Take the oil!

Written By: - Date published: 6:23 pm, January 28th, 2019 - 87 comments
Categories: uncategorized - Tags: , , ,

Before he was elected President, Donald Trump’s approach to United States illegal attacks on Iraq and Libya was that their only mistake was that the US didn’t “take the oil.”

After becoming President, his approach to oil-rich Venezuela was “can’t we just invade them?” Persuaded out of that course by the “adult” advisers Rex Tillotson and HR McMaster, Venezuela is once again in the firing line. It holds the largest proven oil stock in the world.

Rania Khalek provides an excellent overview,  antidote to the sort of stuff we are fed by the BBC and others. The standard first step to regime change is to foment internal division.

There’s been a lot of talk from the US, Uk, Australia and Canada about the “rules-based order” we are supposed to subscribe to. International law doesn’t seem to be one of the rules involved.

I am very glad that New Zealand does follow those rules, and is not joining the latest “coalition of the willing” in an illegal regime change coup to ‘take the oil.’

Update: John Bolton confirms its about the oil.

87 comments on “Take the oil! ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Siobhan 1
    28 January 2019 at 6:39 pm

    I’m still trying to get my head around how ‘the West’ is able to simply bring about regime change by deciding who they think should be a countries leader,. Has this ever happened before? Or is Nicolás Maduro so beyond the pale, worse than any other leader of any country ever that we need to make this ‘executive’ decision?
    It seems like a whole new level of ‘Introducing Democracy’ at it scariest. I’m waiting for the “coalition of the willing” to decide Trump and The Russians stole the election and just deal with Hilary. Ah, but then maybe not, because ‘we’ seem to think Trump is very wise and reasonable and able to take the lead on this issue, plus, you know, he’s also a fan of privatization so he’s not really‘The Enemy’

    https://grayzoneproject.com/2019/01/25/venezuela-us-coup-leader-juan-guaido-state-oil-company-imf/

    • Gabby 1.1
      28 January 2019 at 7:08 pm

      Humble beginnings but yanker education. Wonder if he moonlighted in ‘security’ work while in yankistan.

    • DJ Ward 1.2
      28 January 2019 at 7:34 pm

      But that’s not true. Tens of thousands marched in protest resulting in the Guarido declaring himself leader, then Trump supported his cliam.

      Trump didn’t organise the people to come together on mass to get rid of Meduro. Trump didn’t announce Guarido leader for him to then declare himself interim leader.

      How could have Trump organised that. Maduro has imprisoned the media and the Internet hardly works if at all. This is a self generated regime change.

      Not surprising.

      Maduro helps the poor?
      Reduced minimum wage by 90%
      Nearly tripled unemployment.
      Next to no healthcare.
      Restricted petrol supplies, subsidised at 1/50 of cost.
      Introduced tolls.
      Closed boarders to trade and movement.
      Nationalised supermarkets.
      Forced fire sales of electronics, halting the market.
      Import costs and regulation triple goods prices.
      Introduced ID cards system for food that failed.
      Railway system failing due to unpaid bills.
      Huge government spending on propaganda.
      Imprisoned opposition media.
      Imported large amounts of military equipment while children starved. To control protesters.

      • Adrian Thornton 1.2.1
        28 January 2019 at 8:15 pm

        Here is one for our resident Trump/CIA/IMF puppet DJ Ward…

        Confirming US Orchestration, Report Details Pence’s Key Phone Call to Venezuelan Opposition Leader
        “The U.S. had been planning this coup in Venezuela. It was the Trump administration that told the little-known opposition leader Juan Guaidó to declare himself (unelected) ‘president.'”

        https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/01/25/confirming-us-orchestration-report-details-pences-key-phone-call-venezuelan

        Oh and by the way who do you think Juan Guaidó is talking to for funding his Right wing paradise…The IMF of course.

        Venezuela’s US-Backed Coup Leader Immediately Targets State Oil Company and Requests IMF Money
        https://consortiumnews.com/2019/01/25/venezuelas-us-backed-coup-leader-immediately-targets-state-oil-company-and-requests-imf-money/

        • DJ Ward 1.2.1.1
          28 January 2019 at 9:24 pm

          I’m nobody’s puppet so some opinions.
          IMF. Many nations in desperate need have been rescued by the IMF. The unavoidable offset is the increase in debt or behavour change. So they act as a necessary evil.
          CIA. An entity with a long history of acts that deserve prison terms for the people involved. Not much different to its equivalents like the French, Russians, Isreali. They also do good work with organised international crime. So we hear the bad but the vast amount of legitimate stuff doesn’t get news. So they act as a necessary evil.
          Trump is brilliant. It’s hard dealing with corrupt Dems living in a swamp.

          As for the oil company. What do you expect him to do. The company looses $12.5 billion dollars a year. Production has dropped 13%. It needs investment but the nation is nearly bankrupt. It brings foreign exchange but is so badly run and politically manipulated that it’s presently a disaster. As long as ownership remains with Venuzuela what’s the issue. He seems to be looking for investment in infastructure. Which after years of socialism and negligable investment needs help.

          Imagine if NZ was oil rich but the taxpayer had to pay $12.5 billion each year to keep it running.

          • Adrian Thornton 1.2.1.1.1
            28 January 2019 at 10:36 pm

            My first thought was that I was going to put together an informed rebuttal with supporting neutral links to your crazed and quite twisted depressing world view, then a second thought occurred to me…why bother? going with that second one, good night.

            • Gosman 1.2.1.1.1.1
              29 January 2019 at 8:47 am

              “neutral links ”

              LOL!

              • Adrian Thornton …
                29 January 2019 at 9:04 am

                True neutral might be a bit of an exaggeration , as the great historian Howard Zinn stated “You can’t be neutral on a moving train”
                So I will rephrase that, neutral as in nonprofit news outlets/reporters generally funded by many small donations from individual citizens in the countries concerned as opposed to the links you will provide that would often be either purely for profit new sources or news outlets that are funded directly or indirectly by arms of government or international corporations/their proxies or wealthy individuals/families…so if we are talking about what information is more in the interests of most citizens, I would say one funded by them directly would be….don’t you think?

                • Gosman …
                  29 January 2019 at 9:05 am

                  You mean news organisations that support your preconceived bias on the World.

                  • Morrissey …
                    29 January 2019 at 9:20 am

                    Go away, troll. It’s clear to everyone here that you have read neither seriously nor at length about politics or history or probably anything else for that matter.

                    You’d be ideal as a host at Radio Sport. Have you approached them? They used to have a bloke called Bill Francis, who made a point of hiring “non experts” and “know nothings” like Martin Devlin and Larry Williams because he reckoned the mouth-breathers who listened in could identify with them.

                    Please apply for a job there. But don’t keep on polluting this site.

                    https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/daisycutter-sports-world-cup-special.html

                    https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/daisycutter-sports-rugby-world-cup.html

                    • Gosman …
                      29 January 2019 at 9:48 am

                      You are so smart Morrissey. Just a pity that even fellow left wingers tend to disagree with your take on various topics such as Venezuela.

                    • Andre …
                      29 January 2019 at 9:52 am

                      How about you spare us your public self-pleasuring?

                      There really is an argument about how much of Venezuela’s current distress is due to Chavez/Maduro screwing up and how much is due to US and other western meddling.

                      Gosman actually is arguing the case to sheet it home to Chavez and Maduro.

                      Almost everything you’re contributing is pointless abuse and linking back to your own wankery.

                      Frankly if the mods do get involved, I’m hoping it’s going to be a swat the mozzie instead of cooking the goose.

                    • Morrissey …
                      29 January 2019 at 1:26 pm

                      There really is an argument about how much of Venezuela’s current distress is due to Chavez/Maduro screwing up and how much is due to US and other western meddling.

                      Of course there is. Like any government, the democratically elected government of Venezuela has made some terrible errors. Does that mean it should not quell a violent insurrection instigated and funded by the extreme right?

                      Gosman actually is arguing the case to sheet it home to Chavez and Maduro.

                      If in fact that was what Gosman was doing, I would have no problem. But he, like you and several other so-called “liberals” here have gone far, far beyond that, and echoed the harsh and violent rhetoric of Trump, Bolton, Pompeo, and Abrams in calling for the democratically elected government to be overthrown.

                      I’ll skip the rest of your pedestrian exercise in abuse.

                  • rata …
                    29 January 2019 at 11:23 am

                    Your lucky Gosman as the NZ news media has been
                    right wing for the last 150 years.
                    Reading and hearing right wing all day all night
                    all your life must be heaven.
                    It has made you impervious to any other point of view.
                    The NZ news media has been so dependent on money
                    it has had to always favour the right who have the most money.
                    Like listening to the Nazi party in the 1930’s Germany.
                    Terrible for the Jews great for the rest.

                • Gosman …
                  29 January 2019 at 9:07 am

                  It is incredibly difficult to determine if these “citizen” news agencies are composed of a representative selection of society or just a bunch of fringe nutters obsessed with wacky conspiracy theories or far left or right politics.

                  • Adrian Thornton …
                    29 January 2019 at 9:29 am

                    I don’t find that very difficult at all, read a story, follow their links and sources…are their links and sources credible?
                    Who are they asking for opinion to support their positions are they credible? what is their history?
                    What has the person who has written the piece you are reading done before, who did they write for previously etc..
                    It is pretty straight forward, every now and then you get caught out, but that is good, it just makes you more vigilant to check credibility in the future.

                    Once you have established the credibility of a news source and the writers you like, then of course you don’t have to check their shit all the time because you have done your home work and can be pretty sure that they are legit.

                    Maybe you should try this method?
                    But I know you won’t, because as you well know, all your sources will expose your views as being as compromised and flimsy as we all know they are already.

                  • Adrian Thornton …
                    29 January 2019 at 10:11 am

                    Media bias
                    Common Dreams;
                    Factual Reporting: HIGH
                    Overall, Common Dreams produces solid journalism and sources their information well. The only fault is they sometimes source other to far left sources rather more neutral ones.

                    So in other words Common dreams is a reliable news source that gets it’s fact right but has a left lean.

                    Anyway I have had enough of this, but now going forward, how about when you comment on this site you start putting up your supporting links instead of all the time just spouting off shit.

                  • Adrian Thornton …
                    29 January 2019 at 10:32 am

                    Enough already, you just put up links to your sources that confirm and/or establish the credibility of your views in future.

                  • Blazer …
                    29 January 2019 at 12:49 pm

                    https://youtu.be/37Dvt2EqXF4

                    How do you like…dem apples?

          • Ed1 1.2.1.1.2
            29 January 2019 at 2:48 pm

            A company that looses $12.5 billion dollars are year – whether that is by dividends or donations or support for the country – is certainly not costing taxpayers, it is a valuable asset, especially if the country is as you claim nearly bankrupt. What are you talking about?

          • ropata 1.2.1.1.3
            2 February 2019 at 1:13 pm

            Excellent points DJ, but that doesn’t fit the simplistic “US evil empire” narrative that others like to peddle. There are no simple answers to the suffering of the Venezuelan people.

            The Guardian: Life’s a struggle as Venezuela inflation heads for one million per cent

            Organisation of American States denounces Mr Maduro’s election as non-democratic: OAS:: Resolution on the Situation in Venezuela

            Federica Mogherini, EU high commissioner for foreign affairs, calls Maduro’s election non-democratic: Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the situation in Venezuela

            The Lima Group (via DW): Lima Group refuse to recognize Maduro mandate and urge him to revert power to the National Assembly

            It’s not just a CiA plot…

      • rata 1.2.2
        29 January 2019 at 11:17 am

        @DJ Ward
        “Reduced minimum wage by 90%
        Nearly tripled unemployment.
        Next to no healthcare.
        Restricted petrol supplies, subsidised at 1/50 of cost.
        Introduced tolls.
        Closed boarders to trade and movement.
        Nationalised supermarkets.
        Forced fire sales of electronics, halting the market.
        Import costs and regulation triple goods prices.
        Introduced ID cards system for food that failed.
        Railway system failing due to unpaid bills.
        Huge government spending on propaganda.
        Imprisoned opposition media.
        Imported large amounts of military equipment while children starved. ”
        Look the ACT party made mistakes but Roger Douglas and Derek Quigley
        just needed more time.

        • DJ Ward 1.2.2.1
          29 January 2019 at 11:20 am

          Yes it’s one of the ironic things about left wing dictators. They end up being what the left cliam the far right wants.

          • rata 1.2.2.1.1
            29 January 2019 at 11:27 am

            @DJ Ward .Yes it’s one of the ironic things about right wing dictators. They end up being what the right claim the far left wants.

          • Adrian Thornton 1.2.2.1.2
            29 January 2019 at 1:09 pm

            No the real irony of the Right, is they couldn’t manage an national economy to save themselves, their economic ideology is so flawed that even one of it’s modern guru’s admitted himself that it doesn’t work, and he has no idea what human think, or what motivates them…and then the Left wing get voted in and have to clean up all the lack of maintenance, mismanagement, destruction and chaos caused by you Right wing nutters and get the country back on some sort of even keel again…and then comes the most mind numbing irony of all…you idiots blame the Left for spending to much, which is of course parroted verbatim by most corporate/millionaire owned MSM…right wing economics are such a joke.,unfortunately for most people a very bad one.

            I Was Wrong! Alan Greenspan
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWen53eqmJo

    • Morrissey 1.3
      28 January 2019 at 8:32 pm

      Has this ever happened before?

      “The West”, i.e. the gangster states of the U.S., U.K. and France, aided and abetted by vassals like Canada, Australia and New Zealand, has actively “intervened in” (destroyed or deterred) democracy in Spain in 1936, Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954, Vietnam in 1956, Brazil in 1964, the Dominican Republic in 1965, Indonesia in 1965, Chile in 1973, Grenada in 1983, Panama in 1989, Haiti in 1993, and (for three days until massive civil disobedience defeated the U.S.-backed coup) Venezuela in 2002.

      What we are witnessing now is nothing new. The tortured and murdered people of South America have experienced U.S. “intervention” many, many times before.

      https://twitter.com/AllanNairn14/status/1089032468701753344?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

      • DJ Ward 1.3.1
        28 January 2019 at 9:39 pm

        What crack up. The Dems wanted to give them more guns.

        So what about all the Russian guns. It was the Cold War but your implying it was something else?

        • Morrissey 1.3.1.1
          28 January 2019 at 10:02 pm

          It was the Cold War but your [sic] implying it was something else?

          Your ignorance and arrogance—one goes with the other—are exceeded only by your illiteracy.

    • Richard McGrath 1.4
      3 February 2019 at 1:21 am

      Hillary got in first while Secretary of State, by selling the Ruskies a fair chunk of the US stock of uranium. Apparently Bill did very well out of some speeches he made in Russia just after that.

  2. joe90 2
    28 January 2019 at 6:58 pm

    And things went okay for Nixon too, after he helped overthrow Allende.
    /

    https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1089650383075622913

  3. DJ Ward 3
    28 January 2019 at 6:59 pm

    But the US already gets there oil. There has never been a halt to there exports and imports to the US.

  4. Adrian Thornton 4
    28 January 2019 at 7:42 pm

    I put this important link up on another thread, it is good piece on the report by Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, an independent expert of the United Nations on the real situation in Venezuela in 2018…please read.

    http://misionverdad.com/mv-in-english/exclusive-report-summary-of-the-report-by-alfred-de-zayas-independent-expert-of-the-un

    Some interesting passages…

    “Alfred de Zayas noted that his time in
    Venezuela was accompanied by an atmosphere of intimidation aimed at forcing him to settle in “a predetermined mold”. In this context, “I received letters from some NGOs asking me not to continue (with my work) for not being the ‘relevant’ rapporteur and almost dictating what I should include in the report.”

    “risk rating agencies, mainly Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch, have permanently issued a negative rating on the Republic’s capacity to make external payments, which essentially has closed its possibilities of access to the financial market.”

    Venezuela crisis: Former UN rapporteur says US sanctions are killing citizens
    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/venezuela-us-sanctions-united-nations-oil-pdvsa-a8748201.html

    https://www.democracynow.org/2019/1/24/former_un_expert_the_us_is

  5. timeforacupoftea 5
    28 January 2019 at 8:02 pm

    We should be doing this, New Zealand needs a cheap supply of oil.

    It seems to me the US is streets ahead of us poor pacific islanders.

    • DJ Ward 5.1
      28 January 2019 at 10:01 pm

      Nah. We are still living in the age of exploitation. The bright thing to do is buy other people’s cheap oil. Then in the future when the oil producers have exploited there resources and production nose dives, our resources will be worth a genuine fortune. The problem with that is market forces due to price will embrace alternatives. Like plant derived plastics, electric cars.

      What makes you think our oil will be any cheaper. The market decides the customer and the price. Unless you like Venuzuelas model.

      • Ed1 5.1.1
        29 January 2019 at 3:01 pm

        Well It seems you agree with the current governments decision not to issue new exploration permits at the end of last year, and to potentially not issue any this year either. But it could be even more profitable to do what you appear to support the USA doing – the clip of Bolton above suggested they will try to get USA companies extracting Venezualan oil; left less defined is what would happen to Venezualen companies selling oil products in the USA. Is that the sort of respect for contract and the sanctity of property ownership that you support, DJ Ward?

    • Richard McGrath 5.2
      3 February 2019 at 1:28 am

      Er, our PM hates the oil industry and has shut a lot of their activities down in Taranaki. So won’t be producing any cheap local oil any time soon.

  6. Poission 6
    29 January 2019 at 12:34 am

    us democrats stick oar in.Greens state the obvious.

    https://twitter.com/DrJillStein/status/1088602104946663424

    • Adrian Thornton 6.1
      29 January 2019 at 10:20 am

      @Poission +1
      A very good point from Stein, also exposing just how weak the Dems have left themselves with all their unresolved baggage from the last election…all just waiting to come back and haunt them.

      Because of their internal corruption Trump could well win next time round..unbelievable that some good people on this site still aggressively defend them…strange, very strange.

  7. Michael 7
    29 January 2019 at 4:44 am

    IMHO don’t like trump at all. Especially it refers to his statements. HE looks so unprofessional when he does that.

  8. JO 8
    29 January 2019 at 9:14 am

    This article provides more historical background than the usual, unsurprising supporters of intervention choose to recognise. Oil is like carrion, it attracts vultures. Winston Peters was a sane international voice in saying our government will not take sides.

    Oscar Guardiola-Rivera teaches human rights and philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London:
    ‘There is plenty to criticise Maduro for: late or misguided economic measures, corruption, power-hoarding. But these criticisms cannot disguise a coup or justify an intervention that, if and when it comes, would engulf us all.’

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/28/venezuela-coup-trump-juan-guaido

  9. joe90 9
    29 January 2019 at 9:47 am

    Bolton lets the cat out of the bag – ..and Iran’s interest in Venezuela’s uranium deposits..

  10. esoteric pineapples 10
    29 January 2019 at 11:28 am

  11. rata 11
    29 January 2019 at 11:35 am

    To be fair the USA and New Zealand are very similar.

  12. DJ Ward 12
    29 January 2019 at 1:04 pm

    Re the update.

    Bolton is as psychopathically anti Russian as McCain.

    This is a power play. Meduro, who sells off oil production to the Russians and buys its weapons with the money. Or a pro US person who intends to open things up to competition.

    Who said the Cold War is over.
    Trump anti Russian? Quick close this discussion down.

    https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/russia-beating-china-venezuelas-oil-fields

  13. Kevin 13
    29 January 2019 at 1:10 pm

    Ramping up the pressure.

    Of course the US doesn’t interfere in other countries economies…

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/28/trump-venezuela-sanctions-oil-pdvsa-maduro-guaido

  14. Gosman 14
    29 January 2019 at 1:48 pm

    A question to all the dendeders of the Venezuelan regime.

    There is a lot of criticism directed against sanctions and the impact of them on the economy but why should Western Capitalists support a regime that is trying to replace Capitalism with Socialism? It would be like expecting Turkey’s to support year round Christmas.

    • Andre 14.1
      29 January 2019 at 2:02 pm

      I’m not a defender of the Venezuelan regime, and at best a luke-warm defender of capitalism.

      What I’m mostly interested in is that people get to exercise their right to self-determination. From what I can see, that right to self determination is getting fucked with by the Maduro regime and by the US government (such as it is at the moment) and by other regional governments and quite possibly by rooskies and other further away powers. I’d be a hell of a lot happier if all the meddlers just fucked right off and let the venezuelans sort things out themselves, except for maybe a modest UN intervention to ensure the will of the population got heard.

      As far as I’m concerned, if the venezuelans as a whole want socialism, we should support them in that even though our dominant structure is capitalism. I really don’t give a shit what economic structure people want to organise themselves by, what I care about is that it’s their choice and not someone else’s.

      • Morrissey 14.1.1
        29 January 2019 at 2:12 pm

        Your views match mine, Andre. So why all the abuse before?

      • Richard McGrath 14.1.2
        3 February 2019 at 1:36 am

        The Venezuelans ARE sorting things out. That nice Mt Maduro just tried to load 20 tons of gold onto a plane that his ever-helpful Russian friends provided. I wonder if he was going to give the people of Venezuela a dividend from all that wealth generated by the fabulously successful socialist economy.

    • DJ Ward 14.2
      29 January 2019 at 2:04 pm

      If we are not carefull the tradition might spread to NZ. The Christmas hams might be happy at the change.

    • Psycho Milt 14.3
      29 January 2019 at 2:04 pm

      Thank you for the implicit recognition that western countries are run by their capitalist ruling classes, and that these capitalists have interests they’re unscrupulous about protecting. It’s very refreshing.

    • McFlock 14.4
      29 January 2019 at 2:30 pm

      wet lunch, was it?

      Anyhoo, nobody says that the US needs to support anyone other than the UN. It would be nice if they stopped trying to destabilise other nations, though, regardless of political or social orientation.

    • Poission 14.5
      29 January 2019 at 2:30 pm

      The argument best postulated is not against capitalism,but against corporatism and finacialization.

      https://ideas.repec.org/p/uma/periwp/wp153.html

      and the anti democratic outcome of globaliztion.

      https://www.globalpolicy.org/globalization/defining-globalization/27669-the-collapse-of-globalism.html

    • Sabine 14.6
      29 January 2019 at 3:09 pm

      It is up to the people of Venezuela to care about Venezuela.

      The rest of the world can but out and care about its own business, about its own poor people, about its own homeless people, its unemployed people, its handicapped people who are neglected, its old people who are neglected, its falling apart and underfunded school etc etc etc.

      As for the US, they are the least to lecture anyone on democracy, democratic principles, democratic elections, democratic anything.

      Expecting the ‘western regimes’ to bring anything good to Venezueal via regime change and the likes is like believing that Turkeys support Thanks giving Day.

      • ropata 14.6.1
        2 February 2019 at 12:41 pm

        Unfortunately the Venezuelan people do *not* get a say in their own government, as Maduro is following the playbook of Robert Mugabe, “Socialist” in name only, while importing arms from Russia, rigging elections, and stealing the nation’s oil revenues for the private profit of himself and his cronies.

        • Sabine 14.6.1.1
          2 February 2019 at 3:06 pm

          and it is still not on us to fuck up their country even further, it is up to the Venezuelans to fix their country.

          The US and ‘allies’ should keep their grubby fingers of that country and its resources.

  15. Ad 15
    29 January 2019 at 2:31 pm

    Here’s a nice ready-reckoner on how United States oil dependence has continued to shape its foreign policy.

    https://www.cfr.org/timeline/oil-dependence-and-us-foreign-policy

  16. Sabine 16
    29 January 2019 at 3:11 pm

    Of course it is about hte oil.
    Did anyone here believe it is about the people and democracy?

    As for the orange turd, he showed and he spoke very clearly who he is, what he is about, and how he would go about getting what he wants.
    Might it be time to believe the turd and his spoken work and his written word and his actions? Or would that interfere with daytime dreaming about stuff that could be if only …………?

  17. Poission 17
    29 January 2019 at 3:22 pm

    From the couldnt make this stuff up file .Bolton takes pad with OPSEC troop movements to press conference.

    https://twitter.com/RaoKomar747/status/1090005450492465152

  18. Dennis Frank 18
    29 January 2019 at 5:08 pm

    “The Trump administration sanctions stopped short of banning U.S. companies from buying Venezuelan oil, but because the proceeds of such sales will be put in a “blocked account,” PDVSA [Venezuelan state-owned oil firm] is likely to quickly stop shipping much crude to the United States, its top client.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-sanctions/u-s-imposes-sanctions-on-venezuelan-state-oil-firm-pdvsa-idUSKCN1PM2DP

    So the USA has finally deleted itself from its long-held status as Venezuela’s favourite trading partner. Poor Maduro will have no choice but to sell more product to the Russians & Chinese. Gosh the yanks are such meanies, eh? But wait, the Chinese seem to be heading in the opposite direction: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-venezuela-oil/venezuela-oil-exports-to-china-slump-may-hit-lowest-in-nearly-8-years-sources-data-idUSKBN1JB0YI

    Looks like PDVSA can’t even get oil extracted sufficiently to supply customers: “GlobalData also forecast that Venezuelan crude oil production would fall to around one million barrels per day by the end of 2018. This is a steep decline from the three million barrels per day that Venezuela produced in 2011.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2018/06/08/venezuelas-oil-exports-are-headed-toward-zero/#3895cf976876

    Hard to see how Russia & China can rescue Venezuela from state-imposed suicide, despite their promise to try…

  19. greywarshark 19
    29 January 2019 at 5:19 pm

    Why jis it that no-one can take male reporters and commenters seriously unless they are in shirts and jackets and probably a tie. Yet women like Rania can wear any old thing, just as if they were out socialising, and everything they say is accepted. It seems sexist against men to me. I think women should dress more formally as if they take the news and its reporting seriously.

  20. Tiger Mountain 20
    29 January 2019 at 5:47 pm

    What part of US Imperialism, and its grisly South American historical record, do various commenters at The Standard not get? This American coup is from the playbook that gave us Chile 1973 and all the other interventions covert and clandestine, that Morrissey refers to.

    Petty bourgeois moaning about a left govt in trouble, while the Yanks prepare an oil heist and takeover of a sovereign state.

  21. Infused 21
    30 January 2019 at 4:10 am

    Venezuela needs some freedom bombs

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    PunditBy Brian Easton
    17 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    23 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

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