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We are on the eve of the great Chinese leadership conference tomorrow, and days from a fresh New Zealand government that will have a more defensive position on foreign ownership. So it’s worth taking a moment on the relationship between the two. I’m just going…
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"Once upon a time, in a world far away" we had these people called "reporters". An honourable profession, who considered it their job to keep the public accurately and completely informed. Now almost extinct. Killed off by Journalists, "shock jocks, "broadcasters, PR people, and spin…
Abuse of power broadcasting corruption crosby textor democracy under attack democratic participation Dirty Politics journalism making shit up newspapers Propaganda radio uncategorized
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Beckett’s classic Waiting for Godot by the city’s oldest company, the Wellington Political Theatre, is a triumph. WPT stalwart Bill English delivers a solid, if unimaginative performance as Estragon. His brooding presence is the very embodiment of a sense of inevitable doom as he wrestles…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
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Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
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Spare a thought for our poor political reporters - tasked with reporting the unreportable - breaking live feed! Looks like no further developments today:
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Why is Europe continuing to vote for anti-immigration parties, spurning the once-dominant centre-left parties? The Austrian election has finally provoked me. After World War II, European societies were built on principles that owed a lot to centre-left ideas. There was widespread agreement after the war…
Deep stuff democracy under attack democratic participation elections Europe Globalisation im/migration International Politics
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This is the day when it is predicted we will know who will lead the next Government although after listening to Bill English on Morning Report this morning I am not so sure. English stated that there have been policy discussions only and no negotiations…
Deep stuff election 2017 greens labour national nz first Politics winston peters
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Much has been written about social media and democracy, but this long and extensively linked piece is one of the best. Alexis Madrigal in The Atlantic: What Facebook Did to American Democracy. Well worth reading the whole thing, but for a road map here are…
democracy under attack democratic participation facebook interweb spin us politics
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As I have said before, I think Peters is going to '96 us. If we get a Nat led government we know what the first 100 days look like - a series of lies and excuses. But maybe Peters learned from history and is not…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
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National have been a lousy government. They have enriched the rich and impoverished the poor. They have inflated a housing bubble and done nothing for the homeless. They have let the environment degrade and made a mockery of our global warming commitments. They have let…
accountability election 2017 labour national the praiseworthy and the pitiful winston peters
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
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Helen Kelly died a year ago today. She is missed. https://twitter.com/grantrobertson1/status/918982584108908545 https://twitter.com/richardhills777/status/918935862989090816
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There's not much I can say about this. Yes, I've been in WINZ seminars where unemployment is sold back as an opportunity, and yes, I've encountered enough bosses who effortlessly, and even with indulgent smiles, slide on by any sliver of conscience they might still…
business capitalism class class war unemployment you couldn't make this shit up
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it now favours higher taxes on the rich and has demolished the myth this might adversely affect economic growth. The authoritative Washington-based think tank in its influential half-yearly monitor also argued for taxes on capital, suggesting a wealth and/or…
bill english capital gains don brash Economy gst john key labour tax winston peters
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I am cursed with the wretched combination of holding impassioned Red/Green values in tense interaction with my decades of work as a social scientist. Every morning, as the waiting for Winston to decide continues to fray my fragile psyche, I can look at myself in…
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A couple of months ago we had some posts dedicated to left-wing discussion. It went pretty well so I thought we'd try another. Given the waiting around vibe at present it might be good to have some clear space over the next few days to…
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https://twitter.com/avancenz/status/918681241708240897 Background: Plunket's appointment to the BSA. The tweets that led to the resignation. The Spinoff looks at whether Plunket is a suitable member of the BSA given his history and behaviour. Broadcaster and sometime TOP communications director Sean Plunket is back in the news…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
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Weekend social is for non political chat. What's on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no aggro, why can't we all just get along?
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Last week, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). This is a coalition of NGO's from over 100 countries, which has led the charge to convince nations to outlaw nuclear weapons. The committee honored…
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Another term of the Nats would be bad news for the institutions of democracy. Quite apart from rewarding the tactics of blatant lies and dirty politics, the damage to specific institutions would continue. Consider this recent warning on the justice system: Chief Justice: ‘We need…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
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Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
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The massive artillery barrage at Passchendaele was supposed to cut the German wire and make advance easy. All it did was churn up the mud though which so many doomed New Zealanders slogged and died. A monument to military incompetence and political disaster. These days…
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A neat series of tweets yesterday looked at elections past. https://twitter.com/lukechristensen/status/917893903155527681 https://twitter.com/lukechristensen/status/917894465083150336 https://twitter.com/lukechristensen/status/917894785041498112 https://twitter.com/lukechristensen/status/917895539961733121 That's a great reminder of just how gobsmacking it is to be even mentioning FPP in a favourable light in 2017 (looking at you RNZ). In addition to the points being…
democratic participation elections First Past the Post MMP referendum
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So today is very likely D day. One of two things will happen. New Zealand First will accept the offer from National. This will be signed off quickly by the National Party caucus and the Board. After all the retention of power is its raison…
election 2017 greens labour MMP national nz first Politics winston peters
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It's the last day of coalition talks (probably). RNZ: Coalition talks to be done by tonight It's crunch time for Winston Peters as he pushes into the final day of talks over forming a new government, and he says today will be the most substantive…
election 2017 greens labour MMP national nz first winston peters
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A few thoughts from social ecologist and green politician Nandor Tanczos on the options for the Greens in the coalition deal process, On the other hand, if he goes with Labour and elbows the Greens into the position of a support party outside of government,…