No tears for Starmer
An MI6 plant in my opinion. A hollow man, deeply duplicitous, a Zionist warmonger whose only job was to expunge the Labour left. He will not be missed or regretted.
Politics
activism
They all do it…
FiveEyes issues warning re possible Chinese intelligence recruiting methods! Beware! China issues warning re already recruited anti-China MPs. Cue shock horror!
Greenpeace NZ: 2025: A year of wins, action and resistance
“It was a year of people power, hard-fought wins, and standing up against political and corporate harm.”
The Rainbow Warrior 1985-2025. Part 2: Nuclear refugees in the Pacific: the evacuation of Rongelap
On its last voyage the Rainbow Warrior evacuated the entire population of Rongelap. Cancers, birth defects, and genetic damage had ripped through the population after US above-ground nuclear explosions.
The Rainbow Warrior 1985-2025. Part 1: French State Terrorism and the end of innocence.
Immediately after blowing up the Rainbow Warrior the French agents went on a ski holiday in the South Island to celebrate. Such was the contempt they had for Kiwis and our police. How wrong they were.
SNAP ACTION – Stop U.S. Aggression
Snap action outside Ministry of Defence tomorrow 24th 1230. All welcome
Why Write (and Read)?
Art has political power and every voice counts.
Cuts to Disability Services Are Part of a Class War
Over the last year, the Coalition has unleashed a series of cuts which have been devastating for the disabled community. These cuts are part of a class war — and it’s time to organise and fight back, writes Elliot Crossan.
Are we drifting away or falling apart?
What is the antidote for our socio-economic problems and how do we deal with this coalition government?
The GCSB revelations
RNZ has reported that a foreign agency collected signals intelligence out of the GCSB for years without ministers knowing. And the collection only stopped after the equipment broke down.
Has Labour become a cadre Party? Pt 1 Leadership
In 2021, I voted against Labour’s conference proposal for midstream leadership change to be determined by Caucus alone, saying that it risked Labour becoming a cadre party for elites. A series of posts will start with why the Caucus should not rush to a leadership vote.
Down to the wire
Two new polls were released last night and they both confirm a tightening of the race with the right slumping and the left improving.
My Way or the Huawei
I like my Huawei phone. I’m looking forward to the new Mate 60Pro. It’s launch means the US-led sanctions aiming to crush Huawei, with New Zealand as a fast follower, have completely failed to set back Chinese technology.
Self-destructive stupidity, New Zealand style
Belief in capricious gods would explain the perplexing habit of governments with intelligent and informed people to embrace policies which are manifestly an example of self-destructive stupidity. Clever people doing stupid things.
Don’t Stop
“Meanwhile, oil companies are enjoying record profits”
Extinction Rebellion: The Big One
XR are back. New strategy, same smart and bold action.
How Activism Dies
If anything progressive is to come out of this current government other than disaster recovery, really focused protest must prevail. It isn’t.
What To Do About Climate Change
West Auckland’s activism, through such examples as the Arc in the Park sanctuary to the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area through to the protection of the environment provided by the South Titirangi Neighbourhood Network, provides examples of the sort of activism that may be needed if Aotearoa New Zealand is to deal properly with climate change mitigation.
The Occupy Movement and the response to the 2008 financial crisis
As the world currently goes through a post-pandemic and Russian invasion of Ukraine fuelled economic crisis, it is interesting to reflect on the economic crisis of over a decade ago and how the public responded at that time.
Sunflower | Oil
Van Gogh and Picasso as climate action targets. Destroying beauty is an act of self harm. On one level it’s wrong, but when we are desperate, it’s also an act of power.
Tāme
Tāme Iti’s pitch perfect, political performance art sets activist hearts aflutter.
Stuff’s Fire and Fury major investigation into the occupation of Parliament grounds
The Wellington occupation was supposed to be about ending the mandates, but a new Stuff Circuit documentary investigates those behind the protest and discovers they have far bigger and more dangerous goals.
What New Zealanders are thinking about climate change
A new Ipsos poll has some good news.
Emeritus Professor Jane Kelsey Valedictory Lecture
Academic activism and speaking truth to power.
James Shaw and the Green Party co-leadership
The tension in the Green Party is between pragmatism and the need for urgent system change.
For the public, there’s no need to panic. Dissent is valuable and healthy in politics. It sits alongside trusting that the Greens know how to manage their internal processes even if the public at large doesn’t understand them well.
Climate Action Mondays: after the IPCC report, what now?
It’s time to act as if our lives depend on it.
Climate Action Mondays: slow fashion
It’s time to act as if our lives depend on it. Here are the things we can do and we can require government and business to do.
Climate Action Mondays
It’s time to act as if our lives depend on it.
Blinken and Blind-Sided?
Russian peacekeepers are already leaving Kazakhstan having nipped the ‘colour revolution’ in the bud. Blinken clearly didn’t have a clue when he said Russians never leave the house. Russian intelligence was superb. Now we wait for Russia’s response to US likely refusal to pull back from its borders. One thing I’d bet on – no invasion of Ukraine.
Is it time for the Greens to go their own way?
Climate, ecology, welfare, housing – we are now at the point for the Greens to go ‘fuck it, time to go back to our radical roots’.
No Right Turn: Spy cameras literally are
Its time for our local authorities (and other bodies such as NZTA) to come clean, and confess whether they allow the SIS to access their camera networks in this way. That would allow the people to judge whether it is acceptable, and hold them accountable if they feel it necessary. But I suspect that that prospect is precisely why the SIS has kept this secret for so long.
The Problem with Personification in Politics
It is a grave mistake to treat Ministries as if they are real persons.
Einstein versus Trump*
Einstein tried to explain complex things and understand reality; Trump tried to explain it away and distort reality.
Greta Thunberg is now 18
Greta Thunberg is now aged 18. And her activism is still strong.
Reasons to abandon NZ’s Five-Eyed Folly
Wayne Brown’s recent suggestion “Is it time to sell our seat on FiveEyes?” is from someone well placed by experience to form an educated opinion. “Trade sanctions of the type Australia is facing are a weapon used by both USA and China. So let’s have a debate on whether we need Five Eyes, or whether it’s time for us to trade on independently.”
No extradition for Assange
Great news. While unexpected, Nicky Hager who was an expert witness for Assange at the trial, thought this might be a possibility when he spoke to the Fabian Society in November. More details tomorrow.
Update: Bail application to be heard on Wednesday London time.