We need more radicals coming here
We need more radical voices again here. But it’s like MMP has turned us once again into the passionless people. It always looks like “hate speech” when you hate it.
Politics
democracy under attack
The difference between Don Brash and Southern & Molyneux
What is the difference between Don Brash and Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern. And why should Brash’s right to freedom of expression be greater than Monyneux’s or Southern’s?
Guest post: The end of Neoliberalism – What went wrong?
The Left predicted the death of neoliberalism after the global financial crisis of 2008. But since then inequality has increased and new right nationalism is on the ascendancy. How should the left respond?
Rally Against Racism in Auckland Tonight
There are various protests against the visit of the two Canadian hate speakers in Auckland tonight.
BREAKING NEWS: The owner of the proposed venue, Eden Terrace’s Powerstation, has apparently pulled the plug on the event. And the event organiser’s website says tickets will be refunded.
PLEASE NOTE: The organised protests are still on. Celebrate at Aotea Square at 5.30!
VSM – why it needs to go.
In 2010 the ACT Party with the help of National managed to pass a piece of legislation that damaged student democracy, and blatantly […]
Government with a plan
The polls are great. Top work. But I’m getting worried about the entropy of this government already. Matthew Hooten and Karl Marx agree with me.
Happy birthday Nelson Mandela
It is Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday. Happy birthday to him. If he was alive today he would be 100 years old.
Trumputin
Donald Trump has directly contradicted the collective decision of the United States Security agencies by denying that there was Russian involvement in the last US general election.
Free Speech Coalition’s litigation strikes a major snag
The free speech coalition’s desire to get the High Court to enforce the rights of Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux has struck a potential snag. A rather major snag.
Where have our rights gone?
Great to see that the State Services Commissioner has widened the investigation into the use of private investigators hired by the state against its citizens. But. They should go further.
Bottom feeding fish redux
Newsroom has released details of media emails sent to the police about the Clarke Gayford rumours.
Were Etu union delegates threatened at a select committee?
National MP Parmjeet Parmar has been accused of threatening to tell the employers of submitters to a Select Committee what they had said in evidence if they did not withdraw their statements.
Strange Democracy.
Quietly mulling on the difference between foreign interference (malign) and influence (benign).
Shouty Simon’s strange budget claim
National’s claims about Labour’s health spend suffer from the not insignificant problem that they do not make any sense when analysed.
Algorithms are threatening our democracy
Algorithms are a form of fascism – yet a fascism from data manipulation rather than from the state. Are they a threat to our democracy?
Police scotches dirty politics rumours about Clarke Gayford
The police have publicly scotched rumours that have been circulating about Clarke Gayford by saying that Gayford is not and has not been the subject of any police inquiry and has not been charged in relation to any matter.
Is capitalism obsolete?
Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has given a speech where he has stated that capitalism is coming to an end because it is making itself obsolete.
The right to free speech
This week has seen a number of examples where right wing and religious men have said stupid things and then had their statements defended on the basis that free speech should be protected.
Finlayson found to have breached Dotcom’s rights
The Human Rights Tribunal has found that the last Government and Chris Finlayson breached Kim Dotcom’s rights in not providing him with information requested by him. And awarded him $90,000 for the breach.
“Fight for your lives before it’s someone else’s job”
Two speakers from yesterday’s March for Our Lives.
Democracy, Faux Democracy and Terror.
Facebook, Putin, poisoning and Ghouta have all given fairly extensive media coverage of late. Nothing much on Afrin. Afrin has just fallen to terrorists backed by Turkey.
Update: the photo used for this post is of the The Queer Insurrection and Liberation Army (TQILA), who are part of the International Revolutionary People’s Guerrilla Forces fighting in Syria.
Ardern bans government departments from using private investigator to surveil NZers
“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has banned all Government departments from using a firm of private investigators for spying.”
March 8 2018: the TPPA and our nuclear free moment
As Labour picks up the pen to sign the TPPA, environmental critics argue that the new agreement has done nothing to allay fears of New Zealand being sued by corporations to prevent the government from taking action on climate change.
TPPA rally at parliament today
Protestors will gather outside Parliament at midday on Thursday 8 March to hear from a range of speakers in opposition to the TPPA signing ceremony in Chile
Reports from the TPPA protests this week (and please sign the petition)
The message coming out is hold the line, sign the petition, regroup, and protest on Thurs the 8th, the day Labour puts our name to the agreement.
Break Up Social Media Itself
It is time to regulate the power of cyber criminals and cyber monopolies.
Golriz Ghahraman in the House on the TPPA
“As Greens, what’s particularly chilling to us is that we know elsewhere in the world where ISDS clauses have been accessed to sue Governments, corporates have used them to stop environmental protection.” … “The Indonesian environmental Minister had to admit, ‘If we shut them down, they will need compensation and Indonesia can’t afford it.’ That is chilling.”
Facebook Bullshit
A very cursory glance at Facebook, Palantir Technologies, Cambridge Analytica, AggregateIQ, click bait, targeted ads…and what the hell is the FBI playing at?
It’s Our Future: Complete U-Turn by Labour and NZ First on TPP
The TPP might have been re-branded as the CPTPP but it’s still the same bad deal says Professor Jane Kelsey, New Zealand’s expert on international economic regulation.
“Calling it “Comprehensive and Progressive” doesn’t make it any better.
TPPA-11 update and actions
The TPPA-11 is set to be signed on March 8. There are still huge problems with the agreement for NZ. Jane Kelsey provides an update.
Nationwide public meetings: TPPA-11 update, and what we can do
Auckland 12 Feb – Wellington 14 Feb – Nelson 20 Feb – Christchurch 21 Feb – Dunedin 22 Feb
Middle east Teenagers
In the middle east a Palestinian teenager is detained for a minor assault and for protesting the occupation of her country. And three Israeli teenagers are apparently trying to sue two New Zealand residents for exercising their rights of free speech.
States United.
On how states in conflict, have seemingly and nevertheless, managed to share in the likely or possible creation of one common goal.
Shock horror right wing think tank thinks NZ not very democratic
National’s cheerleaders are pushing an international report which suggests that New Zealand’s democratic system is only slightly better than average in world terms. But the organisation behind the report and the methodology used need some checking.
NRT: Spain refuses to respect Catalonia’s election.
Idiot/savant on Spain’s love of democracy.
Jian Yang wanted to help the SIS with recruitment
Matt Nippert has made further revelations about Jian Yang including that he lobbied on behalf of an unsuccessful applicant for a security sensitive job with the New Zealand Defence Force and that he disclosed to Auckland University but not to Immigration that he had worked for a PLA University.