Tweets from a Donald Trump meeting

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, June 17th, 2016 - 88 comments
Categories: International, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, us politics, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

Donald Trump make America great again

Good twitter is an art form. Jared Yates Sexton, an American writer is one of the better exponents of the art.

He recently attended a Donald Trump meeting and tweeted the experience.

Here they are (H/t politicalscrapbook.net). Read them and be concerned.

88 comments on “Tweets from a Donald Trump meeting ”

  1. vto 1

    holy shit

    as expected but still surprising and scary

    what to do?
    what to do?

    can’t sit and do nothing
    can’t sit and do nothing

    • Colonial Viper 1.1

      Democrats can cure Trump easy. They can put in Bernie Sanders as candidate, and Bernie will kill Trump at the polls by double digits.

      Or they can go with the establishment status quo Clinton, and give Trump every chance at the White House.

      What will it be Democrats?

  2. linda 2

    Sounds like the last bays of empire falling apart from the inside

  3. Fustercluck 3

    I used to wonder what it was like to live in Germany in the thirties as the Nazis ascended to power. Now I know.

    • Rosie 3.1

      The tweeter himself said it was Nuremberg rally level crazy, as much as he didn’t like to use the comparison.

      It really is something that does need to be compared and studied however, by sociologist’s, if it hasn’t already.

      • BM 3.1.1

        And you believe every word do you?, don’t think he may have used a bit of artistic licence to make it a bit more exciting for his targeted audience?

        • Macro 3.1.1.1

          Have you been to the states recently?
          I went a couple of years back and from the moment I entered I couldn’t wait to leave. There is an undercurrent of hate and fear, the like of which I have never experienced anywhere else.

          • BM 3.1.1.1.1

            Me personally, No.

            My partner though, spent a week there about a month or so back, according to her the Americans she dealt with were some of the nicest people she’s ever met.

            She did say the people in charge of security at airports and public buildings were terrifying, lots of guns and full on “you look like a terrorist to me” faces.

            Most of the Americans she met said they were rather disheartened by the political choices on offer with many saying they had no idea who to vote for, so probably wouldn’t vote.

            • weka 3.1.1.1.1.1

              Would she vote for Trump?

            • Macro 3.1.1.1.1.2

              That is definitely true. I met some very good people – and my daughter who was once stranded at LA airport whilst a humungous blizzard was blowing on the eastern sea board ( she was on her way to NY) was given royal treatment by some people with whom she stood in line and shared her gum. They saw that she was accommodated (8 bed mansion and private box at the ice hockey) while the she waited for a plane to cross the continent.
              I was there when the ebola scare was in full flight – one only had to turn on tv or listen to the radio to hear “OMG! we are all going to die!” on and on it went day after day.
              My cousin whom I was visiting (now American Citizen) has a son-in-law who is one of those gun carrying “you look like a terrorist” people at the LA airport and he is a very good person too. But still he runs a check of all the kids in the neighbourhood. etc. Underneath the layer of normality there is a tension. Why do police forces around the country need armed personnel carriers?
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klgprtvi_X8
              Why do supposedly sane politicians pose for their christmas photograph toting guns?

        • Rosie 3.1.1.2

          I’ve no reason to doubt the tweeters report BM, unbelievably shocking as it. If you didn’t know trump and his crazy supporters you’d think it was a fiction.

          This time around I’m not following the American Presidential campaign, just too tired and fed up. However what I’ve seen of Trump and his rallies just on two chanels of news and on RNZ I do believe the man is deluded and confused but has been charismatic enough to tap into a deep vein of hatred and anger in a disillusioned America, which he has used to his advantage.

          The reports of the tweeter are compatible with all other news reports in terms of the rhetoric but more personal.

          I would be feeling extremely anxious if I were living in America right now, especially if I were anything other than WASP.

          • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.2.1

            I would be feeling extremely anxious if I were living in America right now, especially if I were anything other than WASP.

            QFT

        • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.3

          No, he wasn’t using artistic license. A lot of the same deprivation applies in the US as applied in 1930s Germany that allowed Hitler to rise to power. We really are seeing the same process again.

          It’s what happens under capitalism when the rich and powerful take and take and take.

  4. Kelly-Ned 4

    Unbelievable.
    I am speechless.
    How can a large group of people be so mindless?

  5. Ad 5

    Politics is the entertainment industry for ugly people.

    When is ugly right?
    When is it on balance better to be ugly for the renewal of democracy?
    Did we want these kind of people to finally wake up?
    Is the left just jealous that they don’t have their own populist Lenin-scale demagogue?

    Or is the polis burning civility away deep into the molten core of irrational id too much for us?

    Seeing this set of texts on the same day as a British MP is shot dead tells us at least that politics is no mere exchange of arguments on a stage or tv interview set. It’s life and death.

    And the last thing we should do is to be tempted to form counter-militias, counter-demagogues, and dive swan-like backwards into that same molten core. Down that path, we may as well become ISIS.

    This is not a left-right contest anymore. This is a contest against rage.

    • weka 5.1

      These kind of people? What do you mean?

      • Ad 5.1.1

        The kind of people identified by the tweets in the Trump rally.

        • weka 5.1.1.1

          Such as? I don’t see the tweets identifying certain kind of people, I see it identifying behaviours. Making people who vote Trump ‘other’ is part of the problem I think.

          • Ad 5.1.1.1.1

            Sexton’s quotes were quite specific to specific people, and from the crowd generally, making specific comments. Which as you could see clearly was what I was referring to. And yes, those kind of people are generating a whole bunch of ‘otherness’.

            • weka 5.1.1.1.1.1

              Specific people are individuals, not ‘kinds of people’. Despite you believing that who you were referring to is clear, you still won’t say what you meant so I will assume you are referring to conservative working class people.

              Trump supporters are creating ‘otherness’. And if we other them as well, what happens next?

              • Ad

                What I was referring to, very precisely, was what was identified in the tweets, which was what I named clearly in 5.1.1.

                You’d best direct your incomprehensible question to Jared Yates Sexton.

                • weka

                  Yeah but you won’t say what you perceived was identified in the tweets. I saw a bunch of behaviours being named. You saw ‘kinds of people’ but won’t way what you mean by that.

                  If by ‘kinds of people’ you are saying you mean people who wear Trump t-shirts, I’m not sure that that has any meaning.

                  • Lanthanide

                    The kinds of people who exhibit those behaviours.

                    Clearly there are two sets of people: those that exhibit the behaviours, and those that don’t.

                    Trying to boil it down to “working class people” is stupid, because the working class set of people are orthogonal to those two sets: some of them will fall into the “don’t exhibit” set, and others will fall into the “do exhibit set”.

                    So don’t try and boil it down any further than what was already said – the people who exhibit those behaviours – because it doesn’t make any sense to try to break it down further.

                    • weka

                      In this case, conservative working class people then, right?

                    • Lanthanide

                      @weka:
                      No.

                    • weka

                      Did you edit your previous comment? It helps if you state that you have edited, because I didn’t see the bits about working class when I replied.

                      I think calling ‘those kinds of people’ the ones exhibiting certain behaviours is a cop out. It’s still an othering.

                    • Lanthanide

                      Yes, it is an othering, if you are in the set of people who don’t exhibit those kinds of behaviours, and the people you are talking about are in the set of people who exhibit those kinds of behaviours.

                      Just like saying “black people” is othering if you’re a white person.

                    • weka

                      that’s not what othering means Lanth.

                    • Lanthanide

                      @weka,
                      Then I don’t believe this is othering, it’s simply stating a fact.

                      There exist people in the world that exhibit a certain set of behaviours, call this set A. There exist people in the world that don’t exhibit those behaviours, call that set B.

                      I don’t think it’s ‘othering’ to make a statement of fact – set A exists. If you are a member of set B, that might be ‘othering’. You’re saying it’s not.

  6. weka 6

    I’m not surprised, this is why some of us have been saying that despite Clinton being evil, Trump being president is worse. Trump could change the US in ways that would take generations to recover from. And bear in mind what he and that would be like in the coming decade of global instability, increasing extreme weather emergencies and resource depletion.

    That second to last tweet is the stand out for me. Yes, disenfranchisement is a big part of the picture, but so is the worst of humanness being actively encouraged. He’s fanning the flames of every bullying, racist, misogynist, homophobic etc sentiment he can find and then he is encouraging violence and repression. Intentionally.

    • Anne 6.1

      Spot on weka!

    • Lanthanide 6.2

      But you can also look at it from the other angle – desperate times call for desperate measures. Hitler was popular because of Germany’s diminished presence in the world.

      I don’t think America is really in “desperate times” – yet. But if we’re right about the coming global instability, then America could be in desperate times in the mid 20’s. So Trump, or someone like him, could sweep to power then, even if he loses in 2016.

      But, if we elect Trump now in 2016, and it’s a disaster (as we suspect it would be), then that might prevent an even bigger disaster occurring in 2024 when Trump-lite runs and wins, after 2 terms of Hillary.

      Or to boil it down, a demagogue president like Trump may be an inevitability for America in the next 2 decades. It is probably better that we have such a president sooner, so Americans can “get it out of their system” and learn from their mistakes, rather than later, when the demagogue would be likely to do more damage.

      Purely fantasy conjecture of course.

      • BM 6.2.1

        Donald Trump is currently 70, can’t see him being too much of a force in the mid 20’s.

        • Lanthanide 6.2.1.1

          I did say “someone like Trump” or “Trump-lite”.

          The other point for a future Trumpian president, is that should Trump fail to win now, it won’t because he didn’t energise a lot of American voters – it will be because he didn’t get a majority of the votes.

          So a future candidate can look at this campaign, dissect the entrails and work out what it was that Trump did wrong, and what things he did well, and use that information to make a better run for the presidency.

          One thing fivethirtyeight has already highlighted is that Trump seems to be very disparaging of data-mining and on the ground get-out-the-vote organising. So that’s a fairly easy thing for a future candidate to understand, and correct.

        • Grant 6.2.1.2

          How old was Reagan when he left office? How old is Mugabe?

      • weka 6.2.2

        That’s based on Clinton not doing anything to address white working class issues in her first term right?

        I get the argument. I suppose mine would be that if Trump wins now he could do so much damage in 4 years that the idea of a democractic election (such as they have in the US) would no longer be real.

      • Psycho Milt 6.2.3

        Hitler was popular because of Germany’s diminished presence in the world.

        I’m not someone with a third of the vote can be called “popular.” He only got in because the communists decided they’d rather have a fellow totalitarian ideologue running things than those contemptible democracy-loving “social fascists” of the Social Democratic Party. Trump isn’t going to have that kind of gift served up to him on a plate, thank Christ.

        • Foreign waka 6.2.3.1

          Hitler was popular because after the WWI, when the Monarchy was ended (as in most Euro Nations), the Treaty of Versaills has put quite an onus on Germany and albeit the Waimarer Republic, established at the time was able to reform the system, it was the great depression and deflation policies that prepared the road for his success in the 1930 (12 years after WWI). Not that it is ever excusable what Hitler did but everything has context. The first great war,the economic strangulation of the newly established republic and in close succession the great depression, the allied forces blockade that led to around 900 000 of people starving to dead (literally) was what made people cry out for someone to change their plight – and Hitler was the man of the hour. It could have been anybody if the promise would have fit the cry for help.
          As for the Russians involvement, they certainly were – together with the allies, Britain, France and USA.
          http://www.wintersonnenwende.com/scriptorium/english/archives/articles/starvation1919.html

          There is no such situation in the USA today.

          The only similarity I can see is that each individual has the same capacity to be extremely brutal or a humanitarian – upbringing will play a role, but put someone under enough stress and it will be the inner strength that decides the outcome. Fear is a bad adviser.

    • Pat 6.3

      “I’m not surprised, this is why some of us have been saying that despite Clinton being evil, Trump being president is worse. Trump could change the US in ways that would take generations to recover from”

      ….and when Hilary is elected all these people and their views will magically disappear?

      • weka 6.3.1

        Of course not, why would you ask that?

        • Pat 6.3.1.1

          why would I say that?….because Trump is Trump BECAUSE of the support not the other way round.

          Clinton is not change

          Change is what is being incoherently demanded, so Clinton or Trump the problem remains and grows.

          • weka 6.3.1.1.1

            Yes, I’m just not sure why you are saying that in response to me or my comments. It doesn’t really appear related (and is a given anyway).

            • Pat 6.3.1.1.1.1

              maybe because your strenuous objection to ‘othering’ of Trump supporters inferred that they were simply misled individuals who would somehow see sense if they were led by the right kind of person.

              • weka

                Fuck that, I don’t believe that at all. I thought the fanning the flames analogy was clear enough (you can’t fan flames that aren’t already there, therefore the bigotry already exists). Instead of making assumption about something I say why not check it out? The comments you replied to aren’t even in that subthread, they’re about something else.

  7. Pat 7

    Trump rally,Yazidi genocide and MP shot…..just another day?

    • vto 7.1

      well put pat

      clearly not just another day

      clearly signs of particular times

      ignore at peril

      • Pat 7.1.1

        this is the same world that is going to co-operate on climate change?

        • b waghorn 7.1.1.1

          Holy shit that is exactly the conclusion I’ve come too in the the last week or so. No they can’t cooperate.

          • Pat 7.1.1.1.1

            not a hope in hell

          • weka 7.1.1.1.2

            Remember how the Cold War ended? The fall of the Berlin Wall? The end of apartheid in South Africa?

            Don’t give up hope yet.

            • Pat 7.1.1.1.2.1

              you think the cold war ended?….former Yugoslavia ,Crimea and Syria

            • b waghorn 7.1.1.1.2.2

              I’ll always hope us humans can evolve past being silly tribal apes. And I’ll keep voting for a positive government.

              • Pat

                evolution is a slow process….if we haven’t got there now we arnt likely to anytime soon.

  8. Greg 8

    Its a circus for sure, and this is just only the nomination race, the Presidential election is going to be crazier.
    America’s has had its share of fascism, we should’nt be surprised how polarized their politics now is, generational War on Terror, and economic instability.
    NZs political polarization is when Maori get used as a divisive political football,
    Labour and National being as guilty. Helen Clarks Trump moment was in the seabed and foreshore act, and her UN approval CV in the 2007 Tuhoe terrorist camp raids, and police actions against political dissenters and protest groups.

  9. save nz 9

    That’s 25 years of charter schools in action.

    That’s 35 years of neoliberalism in action.

    That’s 2 trillion dollars spent on the middle east war that did not get spent on ‘making American great’ i.e. domestic spending.

  10. joe90 10

    Clearing out of Greensboro. Thanks for the retweets and comments. Trump’s candidacy is a virus that needs cured.

    Obligatory.

  11. BM 11

    Reads like fiction to me.

    Known for our tabloid, muckraking style, stories broken here have featured across the print and broadcast media:

    http://politicalscrapbook.net/about/

  12. Lanthanide 12

    Only a matter of time until someone does some under cover filming of one of these rallies and it gets global airplay?

    Only a matter of time until someone is seriously injured or killed at one of these rallies?

  13. Colonial Viper 13

    Thanks to the power elite who have led America down this dead end path. Well done. Now they’re going to try and take the entire planet with them.

    • weka 13.1

      Yep, and Trump is one of them. The bigots are equally responsible.

      • Colonial Viper 13.1.1

        Perhaps but Trump isn’t the power elite. He is the next step down – very wealthy but (previously) with few ties to the real decision makers – the investment bankers, MIC, national security state.

        The power elite are the power holders within institutions like JP Morgan and Lockheed Martin, the NSA and the CIA.

        • weka 13.1.1.1

          but only because he didn’t play the game right, right? He’d be one of them if he could. And if he becomes president, he is one of them, he’s in the club. He might be breaking the rules, and he has his own agenda, but I don’t think there is any doubt that he is an authoritarian power monger too. Maybe he is just greedy for a different kind of power.

        • marty mars 13.1.1.2

          I don’t see how you can think that trump is some maverick giving it to the man – he is doodoodeep in with them, he is one of them. Very few ties with investment bankers? you have got to be kidding me…

    • Foreign waka 13.2

      Astounding that they belief that this war they spread is survivable.

  14. Byd0nz 14

    Made in America,
    Mad is America,
    Break up of America,
    All is chaos,
    The future looks bright.

  15. riffer 15

    It’s all looking a little too much like this:

  16. Bob 16

    This is what happens when a country moves too far to the right and the right wing party tries to distance itself from the opposition.
    Wholly shit, please tell me Trump is purely trying to whip up support and doesn’t actually believe half of the shit coming out of his mouth. If he does and he somehow finds a way to win, I really am concerned about where the US could be heading (as if they weren’t bad enough already).

  17. Rosie 17

    That was, akshully, very chilling to read. Very frightening in fact. If those tweets are a true account of the rally, and I’ve no reason to doubt they aren’t, then that is incredibly worrying crowd behaviour.

    Aside from the crowd reactions to trump and statements from them I was intrigued and a bit shocked that there were many intoxicated people there. It’s so out of context for a political setting (unless you’re an EDL member, but then again these attendees sound a bit like the American version of EDL) That is so off the hook.

    Out of control.

  18. joe90 18

    Nothing new under the sun.

    In the 1924 presidential election, the most hyped candidate was an egotistical and fabulously wealthy businessman who many politicians did not believe would really run.

    That man was legendary carmaker Henry Ford, and the resemblance between his political un-career and Donald Trump’s is striking.

    Ford was impulsive, hated experts of any kind, and refused to commit to a platform, specific policies, or even a political party. Instead he ran—for Senate in 1918, and (kind of) for president in 1924—on his reputation as a captain of industry and force of nature.

    “I will move my whole force down [to Washington], then they will know that I have arrived,” Ford declared as he announced his political ambitions. He lambasted incompetent politicians, and his inner circle claimed he would save the “average man” from corrupt elites.

    Summing up Ford’s appeal, a former governor endorsed him as “a builder.” His supporters called him “master of big things.”

    Henry Ford did not want to make America great again in the sense of emulating the past. He hated tradition and claimed to have invented the modern age.

    http://priceonomics.com/henry-fords-campaign-to-make-america-great-again/

  19. Kelly-Ned 19

    In light of the above tweeted comments the following NZ data result is seriously disturbing (from NZCPR.com)
    I most sincerely hope that 71% of NZers don’t think Trump will be the best President.
    That should be translated to mean that I think Clinton is the best, but maybe she will be the lesser of two evils? Perhaps?

    *In last week’s poll, 71% of readers thought Donald Trump would make the best US President, 21% supported Hilary Clinton, and 8% were unsure.

    *Last week’s feedback can be viewed on the NZCPR.com website.

  20. Bill 20

    When the deeply dishonest “rational” and “understanding” facade of those arguments as to why we can’t “reasonably” accommodate those immigrants and foreigners that we “all love”, “have nothing against”, “my best mate’s an immigrant” drop away…

    First they ‘reluctantly’ singled out the foreign temp worker.
    First they demonised the rich foreign investor (but not the domestic one).

    And it was all seemed so reasonable at the time…

  21. Rodel 21

    I like this from one of the twitter comments.
    “Trump is dangerous he is not making America great. He is making America hate.”

    • Stuart Munro 21.1

      It’s a brave rightwinger that awakens Blake’s tiger – or a stupid one.

  22. mary_a 22

    A very dark, disturbing, ugly part of history repeating itself it seems, this time in the US!

    We should be concerned.

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  • 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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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 ...
    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

  • 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
    18 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
    20 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
    21 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
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

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