A very Samoan coup
In overnight news the Samoan head of state Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II has suspended the recalling of Parliament due to occur on Monday throwing Samoa’s democracy into turmoil.
Politics
democracy under attack
Hang Facebook
The decision by the Oversight Board of Facebook to continue banning Donald Trump is one of the biggest moves against free speech and the modern definition of its limits that the world has seen.
Einstein versus Trump*
Einstein tried to explain complex things and understand reality; Trump tried to explain it away and distort reality.
The ugly finale of the Trump Presidency
Wednesday’s insurrection further tarnishes America’s reputation as a credible democratic nation. Significant changes will be needed before this reputation can be restored and it is hard to be optimistic that the US political system is capable of reforming itself in the way it needs to.
Anatomy of a failed coup
America’s descent into chaos was almost completed yesterday. An amazingly inept display by local police saw a takeover of Congress and a temporary disruption of the confirmation of the clearly expressed view of the majority of Americans.
US democracy is under threat
Short post to update on developments in Washington.
Trump’s next 48 hours
With crucial Senate run off races in Georgia and Congress meeting to receive the declared results of the US election and with Republicans determined to oppose the results at every turn the next couple of days will be very significant for America’s future. Update (lprent): The democratic senators from Georgia are called as victors. A riot pushed by an irresponsible President Trump happened at the Capitol building with people dead. Congress subsequently made a determined proclamation that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are confirmed a the newly elected president and vice-president. As for Donald Trump – goodbye to unstable rubbish..
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.
Trump’s chances of winning the Presidential Election through legal action
To win the Presidential Election Donald Trump has to win multiple legal challenges in multiple states. So far his cases have not gone very well.
US election 2020: the morning after
General discussion thread for the US election.
Updated at 0651
No Right Turn: The coming US shitshow
President Trump once again refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the US election.
Assange’s torture and the death of journalism
On the eve of Assange’s extradition hearing in London, award-winning freelancer Jonathan Cook has written a scathing indictment of corporate journalism’s collusion in ignoring his official torture. I posted an example of that here last year, where Richard Harman denied Assange was a journalist at a panel convened at Parliament by the British High Commissioner.
Winston Peters Names Alleged Super Leaker
Winston Peters has named the person he says leaked his super details. Has ACT joined National in doing Dirty Politics?
Walkergate: MP Quits
Privacy breaching MP Hamish Walker has announced he will step down at the next election. But who else should go?
Update: Muller tries to divert attention by announcing that National still want a 4 lane highway from Chch to Ashburton. Problem solved!
The four horsemen of the apocalypse
Ok so this is the worst year I can think of in my lifetime. But apocalyptopia it ain’t.
Covid-19 and a digital democracy
Government has for the last decade been pushing for as many government services as possible to be primarily accessed digitally rather than face-to face. Funnily enough, the one public service they forgot to push to digital is themselves. Now’s the time Trevor.
Corrupt US
That’s not a request by the way. This post is a kind of “confessions of a cynic who allowed optimism to creep up and have a hand in thought processes” post.
Buttigeig 2020?
Allowing for a Biden victory in the Democratic Party primary process, then come November, voters in the US will be voting on whether Buttiegieg or Trump will be the next President of the USA. That’s what I’m picking, and here’s why…
To Kill Democracy…
If major Democratic Party donors and ‘big business’ lobbyists wanted to monkeywrench democracy in the US, then here’s how they could go about it.
A Handy Clusterfuck?
A party that detests one of its Presidential nominees. A media establishment that’s largely a propaganda arm of that party. And games…stupid games.
Democratisation by Social Media and the Internet Is Just Meaningless Waffle
Social Media and the Internet are literally in our faces 24/7 but our political engagement is diminishing.
The Missing Millions
Millions of people and an entire region of the UK left out of polling calculations….
‘Donations’ or bribes
It has been ironic at our media frenzy on political ‘donations’. I suspect that our legal structure has been setup for bribing politicians with ‘donations’. Let us just make all politicians and donors guilty until proven innocent of false reporting of ‘donations’. It’d be more interesting than the current farce. Start with Simon Bridges – currently still under investigation by the SFO.
Police London-wide ban on Extinction Rebellion actions ruled unlawful
“The landmark judgment upholds the peoples’ fundamental right to peaceful protest and prohibits the Police from any such future ban”
Brittle cities
It is pretty hard to miss a variety of cities around the world going nuts for apparently minor offences.
British Justice tortures Assange
Craig Murray reports on the horror of Julian Assange’s treatment by British so-called “justice.” Read it and don’t weep. You can see why Murray resigned from the UK foreign service; their diplomacy is just as bad.
Elizabeth Warren on Facebook and the US presidential election
“They’re allowing Trump to spend over $1 million a week right now for ads on their platform—including ones that air the same lies that TV stations won’t.”
BoJo cornered
Lady Hale and the UK Supreme Court have torpedoed Boris Johnson’s cunning plan to prorogue Parliament. His request to the Queen was “unlawful, void, and of no effect.” Her Maj will not be pleased. Johnson is now boxed in – ask for an extension to Brexit, or resign.
China Becomes Fascist
Those who see fascism emerging under Trump can observe the full modern version in action now in Hong Kong’s contest of protesters with the Chinese government.
Don’t mention the fascism
We are frogs in the pot.
Trump’s social media summit
Donald Trump’s social media summit, a white house gathering of right wing extremists and media trolls, is the complete antithesis of the post Christchurch massacre gathering organised by Jacinda Ardern to address the damage that social media can cause.
Guest post – Bucking the trend at ECAN
A guest post from Anthony Rimell about a very disturbing attempt by ECAN to allow the levels of nitrate leach into Christchurch’s water supply to increase.
The strange case of the missing Oregon Republican State senators
Republican State Senators in the state of Oregon have headed for the hills and are being protected by a local nut job militia in an effort to thwart the democratically elected majority from doing passing a law to address climate change.
Government under FiveEyes
Australian Federal Police chief Neil Gaughan told media after raiding the ABC that “if police did not investigate the leaking of classified information, Australia would no longer be entrusted by FiveEyes partners with intelligence that saves lives.” FiveEyes didn’t save Muslim lives in Christchurch.
Tiananmen Square’s Failed Revolution
Right now we could be dealing with a China with a similar mixed model to Vietnam, or a re-unified country like Germany. What happened to change this?
Same old dirty National
National is still embedded in Dirty Politics.