Upset by Offset
Life is not simply a zero-sum game in which bad behaviour can be offset with good deeds.
Politics
Posts on government and governence at national and local level, political parties,politicians, and political participation
Liam Neeson Under the Cosh
Actor Liam Neeson has made a sensational confession to stalking black men with the intent to kill. No, that’s not the plot to his latest movie, it’s apparently a true story. But what is the wider truth?
UPDATE: Added video of a new Liam Neeson interview regarding the incident.
Mr Brash goes to Waitangi
Don Brash is heading to Waitangi to tell local iwi that treaty settlements will not make them personally rich.
Trump’s brilliant strategy to dismantle US dollar hegemony
Polymath economist Professor Michael Hudson’s latest article is a geopolitical panoramic masterpiece, sparked by outrage at a series of concurrent events on January 31 which he predicts means that 2019 will be the “year of global fracture.” Definitely worth a read.
Auckland’s yellow jacket protest
Some observations on yesterday’s yellow jacket protest in Auckland. Basically it was pretty mundane but continued vigilance is important.
How To Get There 3/2/19
Welcome to TS’s Sunday think piece. It’s a blank sheet, a tabula rasa, waiting for your thoughts on the future and How To Get There.
The Meathead tax
National’s claim that the Government wants to impose a meat tax suffers from the reality that the Government has done no such thing and the proposal comes from an International collective of academics.
Simon Wilson thinks Epsom could be offered to Blue-Greens
Simon Wilson has suggested that the only way National may have to establish a Blue Green presence in Parliament is to offer them the seat of Epsom.
Migrant’s picnic this weekend at Tamaki Makaurau
Love Aotearoa is hosting a migrants welcome picnic tomorrow afternoon in Auckland at the same time that the New Conservatives are holding a rally to complain about immigrants being treated properly.
Show us the money Simon
Hopefully the media will ask of National the tough questions, like how it is going to increase spending in critical areas, pay down debt and give us a tax cut at the same time.
A detailed analysis of Simon Bridges’ state of the nation speech
As a public service the writers of the Standard provides you with this in depth analysis of the contents of Simon Bridges’ state of the nation speech delivered this afternoon.
The world cannot afford to have billionaires
American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that it is immoral to have a world that allows for billionaires. She may well be right.
I’m so tired of you America
Every day it’s getting harder to even wake up and hear of the latest outrage to political decency in the United States.
The Blue Green oxymoron
National appears to be well advanced in the formation of a new puppet party, one with an environmental theme that will present a challenge to the Green Party.
The Power of Anger
Anger can be a great catalyst for change if used wisely.
About that $100,000 National Party donation
Fran O’Sullivan has correctly stated that the investigation of the $100,000 donation made to the National Party that was partitioned to hide it should be of much greater concern to the New Zealand Police than Sarah Dowie’s texts.
Roastbusters redux
One of the Roastbusters this week has talked publicly about what happened in an apparent attempt to start a music career. And John Tamihere has started his Mayoral campaign having to answer questions about his attitude to what happened.
How To Get There 27/1/19
Welcome to TS’s Sunday think piece. It’s a blank sheet, a tabula rasa, waiting for your thoughts on the future and How To Get There.
Trump’s Worst Day
The Trump shutdown is over, as the doofus President waves the white flag. And in Florida, his trusted advisor Roger Stone is led away in handcuffs to face charges of lying to the Mueller enquiry. Good times, people, good times!
Herald names Dowie as the sender of that text to Jami-Lee Ross
Sarah Dowie has been identified as the MP under police investigation for sending the text to Jami-Lee Ross saying that he deserved to die.
Taxpayers Union receives funding from British American Tobacco
Sam Sachdeva at Newsroom has connfirmed that the Taxpayer’s Union (*not a real union) has received funding from British American Tobacco.
Stuff is now an official mouthpiece of the National Party
Mark Mitchell is an early contender for most stupid utterance by a politician this year. And Stuff has packaged up his utterance and uncritically made it a headline.
That federation campaign
There’s an ad campaign that says “New Zealand is doing Australia better than Australia is”, and recommends federation of New Zealand with Australia and Jacinda being the first Prime Minister. Maybe it’s time.
National’s Jami-Lee Ross problem
Jami-Lee Ross has written a somewhat conciliatory facebook post which essentially confirms that he is not going to resign as an MP.
National starts political year beneficiary bashing
National has kicked off the year by reverting to type and engaging in a classic example of beneficiary bashing based on a distortion of official statistics.
Housing affordability and urban form
Hugh Pavletich thinks that Auckland’s housing crisis is because of restrictions on urban sprawl and that loosening up would be a good thing. I disagree.
Karma Cameleon
Cameron Slater is seriously ill. The Whale Oil blog will carry on without him, but in the meantime, Cam is asking for help.
The stoopid it burns …
Donald Trump has tweeted that he wants there to be more global warming.
D Day for US shutdown
Donald Trump is to make an announcement today concerning the shut down. And Buzzfeed has suggested that the Mueller Investigation has uncovered evidence suggesting that Trump instructed his lawyer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress.
How To Get There 20/1/19
Welcome to TS’s Sunday think piece. It’s a blank sheet, a tabula rasa, waiting for your thoughts on the future and How To Get There.
Sroubek; Richie Hardcore Text Released
The text sent by Karel Sroubek supporter Richie Hardcore has been released. Is it the knock out blow we were promised?
National shafted us with the MOM privatisation
Five years on how are the benefits from the Mixed Ownership Model privatisation process the last Government engaged in working out?
Well done Gillette
Gillette has come out with this outstanding ad which for some strange reason has invoked a negative response from some.
Beware the Ides of May
It’s D Day for Theresa May’s Brexit plan. Will Jeremy Corbyn finally put her out of our misery?
Chinese Herald changed Herald articles to be more China friendly
Stuff has reported that its opponent, the New Zealand Herald, has via its Chinese version amended stories to make them more acceptable to the Chinese Government.
Peters to Pence on the Pacific – a return to colonialism?
Winston Peters went to Washington last December to see US VP Mike Pence and invited the US to engage more in the South-West Pacific without informing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Patrick Smellie described this apparent oversight as “deeply worrying.” Even more worrying is what Peters said when he was there.