Iran in the vortex – what’s really going on?
To understand what’s going on in Iran, abandon what the Persians invented centuries ago: Manichaeism, black-and-white, political framing.
Social issues
religion
Farewell Pope Francis
“Let us not be afraid to say it: we want change, real change, structural change. The system has imposed the mentality of profit at any price, with no concern for social exclusion or the destruction of nature.”
The National MP and the religious sect
National MP Hamish Campbell has been the subject of a media pile up recently for being a member of the Two by Two Christian Sect. But the treatment appears at this stage to be an overreaction.
Dune 2 and Gaza
What if life followed fiction and Gaza was explained by Dune 2? Sigh. It isn’t.
The inspiring Pope Francis
Pope Francis has been pope for a bit over 10 years. He’s made a difference.
National’s problem with its candidates
Another day, and yet another report a National candidate has done something really stupid.
An Easter Meditation
In his …and forgive them their debts, my favourite economist and Jubilee advocate Michael Hudson states that Jesus driving the money-changers from the Temple was “the act that inspired the city leaders to plot his death.”
He’s not the messiah …
… he is allegedly a very naughty boy.
National’s factional problem
National’s basic problem is that it has three discrete factions, christian conservatives, urban liberals and the country grouping. And no coherent vision to reconcile these totally disparate groupings.
The Mandate To Say Goodbye
In the next two weeks we will find out how many teachers in New Zealand are immune to facts, were happy to enforce vaccinations upon their children for multiple diseases over multiple decades but not themselves, and after decades enforcing state rules in daily attendance and behaviours of young people at school could not themselves be subject to that same force of state.
Make the film and be damned
A company wants to make a film about the Christchurch mosque massacre on 15 March 2019. Maybe it should do.
Later Nick
Nick Smith is leaving Parliament not only to spend more time with his family but also because details of an employment dispute started after he yelled at a junior staffer were leaked.
National’s very bad day
Yesterday was a day where National focussed on dog whistle racism, supported religious extremists and moaned about workers receiving a modest increase in the minimum wage.
Covid, the US President and the Evangelical churches
There has been disturbing local news that some members of a local evangelical church, influenced by American equivalents, refused to accept the threat posed by the virus. And in America a new book from Bob Woodward suggests strongly that Donald Trump knew how big a threat Covid would be but chose for political reasons to downplay the risk.
A Response to ‘No Exit’.
In a recent post, Bill hit his straps with – “Either way, wind power won’t save us. Solar power won’t save us. Carbon capture and storage won’t save us. Your God won’t save us. Nothing but ourselves will save us.”
I felt miffed and more than a little grumpy at Bill’s flippant reference to God, and so sent through this long form response. ~ Adam.
Before the massacre the State was warned
Through a series of meetings that led all the way to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Head of the State Services Commission Peter Hughes, and the Police, the Islamic Women’s Council repeatedly warned the highest levels of our civil service that their community was under imminent threat. They were ignored.
What Cheeto, Bojo and Scomo are up to
It has been a tough week for conservative leaders with Trump impeached and the evangelical magazine Christianity Today calling for his resignation, Johnson in the UK announcing voter fraud measures reminiscent of the American deep South, and in Australia Morrison being criticised for missing in action, upstaged by a 13 year old girl and pushing through protection for religious bigotry that Israel Folau would be pleased with.
Folau’s rights to free speech are not being attacked
Israel Folau’s difficulties are not examples of an attack on free speech or religious beliefs.
Will the Christian Conservatives rise again?
Simon Bridges has conceded that his claim that talk about Alfred Ngaro setting up a conservative party was “rumour and speculation” was not actually true. And Ngaro has gone on the offensive describing abortion as an unholy holocaust.
Cardinal Pell
Cardinal Pell has been given six years in jail for his crimes against children. But the Catholic Church has a range of other allegations to resolve.
Zionism: Protestant Tosh.
I’m willing to bet you probably didn’t know that.
Kiwi values
New Zealand First at its conference on the weekend passed a remit to calling for immigrants and refugees to “respect New Zealand values” which are founded on Christianity.
And the antisemites are…?
UK Labour adopted the IRHA definition of antisemitism in full, and…
Zionism and Anti-Semitism Both Suck
Jeremy Corbyn has a problem. His supporters are struggling to seperate anti-Zionism from anti-racism and the Tories can’t believe their luck. UK Labour desperately need to turn around the narrative that they’re tolerant of bigotry. And in just two days, a definition is going to define Corbyn.
Enough Bullshit!
White South African farm murders.
Cake makers and fascists
A Warkworth cake maker has refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. The situation raises the question should she be allowed to discriminate against others on the grounds that she is exercising her rights of religious belief.
Autonomy.
So women in ‘half’ of an island have bodily autonomy.
Today in schadenfreude
For those who occassionally enjoy dark laughter at the truly deserved pain of others, today brings supremely ironic news in the continued culture war on queer people in New Zealand.
A Christmas Rabbit-hole.
Just some light-hearted musings.
Brain Curdle.
If ever anyone needed a reason to insist on secularism…
Voltairine de Cleyre
When history buries treasures, those treasures don’t have to remain buried.
The Catholic Church is urging its parishoners to vote
The catholic bishops of Aotearoa have released a pamphlet urging parishoners to vote. And apart from conservative positions on euthenasia and drug liberalisation the policies they support have a decidedly progressive bent.
A generous donation to Labour
Thank you Robert Smellie QC, I’m sure your donation will be put to great use. Smellie said: “I am a practising Anglican and as such I see socialism as being far closer to the Gospel than free enterprise.”
Women wearing clothes
In France and Italy there have been recent examples of men telling women what they can and cannot wear.
We need to talk about Islam
A post in which Ad responds to TRP’s recent post suggesting that all religion should be banned by suggesting that religious tolerance is a necessary feature of a liberal democracy.
Indigenous Perspectives
“It is possible to live in a society with a world view that does not include empire”
– Winona LaDuke