ISIS. Crowdsourcing a solution.
So, we’re off to Iraq. If the answer to ISIS isn’t sending Kiwi troops, what do Standardistas think practical alternatives might be?
EDIT: Key announces 143 troops to go to Iraq and support staff.
International
NZ sending troops to Iraq
New Zealand will be sending troops to Iraq, and you read it first on The Standard. Or in other words, why are we still pretending that the decision hasn’t been made?
Aussies & US mount opposition to TPPA – but in NZ we just keep nodding
So much to sell, so little time… When this Government is finished selling, we will have sold our right to make laws for ourselves too. Be under no doubt, if the effect of bringing in a law for the health and well being of Kiwis will cost a corporate millions of dollars, part of their lobbying after the TPP, will be threatening to sue the taxpayers of NZ and watch such a Bill slip into obscurity. And those corporates wielding that power? Most will never pay a cent of tax into the coffers of NZ taxpayers.
Mission Accomplished
“You gotta hand it to John Key: the timing is perfect. On a slow-news Friday at a time when the media is falling over itself to hype the cricket world cup, the last veil drops to reveal al Jaafari and his request for assistance.”
War HUH!
NZ is again being asked to go to war in Iraq. The Clark Labour Government said no a decade ago, but in 2015 there may be a compelling reason to join the fight; this time it’s the right thing to do. New Standard author te reo putake puts the case for NZ entering the battle against ISIS.
Revolutionary Spain, Revolutionary Syria, and the Bastards We Vote For.
It seems that just as the 30’s offered the chance to turn dreams into reality, Syria is offering that chance up to ‘the left’ today. Suddenly, for me, the recent travel bans and the passport confiscation laws etc make sense since we are potentially looking at an international influx of non-nutters and non- psychopaths as happened during the Spanish Revolution of the 30s.
Captain’s Call
Leaving Mike Sabin in charge of the Law and Order Select Committee was certainly a captain’s call by John Key. Just like Tony Abbott’s award of a knighthood to the Duke (as if he needed more fruit salad), this was a judgment call. And it does call Key’s judgment into question. It’s not about when he knew what he knew, it’s about what he did when he knew.
The War Club Family
There’s a fascinating article in the latest New Statesman titled “An Empire that speaks English: the right’s dream of a new world order.” Suddenly UK Foreign Minister Philip Hammond’s recent visit here makes sense. So does John Key’s references to sending troops to Iraq on behalf of the “club” or the “family” – he’s at the heart of the Empire.
Is Tony’s tenure terminal?
Over in Australia a spill motion scheduled for tomorrow may end Tony Abbott’s reign. Former PM Julia Gillard who famously lectured Abbott on his misogyny must be grinning from ear to ear. Update: Abbott has survived with the vote reported to be 61-39 against a spill. I suspect the left will be pleased …
A concise description of the problems in the Middle East
The complexity of the current Middle East situation explained in a single letter to the editor.
Better to Jaw Jaw than War War
Perhaps John Key should consider a Churchillian thought before he rushes to send our young to die in Iraq.
So now it’s a family not a club
John Key wanted to be in the Five Eyes “club”, but I guess that didn’t focus group well, so now we’re being fed a new line – “family”.
Abbot in trouble
Seems like Australian PM Tony Abbot might be facing a leadership challenge.
Charity is illegal in Florida
The Queensland State Election
The Queensland State election is on today. At the last election Labor was reduced to 7 out of 89 seats as punishment for its privatisation program. But the current Government has been that bad that the Premier may lose his seat and a resurgence by Labor looks likely. Update remarkably a change of government is on the cards …
Greece to reclaim its future?
Greece has voted to reclaim its future from the banks.
Trump or Palin for the US Presidency?
Donald Trump and Sarah Palin are reported to be considering runs for the Republican nomination for the United States Presidency.
Only in Queensland
Queensland Liberal Country Party Premier Campbell Newman has claimed that the Queensland Labor Party is funded by gangs because some people have told him so. Yet he refuses to acknowledge the urgency of climate change even though pretty well every climate change scientist in the world is telling him it is real and we need to act now. Can you detect the scent of hypocrisy?
The state of the union
American commentator William Rivers Pitt on Obama’s state of the union.
The mathematics of surveillance
Mass surveillance cannot accomplish its stated goals, and it’s likely that many within the security / government system understand this full well.
Guantanamo Diary
The Guardian has some amazing extracts from a diary that Guantánamo detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi kept and gave to his lawyers. It’s the first book by a serving Guantanamo inmate.
But which club?
I think when justifying sending troops to Iraq the club John Key is really talking about is the group of right-wing political parties known as the International Democratic Union. Today Key chairs its Executive in Sarajevo, his first meeting as President. This move by Key to the IDU is calculated; he sees himself as leader of the world right-wing club and this is the first step to his international political career post New Zealand politics.
The price of the club
Yesterday Key justified our likely military intervention in Iraq as “the price” of being in “the club” with other Five Eyes countries.
Protecting our Freedom
UK PM David Cameron thinks freedom will be enhanced by monitoring everything – something we used to call totalitarianism. We need more encryption and to make sure the internet is built for the people, not the data-miners – be they our security agencies, criminal gangs, or facebook.
War Begets War
We’re not good at learning from history.
Free Raif Badawi
Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi has been sentenced to 1000 lashes. The international outrage is growing.
Exploiting the Charlie Hebdo attack
How many governments are using the Paris / Charlie Hebdo attack as an excuse to increase surveillance or otherwise remove civil protections? The UK and Australia for starters…
“But he hasn’t got anything on!”
The self righteousness of the leaders who marched in Paris was there for all to see, but few in the media decry and […]
The state of freedom of the press in the world in a series of tweets
An English student, Daniel Wickham has in a series of tweets questioned the commitment of various world leaders who marched in support of freedom of the press to that concept.
The Hypocrisy of Hate
You’d think that with all the WW1 commemorations going on at the moment it would make us more vigilant about our freedom and security, not sleep-walking towards another Holy Crusade (in the name of the God of Money and Father of Fossil Fuels), seduced by slick liars and the gods of commercialism and greed.
Rupert Murdoch on Charlie Hebdo
Rupert Murdoch has tweeted questioning if most Moslems are peaceful and saying they are responsible for extremists within their ranks.
Australian activist arrested for wearing “I’m with Stupid” t-shirt
While the west of the world mourns the murders of the journalists associated with Charlie Hebdo and protests attacks on freedom of speech in Australia the police have arrested a man for wearing a t-shirt that says “I’m with Stupid”.
On Freedom of Speech and Tolerance and Powers of Surveillance
The slaying of staff at Charlie Hebdo and the killing of two police officers will no doubt cause further debate on the extent of freedom of speech, on our relations with Muslims and on the state’s powers of surveillance and if they should be increased.
Charlie Hebdo: ‘… and not give in to fear’
It is a shocking story to wake up to. A murderous act in a beautiful city. Condolences to those close to the people who were killed, and to the people of Paris and France. It is not a justification for the anti-democratic, invasive extensions to the surveillance state.
What John Key actually believes in
Charlie Mitchell of the Dominion Post has analysed John Key’s formal speeches since 2007 to see what has from time to time been uppermost in Key’s mind. The results are interesting to say the least.
UK Labour is in an interesting position
As the United Kingdom prepares itself for a general election later this year Labour and the Conservatives are neck and neck in the polls, some within Labour are suggesting that the party should move to the right.