Trump physically slams WWE billionaire McMahon to the ground, mercilessly mutilates him
Definitive documentary evidence of Trump the violent, volatile, unpredictable sociopath revealed.
Social issues
Trumped
It looks all its over for Donald Trump. On the eve of the second Presidential debate, his polling has tanked, the Russians have come out in support of him and his team have run out of money for TV ads. Plus, truly awful video has emerged overnight of him admitting sexual assaults. Has there ever been a worse candidate? And will he still be the right’s candidate in a month’s time?
UPDATE: Trump says he will be a better man. Pearl Jam sue.
The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Serco and MECF
The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Mount Eden Corrections Facility has now been released and has presented a damning judgment on Serco’s management of the prison.
Don’t despair
It’s year 8 of a National/ACT government and things are looking pretty bleak. And it’s really, really easy to spin down into a spiral of bleakness and anxiety. But we can make it through.
Why we need to stand with Standing Rock
For seven months the next movement of social and environmental justice and resistance has been growing. We should be paying attention.
The main risk to New Zealand according to John Key
John Key is pretty good at providing media commentary on what problems New Zealand faces. But is he any good at addressing those problems?
Phil Twyford: the Housing Crisis
Phil Twyford argues housing will be the defining challenge for the next Labour-led Government, and sets out Labour’s reform agenda.
NRT: Targets for everything but poverty
No Right Turn on National’s refusal to set any child poverty targets, when setting targets are the way the operate – as exemplified by the target they set the same afternoon on wild kiwi.
Goff on foreign buyers; and Vote!
Ban them / tax them, but lets reduce demand. And make sure you get your vote in for local elections!
The middle vs the centre
The notion is there’s a left/right continuum and people are smoothly spread across it in a kind of a bell curve. The implication is there’s a big chunk of voters out there who think the same way politically. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
Out of the mouths of babes
Watch five-year old Brook Blair give it to Theresa May about homeless people. Got the right answers too. Brilliant!
Arrest Blair’s Mate
The downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17 was a Russian sponsored war crime. When will Vladimir Putin be arrested?
UPDATE: Animation and actual photos and video of the BUK launcher added.
Clinton vs Trump; Debate 1
The first Presidential kicks off this arvo. Who will win? Do we care? Should we care? Stay tuned Standarnistas, it’ll be a doozy!
A Constitution
Absolute h/t to Ovid who linked to proposals for a written Consitution for Sir Geoffrey Palmer this morning in Open Mike. The SpinOff […]
Stand Up for Housing: Protest today in Aotea Square
Young people, union members, and other Aucklanders will meet in Aotea Square today to make some noise about the devastating Auckland housing crisis. Stand Up Youth Union Movement and Unions Auckland are hosting the Monopoly-themed event, which will highlight the damaging effects of the crisis and call on local and central government to do a lot more to fix the housing market.
Brendon Bonner supports Living Wage
Red/Green/Independent Brendon Bonner is a candidate for the Southern Ward in the Wellington City elections. PSA staffer and declared socialist, he would like Wellingtonians to know that he too supports the Living Wage. His campaign video is here and a list of the policies he supports is here. More information on Facebook.
Paula Bennett improves supply of housing, or does she?
National’s latest plan to do something about the housing crisis is to buy a Motel and kick families who stay there out on the street.
Delivering the Green New Deal
London-based macro-economist Ann Pettifor will speak on this topic at Wesley Church, 75 Taranaki Street, Wellington, on Tuesday 20 September at 5:30pm. Ann is a member of the Green New Deal Group, whose proposition is designed to power a renewables revolution, create thousands of green-collar jobs and rein in the distorting power of the finance sector while making more low-cost capital available for pressing priorities. All welcome; more info inside.
Fortress NZ
TS regular Tony Veitch has some practical ideas as to how we insulate NZ from the ravages of neoliberalism and climate change. Readers may agree with some, none or all of the suggestions. However, whichever way you look at it, the time for hand wringing is over. It’s time for action.
Parliamentary Services is snooping on MPs’ emails
It appears that Parliamentary Services is monitoring MPs emails. And not just for things such as spam and viruses.
The manipulation of burglary statics
Reporter Eugene Bingham who broke the story on how Papakura police were doctoring crime statistics by recoding burglaries as other offences two years ago has written about how his attempts to get to the truth of the matter has effectively been thwarted by the police.
Rally for Democracy
Details of the Rally for Democracy event in Auckland today.
Chloe King – John Key, I am a low waged worker, and neither “lazy” nor “drug addled”
Blogger and social activist Chloe King, one of the hundreds of thousands of low waged workers in this country was devastated by John Key’s comments suggesting that she and others were lazy and had no work ethic. This is her response.
NZ Human Rights Commission Open Letter to NZ Rugby Union on respecting women
The Human Rights Commission is calling on New Zealanders to sign the open letter to New Zealand Rugby, which asks them to seek support in addressing their internal culture issues.
NZ: Home of Rugby, Raping and Beer
The whitewash of the rugby players who assaulted a woman at a post season piss up has been released. A mightily relieved rugby boss Steve Tew can now go into the rest of the season knowing that the All Black squad will not be affected by the loss of any players to suspension. The only person to have lost their job over the incident is the victim. How cool is that?
We’re Number 1!
Already number 4 for housing unaffordability, we’re now number 1 for house price rises!
‘Living Rent’ and other UK stories
A Tory think tank proposes a massive house-building plan, with a ‘Living Rent’ to make it affordable; and Nick Clegg lifts the lid on the Tories in the last government.
Race, Class, Global Warming and Democracy.
Nothing and no-one is separate in this world. Nothing and no-one is more important than anything else or anyone else; no voice greater and no voice lesser.
Racism Resurgent
A Trump win in America would cause a resurgence of the most racist toxic views imaginable, not only in America but elsewhere.
#ParkUpForGovernment
Despite the large number of people with terrible stories about homelessness to the Labour/Greens/Maori Homelessness Inquiry, this Government of Housing Inaction still thinks the problem should be ignored and the Inquiry ‘not needed’.
Eileen Brown for CCDHB
Capital Coast DHB candidate Eileen Brown chairs the Newtown Union Health Service Board, a primary care service for people on low incomes. For the last 10 years, Eileen has worked for the Council of Trade Unions as a senior policy analyst; previously she worked in nursing in many areas including mental health and neuro rehabilitation. Eileen is standing as a Labour candidate. She’d be great on the DHB.
Government seeking to remove property buy back rights under urgency
Nick Smith has introduced a bill into Parliament which he wants to be passed under urgency without select committee oversight. The bill takes away the right of any prior owner of land taken under the Public Works Act to have housing land offered back to them. To do this under urgency is banana republic stuff.
The Million Dollar Minister
No denying the housing crisis now, Nick.
Women wearing clothes
In France and Italy there have been recent examples of men telling women what they can and cannot wear.
Disturbing.
Given the topic of this post, it seems appropriate not to attach an image.