VSM protest at Otago
About 600 Otago students turned out this morning to meet John Key in protest to the VSM bill. Good to see a strong show of support for student unions!
Politics
activism
Generation Zero
It is one of the failures of our society that far too many young people are politically disengaged or apathetic. Many – but not all! Meet Generation Zero. Please go visit their website, join up, or spread the word…
All the World’s A Square
Some inspiration as Monday morning looms.
National security
Were a group of Israeli spies operating in Christchurch? The question has emerged as a result of the death or an Israeli national and the events that followed in the aftermath of the February quake. In the name of “national security” we’ll probably never be told the truth.
1981 Molesworth St commemoration
I was in the middle of the scrum on Molesworth Street on the night of July 29th 1981 when marchers were batoned by the police. A front-rowers’ collective has organised a 30-year anniversary commemoration at the Loaves and Fishes for Friday 29 July, and invite others to join them for a night of reminiscing and celebrating. Tickets are $15 to cover costs. If you would like to attend contact Paul Tolich 0275 935595 or Sue Ryall 021 380 176.
It gets much much worse
New revelations out today that hacker Glenn Mulcaire who bugged celebrity phones for Murdoch’s News of the World also hacked into the phone of murdered teenager Milly Dowler after she went missing. NoW journalists deleted messages which gave Milly’s parents false hope that Milly might be alive. This happened when Rebekah Brooks, friend of David Cameron was the paper’s editor, and Andy Coulson, later Cameron’s communications director was deputy editor. This won’t stay under the carpet.
Protesting parasites
“Goodness” said the shocked TV3 news presenter tonight at protests against Prince William and Kate’s visit to Canada. What’s really shocking? That ordinary people protest these ‘special’ people living, literally, the life of royalty on the public purse and providing nothing in return, or members of the media still reflexively reinforcing this parasitic system?
The silence of the poodles
National’s first dirty tricks operation of the 2011 election campaign has ended in an embarrassing own goal. But they’ll be back with more of the same. Because the last thing National wants is an election campaign focused on the issues.
Blown up in National’s faces
National’s raid on Labour donor data was a grubby, amoral little operation, with no point except to intimidate innocent individuals.
Unfortunately for the Nats it has blown up in their faces.
Thank you donors!
At 9am today Slater is probably going to publish a list of some of the donors to the Labour Party. A big thank you to every person on that list! To anyone who is angry at being named, please don’t blame some hapless web admin working for Labour. Please blame the people who took this information and illegally made it public.
Saleh gone?
The Arab Spring has become an increasingly bloody Arab Summer as dictators unleash their security forces to try to stop the wave of protests and revolutions sweeping the Arab world. Yemen’s dictator, wounded in the fighting, left for treatment in Saudi Arabia and seems unlikely to return.
Hansen on climate change
Visionary climate change scientist James Hansen recently toured New Zealand, giving several public lectures. Here’s a quick summary, and a link to the podcast of the talk he gave at the University of Otago. As expected, it’s an excellent talk, with some fascinating suggestions about what we the people need to do. Interesting also to get Hansen’s take on Nick Smith…
Heroes: José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva and Maria do Espírito Santo
José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva and Maria do Espírito Santo are heroes. Like Chico Mendes before them, they have paid for their activism with their lives.
March against the budget cuts
A new organisation, the Coalition for Social Justice, is calling for a march in Auckland tomorrow.
March against RWR’s racism
At midday on May 27, New Zealanders will take to Queen St to spit in the face of the pathetic, racist Rightwing Resistance. Actually, the march organisers say it’s to “express how we actually LOVE having diversity in our communities and we want to accommodate and be inclusive”. Be there.
Monbiot on the left
George Monbiot on the psychology of political debate (and why we’re all screwed).
Operation 8: Deep in the Forest
Last night walking into the film screening in Auckland I was a bit apprehensive about how it would all be put together. Fortunately my fears were unfounded and the film did justice to the complex issues involved.
Appealing
No Right Turn put up a post on the latest in the police foulup that is Operation 8.
According to Stuff, the Urewera 18 are seeking leave to appeal the decision to deny them a jury trial to the Supreme Court. Good. Trial by jury is a fundamental right
Some are more equal than others
Next time some righties are protesting in Queen St, will the government call out an army LAV to clear a path for my car so I can go about my lawful business without being blocked by protesters? Or do only foreign multinationals have this government at their beck and call?
It couldn’t happen here?
When I went to China on a private visit in 2008, Helen Clark sent me a text message telling me on no account […]
Wgtn fundraiser for Chch
In many parts of Christchurch, aid and communication from Government and large NGOs was virtually non-existent for some time after the quake, and it was left up to pre-existing organisations, neighbours, families and friendship networks to ensure that people were able to access the resources and information they needed.
This brighter future
Half a million protest UK budget cuts
I’ve been checking out some of the amazing footage and photos from friends who were in the London ‘March for the Alternative’. 500,000 people turned out to show the depth of feeling against the slash and burn budget of the Conservative-Lib Dem government. As the Nats plan their own shock doctrine budget, I hope they’re taking notes.
Earth hour 2011
Where does a year go? Tomorrow is Earth Hour 2011. Will you go beyond the hour?
Land of the free?
With so much going on in terms of large scale disasters at the moment, it is easy to lose track of the stories of a mere individuals. But there are two individuals who’s stories should not be forgotten. They are facing the full might and anger of the American establishment. Their “crime” was to tell the truth.
Libya the next domino to fall
It looks like Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi will be the next dictator to fall to the wave of protests and revolts sweeping the Arab world. The military initially sided with the regime and fired on the protesters, killing hundreds. But the loyalty of the security forces to the Gaddafi regime seems to be wavering. If this hard-man can crumble, who next?
Why Revolutions Stumble and Fall
Democracy doesn’t suddenly magically appear as though from a conjurers hat. We know that, right? So why are revolutions seeking democracy D.O.A?
Not for sale – first flyers
To avoid another three years of backhanders to the rich, falling wages, rising unemployment, and asset sales, we have nine months to chip away at National’s support. As in 2008, The Standard will be running a campaign offering flyers etc for your to print off and deliver around your neighbourhood. Privatisation is an obvious first target.
Key, Beck & the end of empire
John Key’s support for Mubarak arose from the American far-right’s fear of Egyptian democracy. We laugh at Glenn Beck’s crazy conspiracy theories and the hypocrites who invaded Iraq to ‘spread democracy’ yet oppose free elections in Egypt because of who might get elected but there’s a deeper story here: the end of the American Empire.
Why protestors need Mubarak out now
Unprecedented protests have forced Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak to say he won’t stand at the next election and extracted concessions from the regime. So why don’t the protesters go home and wait until the elections in September? Because they know nothing will change if Mubarak is allowed to hang on, and the regime’s revenge will be brutal.
Auckland march for democracy in Egypt
An estimated 500 people gathered in Queen Street Auckland, to show solidarity with the Egyptian people in revolt against the Egyptian dictatorship.
Yesterday’s march was part of international solidarity actions.
Our election
John Key has been less cunning than some thought he would be. Going for a November election, he thinks, will let him leverage off the World Cup mini-boom, and enhance running Michael Jones and Inga Tuigamala as candidates. But it means 5 months for the Budget cuts to hurt and gives us 5 more months to work. So, what are we going to do?
Dealing with the DIA website-harvest parasite
Periodically I run a scan to identify network parasites that are sucking up our bandwidth and processing resources in excess. Of course I leave the benign parasites that provide search facilities alone. But I stomp on the nasties.
Tonight the biggest parasite appears to have been a New Zealand government department – the Department of Internal Affairs.
Food/oil crisis sparking revolutions
Food and oil prices have sparked unrest across North Africa. The Tunisian Government has fallen. Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak has declared martial law. In Cairo, thousands of protesters shook hands with the soldiers, and chanted: “The army and the people are united” and “The revolution has come.”* Yup. Mubarak’s screwed.
Private Bradley Manning
So, it’s Christmas; the season of good will and all. But for some of our institutions, juggernauts of bad will that they are, they just roll on regardless . For what it’s worth there is an on line letter you can sign calling on the US to end it’s inhumane treatment of Bradley Manning. Maybe signing it constitutes a Christmas message of sorts.
Student freedom
National and Act are attacking student unions. The cover story is freedom of association, but it’s bollocks, freedom of association is already protected. Without the unions students will still have to pay. But they will lose the rich social and cultural heritage of the unions, lose the learning experiences that the unions provide, and lose their independence. Hey students – does that sound like a good deal to you?