The million MAGA muppet march

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, November 16th, 2020 - 37 comments
Categories: Donald Trump, facebook, uncategorized, us politics, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

America is in some trouble.  Covid19 is surging.  The third wave is hitting hard.  Suddenly 100,000 daily new infections is not a scary possibility, 200,000 is.

The POTUS is holed up in the West Wing and is busily firing people partly because he thinks it could save his position and partly because he can.  Clearly he still thinks that some magic will happen and he will be declared the President of the United States again.  His hopes should be fading fast and judging by this press conference it seems that he may be realising the end is in sight.

However grifters are going to grift.  There are still fundraising opportunities available and suckers to rip off.

And a stop the steal campaign has spontaneously recently appeared.  Or has it?  From CNN:

It is an internet battle cry: Stop the Steal has swept across inboxes, Facebook pages and Twitter like an out-of-control virus, spreading misinformation and violent rhetoric — and spilling into real life, like the protest planned for DC this weekend.

But while Stop the Steal may sound like a new 2020 political slogan to many, it did not emerge organically over widespread concerns about voting fraud in President Donald Trump’s race against Joe Biden. It has been in the works for years.

Its origin traces to Roger Stone, a veteran Republican operative and self-described “dirty trickster” whose 40-month prison sentence for seven felonies was cut short by Trump’s commutation in July.

Stone’s political action committee launched a “Stop the Steal” website in 2016 to fundraise ahead of that election, asking for $10,000 donations by saying, “If this election is close, THEY WILL STEAL IT.”

We should not be surprised about current claims.  Trump himself has been obsessing about rigged elections for a long time.

In 2012 he claimed that Barak Obama had lost the popular vote by a lot and yet had won the election and urged revolution.  Obama won the popular vote by 5 million.  Despite this Trump thought that Americans “should march on Washington and stop this travesty”.

In 2016 when Ted Cruz thrashed him in the Iowa and Wisconsin primaries accused Cruz of cheating and tweeted “Ted Cruz didn’t win Iowa, he stole it … [t]hat is why all of the polls were so wrong and why he got far more votes than anticipated. Bad!”

He continuously branded his Democrat opponent that year as “Crooked Hillary” and said that she was going to steal the election.  He also claimed “People that have died 10 years ago are still voting,” and that  “fraud is very, very common” and that illegal immigrants are also voting.

He also claimed that that 2.5 million Clinton supporters were given two votes “so they can vote twice”.

Did anyone think that he would be magnanimous and accept defeat gratefully this time?

Unfortunately a disturbing proportion of the population believe him.  It appears that a worrying large number of Americans do not have the mental agility required to spot the openly blatant crap being spun in front of them.

Trump and the Republican Party are still waiting for some sort of miracle to happen even though they are having their arses handed to them on a plate by the Courts.

And so the million person march on Washington was dreamed up in some dark recess of the Internet.

It was no doubt inspired (plaigarised?) from the Million Man March in 1995 protesting against perceptions and threats to Black men in America.  Trump and his followers would bastardise any idea to insult others and to gain advantage.

And so the maga million man march happened.  Samira Sadeque has this description in the Guardian:

The crowd sang the national anthem, sporadically erupting in cheers for the president. The rally began at the Freedom Plaza on Saturday morning, and would culminate in a crowd of hundreds and thousands by late afternoon.

A large number of protesters had travelled cross-country to show their support for Donald Trump, from as far as Los Angeles and Seattle. One group, with the banner “Korean Americans Support 2020 President Trump”, said they came in from South Korea for the election and had showed up to support their man again on Saturday.

Craig Johnson, who had driven 14 hours from Florida, was giving out dollar bills featuring a photo of Melania Trump.

“Isn’t she gorgeous?” he said to protesters walking by. “That’s my first lady.”

“I want this nightmare to end,” he told the Guardian. “I haven’t slept much since the election because I’m sad that Donald Trump is not our president. He’s gonna be our president though.”

Johnson wasn’t the only one with such strong belief in Trump’s claims, made without evidence, that the election was rigged – and in his refusal to concede to Joe Biden after all major media organisations called the race for the Democrat, by 306-232 in the electoral college.

Estimates of the crowd size varied from over a million by Trump spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany to thousands or tens of thousands by everyone else.  More people contracted Covid yesterday than attended the march.

At one stage Trump’s cavalcade, escorting him to a game of golf, drove through the crowds.

Last night there was sporadic violence between Proud Boys and other fascists against the group called Antifa but essentially anyone who opposes fascism.  Hopefully it will not get worse.

Meanwhile in as chilling an example you can think of in El Paso there are reports of jail inmates being hired to move bodies of people who died from Covid into mobile overflow morgues and being paid $2 per hour.

America you really need to get things sorted out.

37 comments on “The million MAGA muppet march ”

  1. Enough is Enough 1

    The only bad thing about Trump losing is he will almost undoubtedly run again in 4 years.

    Trumpism is a political movement, and he will campaign on the basis that the election was stolen from him.

    We have not seen the last of this terrible human being.

    • Treetop 1.1

      I think Trump will not run again he will pretend to do so. Trump is exploiting the nation's turmoil and grief by using the election loss to misuse his power.

      How many more people will he fire and what is the point in firing more people?

    • dv 1.2

      Can he run from Gaol?

      • Peter 1.2.1

        Moot question. There is more chance of the 2020 result being overturned than there is of him ever being in jail.

    • woodart 1.3

      trump is NOT a political movement, more like a bowel movement. he will leave politics like he has left everything else in his life, with a string of unpaid creditors(voters) wondering why and how they got sucked in. the unhappy middle of america, where most of his voters come from, will go looking for another messiah. unfortunatley for middle america, there is no coming back, a vast flat paddock with abandoned factories and deserted towns, it exists just to grow cheap crops, farmers living on gov subsidies. manufacturing will keep looking for cheap labour, so for americans dreaming of reopened factories, the only factories opening in middle america are meth labs.(that is a whole other sad story).

      • Treetop 1.3.1

        And burnt out health workers, first responders and a population with chronic Covid health who cannot access health services or afford housing.

        In time Trump will be seen as being an inhumane leader who has blood on his hands. Biden has walked into a human disaster. It will be costly and time consuming to fix.

        The ranting by Trump will not stop once he leaves office.

    • Andre 1.4

      We certainly haven't seen the lost of him, and he will be forever ranting and raving about the presidency being stolen from him. He would do that even if the Electoral College had delivered the Oval Office back to him. If nothing else, it'll be good for grifting money from his cultists, that fake victim complex seems to play well with them.

      But Mary Trump reckons he won't actually run again. He won't put himself into a position where he might suffer another humiliating loss. His history shows that – after he bankrupted his casinos, he didn't try again. After he failed at selling steaks, or selling fake education, or failed at airlines, he didn't try again.

      The one thing he had succeeded at and made money from, and seemed to enjoy, was pretending to be a success on TV. So that's what he'll likely go back to. Along with using real estate as the vehicle for probable money laundering.

    • nzsage 1.5

      "Trumpism is a political movement… "

      As New York journalist Thomas Friedman stated on CNN, it's more akin to a cult than a political party.

      https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/11/13/john-kelly-trump-transition-friedman-cult-tsr-sot-vpx.cnn

  2. Adrian 2

    A few years ago , sorry I'm hopeless at IT, I'm 70 years older than it is, so I can't link to it without destroying something, but a study done at Basel University looking at the traits of sociopaths found that about 50% of the population cannot detect a given socio or psychopath, interestingly 50% of those can identify a different type of socio/psychopath leaving only about 20-25% of the population reasonably consistently aware of deviant behaviour.

    Theres your 50% of US voters right there. It caught my eye because the headline said something like money market operators ticked at least 7 of the !0 traits of a Sociopath,

    It must have been over 4 years ago now as the topic was pertinent at the time.

    • Treetop 2.1

      The gun culture tells me a lot. I cannot understand why a person needs to own a AK -47.

      People are becoming radicalised in the US due to politics.

      • greywarshark 2.1.1

        I think the USA is being radicalised, torn apart, by being unable to cope with processing the reality they see, and the messages they get from their trusted, regular sources, coupled with the base beliefs about the wonder of their country, their democracy, being eroded in front of their eyes.

        They might vaguely comprehend at the back of their minds that it has mostly been a sham, which they have fought for – the idea of it and the vaunted values of it – but it's always been a 'busted flush'. That's left many people anxious, angry and anomic. Not world-famous in their own backyard, but wondering where in the world they are.

        They cling together with like minds, and gain comfort by blaming, marching, shouting, deriding, punishing; all negative to working for a better outcome.

        • Treetop 2.1.1.1

          Obama just on RNZ news, conspiracy theorists are causing the US divide.

          • greywarshark 2.1.1.1.1

            Probably but conspiracy mania comes from people not knowing what to believe in – so many lies, half-truths and chicanery going on.

            Their political set up is based on competing for funds and a place in the sun, and those who can't lobby, leverage, stay at the back. That is the conspiracy that ordinary people notice. The democracy is fair, they are taught, and yet the ordinary people get treated unfairly. Yet the democracy is praised. They think hey something is haywire here, I'm running to keep up but the race is rigged against me. So who did it, they look with narrowed eyes at the usual suspects, and form their own conspiracy theory which competes with other such theories, and that is their main product today in the USA, which acts as a talent pool for the media. So it goes!

            The central question for classical pluralism is how power and influence are distributed in a political process. Groups of individuals try to maximize their interests. Lines of conflict are multiple and shifting as power is a continuous bargaining process between competing groups. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluralism_(political_theory)

    • Anne 2.2

      Signs of a narcissist sociopath

      Signs and symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder

      • Grandiose sense of self-importance. …
      • Lives in a fantasy world that supports their delusions of grandeur. …
      • Needs constant praise and admiration. …
      • Sense of entitlement. …
      • Exploits others without guilt or shame. …
      • Frequently demeans, intimidates, bullies, or belittles others.

      https://www.google.co.nz/search?source=hp&ei=WKixX6aSDpSU4-EPjaqegAY&q=signs+of+a+narcissistic+sociopath&oq=signs+of+a+narcissistic+sociopath

      There are plenty of them in NZ.

      Anyone who has been on the receiving end of one (they can be a romantic or business partners or a ‘best friend’ or a colleague or a boss) will know the extraordinary amount of damage they can do.

      In my case, a woman claimed to be a ‘best friend’ and she fooled me for years before the truth finally dawned on me. they are brilliant at covering their tracks.

      • greywarshark 2.2.1

        This was informative on mental conditions and psychopaths.

        https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/the-wireless/374726/psychopaths-mean-misunderstood-and-mistreated from 2017

        Devon Polaschek is a forensic clinical psychologist and professor of psychology, and of crime science at Waikato University….

        Even among scientists there’s a lot of controversy about what’s in and what’s out in regard to the definition. You can think of psychopathy as an enduring type of personality disorder in which people have quite distinctive characteristics that can be harmful both to them and others. But there is also quite widespread acceptance that some aspects of psychopathy can be quite positive … So it’s more of a mixed picture of positive and negative characteristics.

        There are three different clusters of characteristics … meanness, boldness and disinhibition. This is known as the Triarchic model of psychopathy, developed by Christopher Patrick. It’s gaining some acceptance because of its usefulness.

      • JanM 2.2.2

        Funny, a group of us having coffee this morning after tai chi were discussing this a propos of John Key and the people who were and were not able to see him as a dishonest narcissist

      • mary_a 2.2.3

        Hi Anne (2.2) … Like yourself, I have also been on the extremely unpleasant receiving end of a work manager, displaying behaviour as that you have described as narcissistic personality disorder. Despite being thoroughly amiable one moment, she was also prone to sudden humiliating, spiteful and bullying meltdowns the next when things didn't go right, blaming everyone else for her own mistakes and failures. Apart from that, she consistently lied to protect herself, running hot and cold all the time, to the extent staff turnover was high, due to employee stress.

        Seems the Trumps are out there a-plenty.

        • Anne 2.2.3.1

          Yes, they do run hot and cold but the dangerous bit is when they put their hatreds and jealousies into practice. In the case I mentioned she was carrying out illegal covert missions to undermine me, then claiming behind my back that I was the one who was acting suspiciously.

          I wasn't the only person whose life she irreparably damaged either but like me… they wouldn't have known what was going on and who was responsible.

          The main reason they get away with it is because no-one is prepared to stand up to them . We are seeing the same thing being played out with Trump.

  3. Stuart Munro 4

    Ought there not to be sufficient evidence against Trump to charge him with sedition?

    to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States,

    is one definition, and should cover electoral results. Twenty years in the chokey might discourage further attempts to sabotage the state, for a while at least.

  4. Adrian Thornton 6

    Yep while all you guys seem to be able to do is all go on and on and on about how bad Trump is, which by the way is something we already fucking know…I see very little examination of Biden and his forthcoming administration….like this piece of shit lobbyist that will be his Vice Presidential chief of staff apparently…looks like there won't be any swamp clearing going on under Biden either, just more of the same old nepotism that Trump was so widely condemned for, though it's probably OK now cos it ain't Trump doing it..

    Klain arrives with K Street roots

    "After leaving the Clinton administration in its waning months, newly tapped Vice Presidential chief of staff Ron Klain lobbied for an asbestos industry bailout package, an airline merger, mortgage regulations to help Fannie Mae and a drug-maker under congressional scrutiny for withholding life-saving drugs from dying patients, among other clients."

    https://www.politico.com/story/2008/11/klain-arrives-with-k-street-roots-015632

    • Andre 6.1

      Such a shame the Party candidate didn't come through.

      • Ad 6.1.1

        70 million people voting for Trump and easily prepared to back him again, that's a preference for the Orangutan over SparklePonyOAC by a fair old way.

      • Adrian Thornton 6.1.2

        Yep, just another corrupt old white guy, not all that different from that last one expect not as uncouth….though Trump will probably end up having a lower international body count if history is anything to go by.

        • aom 6.1.2.1

          Trump is probably responsible for a lower international body count? So far there are 246K Covid deaths in the US alone. Add to that the number who have died as a result of his numerous imposed sanctions, support of proxy killings of South Americans, Palestinians and heaven only knows how many other victims of his racism, random illegal or ill-targeted drone attack deaths and the loss of life attributable to his casual callousness. Of course, it is probable that the 'corrupt white guy' will instigate more but it seems the days of tacit support for US exceptionalism are coming to an end.

        • Tricledrown 6.1.2.2

          Not if you include covid and excess deaths in the US.

          350,000 deaths on home soil.

  5. greywarshark 7

    The image at the top of the post reminds of a scene at the end of Brave New World where the pleasure seekers like to get together and experience emotions and get confirmation of themselves as beings by conforming at some event.

    This is a summary and one person's opinion of what is being portrayed in the book. It seems to parallel what is happening at present.

    At the end of Brave New World, a crowd gathers to watch John ritually whip himself. When Lenina arrives, John whips her as well. The spectators begin an orgy, in which John takes part. The next day, overcome with guilt and shame, he kills himself. Brave New World’s main theme is the incompatibility of happiness and truth. Throughout the novel, John has argued that it’s better to seek truth, even if it involves suffering, than to accept an easy life of pleasure and happiness.

    https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bravenew/what-does-the-ending-mean/

  6. Andre 8

    What's the worst job you've ever worked? Reckon it was worse than manning the phones at TRE45ON WE45EL's fraudulent voter fraud hotline?

    https://www.salon.com/2020/11/15/trump-campaign-workers-turn-on-the-president-following-vote-fraud-hotline-debacle_partner/

  7. mary_a 9

    In Trump's eyes anyone who or anything which beats him causing him to lose, is either a cheat, a liar or is corrupt. Seems he bases his judgement on his own dodgy standards.

    • Anne 9.1

      It’s called projection:

      Essentially, all narcissists tell on themselves.

      Projection is the process through which they reveal who they are and what they’re doing.

      Through projection, they call you what they are. They accuse you of doing what they’re doing or planning on doing. They throw all the uncomfortable feelings onto you because they don’t want to deal with them. They throw their shame onto you so they don’t have to deal with it. They make you feel guilty for who they are and what they’re doing because they’re unable to feel that guilt themselves.

      https://medium.com/@OwnYourReality/projection-the-narcissists-weapon-that-can-be-used-against-them-7ebb63848998

      And here endeth the lessons. 😮

  8. ken 10

    They're going to take an awful long time to work through their grief.

    It's been weeks, and they're still in the 'denial' stage – with a hint of anger beginning to emerge.

  9. george.com 11

    a several times bankrupt narcissistic liar and a convicted felon grifting and purloining cash from deluded Americans.

    MAGA – yes, make america great again, it starts in January

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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    23 hours ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    1 day ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    3 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    3 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    4 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    5 days ago
  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    5 days ago
  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    6 days ago
  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    6 days ago
  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago
  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    6 days ago
  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
    Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Small accomplishments and large ironies
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VII
    In order to catch up to the actual progress of the D&D campaign, I present you with another couple of sessions. These were actually held back to back, on a Monday and Tuesday evening. Session XV Alas, Goatslayer had another lycanthropic transformation… though this time, he ran off into the ...
    6 days ago
  • Accelerating the Growth Rate?
    There is a constant theme from the economic commentariat that New Zealand needs to lift its economic growth rate, coupled with policies which they are certain will attain that objective. Their prescriptions are usually characterised by two features. First, they tend to be in their advocate’s self-interest. Second, they are ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
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