyers have released a 39 page white paper making a range of allegations against the FBI, Obama & NZ authorities. Peters is keeping his cards close to his chest. Update: Peters’ calls government “bully boy” & will vote against the Bill.

25. 

    ImperatorFish: Sonny Bill Has No Plans To Sleep With You

    Written By:  notices and features -  Date published: 2:45 pm, January 31st, 2012 -  2 comments
    Categories: humour
    Tags: sonny bill williams

    Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here

    The stock market dipped sharply in trading today, after no stories appeared in any of the major newspapers about Sonny Bill Williams for almost two hours.

26. 

    “Anyone who is innocent has nothing to fear”

    Written By:  Anthony R0bins -  Date published: 9:34 am, November 17th, 2011 -  19 comments
    Categories: brand key, john key, Media
    Tags: search and surveillance, teapot tape

    Key would have had slightly better grounds for opposing the release of the teapot tape if he hadn’t led a government which trampled on civil rights in its determination to strengthen search and surveillance powers. I wonder if his “anyone who is innocent has nothing to fear” line is sounding quite so good to him now…

27. 

    Some Accuracy on the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 11:00 am, March 25th, 2011 -  27 comments
    Categories: foreshore and seabed
    Tags:

    Our guest poster takes on the fear-mongering and race-baiting coming from ACT and the Coastal Coalition over the new foreshore and seabed deal. It’s a blight on New Zealand that we can’t have a debate over this issue without some rightwing extremists trying to exploit people’s fears and prejudices.

28. 

    The price of fear

    Written By:  Guest post -  Date published: 1:02 pm, July 5th, 2009 -  34 comments
    Categories: uncategorized
    Tags: fear

    It’s hardly controversial to comment that our media peddle fear. Nor uncontroversial to comment that a cowed individual is a controllable individual. Many remark on our 6 O’Clock News leading with, lingering over and sensationalising the random stabbing or shooting and also that on our fictional TV programmes are increasingly dominated by fearful scenarios such […]

29. 

    Don’t fear the reaper

    Written By:  Eddie -  Date published: 12:05 pm, April 27th, 2009 -  20 comments
    Categories: budget 2009, economy, national/act government
    Tags: recession

    The Government’s response to the recession so far has been to curl up in a ball and hope it will go away. Incredibly, while the economy is shrinking, the Government is destimulating it further by cutting public services. The excuse they give is that if the Government doesn’t reduce its borrowing, the credit ratings agencies […]

30. 

    The 2024 US Election: A No-Win Scenario

    Written By:  Elliot Crossan -  Date published: 7:18 pm, November 4th, 2024 -  50 comments
    Categories: climate change, Donald Trump, gaza, International, Kamala Harris, us politics
    Tags: benjamin netanyahu, billionaires, fascism, MAGA, project2025

    Tuesday (Wednesday in NZ) is election day in the United States of America. Where billionaires buy elections, the President is not elected by popular vote, and the nominee of the Republican Party attempted to overturn the results after he was voted out of office four years ago. Somehow, despite his crimes, Donald Trump is a coin-toss away from taking back the White House.

31. 

    Luxon Promotes Wealthy & Foreign Interests

    Written By:  Mountain Tui -  Date published: 6:28 pm, October 30th, 2024 -  12 comments
    Categories: chris bishop, Christopher Luxon, david seymour, Dirty Politics, national, national/act government, Privatisation, winston peters
    Tags:

    Chris Luxon continues to talk up privatisation and wealthy foreign interests from the Middle East and elsewhere. Privatisation and PPP models have been shown to cost a country – but he and ACT and NZ First seem set on their course to sell NZ assets.