Daily Review 18/08/2016

43 comments on “Daily Review 18/08/2016”

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  1. 2

    A plan so cunning, you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel!

    .

    Proportionally speaking, Americans living in poverty pay more for basic necessities. On energy bills, the poorest 20 percent of Americans spend more than seven times the share of their income than do the wealthiest. Dividing American incomes into three, households in the bottom third spend twice the portion of their incomes on transportation than the top third. High housing costs are hurting everyone—but they’re hurting poor Americans the most.

    […]

    It might not need to be. Urban poverty could be cut—rather drastically— through a basic principle of finance, according to the Center for Neighborhood Technology, a Chicago-based urban policy think-tank. On Thursday, the CNT released the “Urban Opportunity Agenda,” with a central premise so simple that it’s sort of stunning it’s not talked about more: Reducing the cost of living for low-income citizens.

    http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2016/08/poverty-reduction-cost-of-living-center-for-neighborhood-technology/494348/

  2. 3

    So according to Claire Trevett’s rather disjointed and incoherent efforts in the Herald today it’s a perfectly legitimate tactic for a government to clog up the private member’s bill ballot with bogus bills that are doled out to backbench MPs by the Attorney-General?
    Is this really the best the Herald can do as far as political opinion pieces go?

  3. 4

    Bit of a heavy day of right wing trolls. Big of them to point out that it’s better to be taught how to fish than to be given one. I would challenge them to walk a mile in another man’s shoes rather than sling off from their position of privileged upbringing. However I guess it is better not to respond to them at all.

    1. 4.1

      Got to agree with you there. I really don’t believe that there are people out there who are so callous. The bit that really gets to me is, they don’t realise how lucky they have been dealt a decent hand. If only they stopped and thought for a minute and adopted an attitude ” There for the grace of God goes I”
      I sometimes wonder if the comments by these people is piss taking or a wind-up.

  4. 5

    Most recent wingnut meme-

    .

    MUST SEE: Photos of Hillary Clinton Propped Up on Pillows

    […]

    Notice anything about the image?

    Hillary is being propped up by a pillow, and it’s hardly the first time this has happened. In fact, the former secretary of state used to include propping cushions on her list of demands during her lucrative time on the paid celebrity speaking circuit.

    http://archive.li/viFKD

    edit: for giggles – #sayswho?

    1. 5.1

      Dr Drew Pinsky says he is “gravely concerned” about Hillary Clinton’s health

      Board-certified medicine specialist and TV personality Dr. Drew Pinsky has come out and said that he is “gravely concerned” about presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s health, pointing out that treatment she is receiving could be the result of her bizarre behaviors…

      Appearing on KABC’s McIntyre in the Morning, Pinsky said he and his colleague Dr. Robert Huizenga became “gravely concerned….not just about her health but her health care,” after analyzing what medical records on Hillary had been released.

      Pinsky pointed out that after Clinton fainted and fell in late 2012, she suffered from a “transverse sinus thrombosis,” an “exceedingly rare clot” that “virtually guarantees somebody has something wrong with their coagulation system.”…

      “So the very medicine doctors are using may be causing this problem and they’re using an old fashioned medicine to treat it – what is going on with her health care?” asked Pinsky.

      Pinsky described the situation as “bizarre,” and said that Hillary’s medical condition was “dangerous” and “concerning”.

      Dr. Drew also went on to add that it was a sign of “brain damage” when Hillary had to wear prism glasses after her fall.

      Easy win Trump November 2016.

      http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-17/dr-drew-pinsky-says-he-%E2%80%9Cgravely-concerned%E2%80%9D-about-hillary-clinton%E2%80%99s-health

      1. 5.1.1

        This “concern” about Hillary’s health has been around for a while. I can’t help wondering if isn’t mainly coming from those nice empathetic Republicans….

        1. 5.1.1.1

          Examine her involuntary head and neck movement from multiple angles in this youtube clip from July this year which appeared to result from excessive sensory stimulus (reporters shouting at her).

        1. 5.1.2.1

          What do you think about the MD’s suggestion that her need for prism glasses suggests that Clinton is suffering relevant brain damage from her blood clot in 2012 (presumably damage to her visual or oculomotor functions)?

            1. 5.1.2.1.1.1

              Sure joe90, if you’re right, Clinton will last through the physical rigours of the final months of the campaign just fine.

              By the way, any idea why if Clinton is in such good health, that she is only doing 1 to 2 campaign events a week (which are usually small scale fund raising functions) at the moment while Trump is doing one or two 1000+ person public rallies a day?

              Between August 21 and Sept 13 inclusive (a 24 day span) Clinton has just 5 public events on her campaign schedule. There are city councillors here in Dunedin doing harder campaigning than she is.

              And its been approx 260 days since she has held a sit down press conference. If her health is good, why doesn’t she front up?

                1. 5.1.2.1.1.1.1.1

                  Sure. What are the 3 most likely reasons for Clinton only doing 5 campaign events in 24 days this close to the election, apart from ill health?

                    1. 5.1.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1

                      Sure, if that’s what you think, all is well.

                      Edit – will do a post on this in the next day or so which will suggest why you are incorrect.

            2. 5.1.2.1.1.2

              Well she probably does owe it to voters to give a press conference at some point soon but it’s most certainly not a political mistake to give fewer than Trump.

              1. 5.1.2.1.1.2.1

                Her ill health will be apparent in any all media press conference which lasts longer than 15 minutes.

                Thats why she has been avoiding them.

                1. 5.1.2.1.1.2.1.1

                  You’ve seen the West Wing CV. You know that health issues don’t equate with incompetence or debilitating weakness. The line you are running is ableist, meaning that you are assuming that her illness is a disability and that disability is an incompetence. People with disabilities have spent decades working against those kind of prejudices. Seeing them in a left wing space is bizarre.

                  1. 5.1.2.1.1.2.1.1.1

                    What is bizarre weka is that you can refer to that story line in the West Wing yet still fail to understand its implications Weka.

                    The problem wasn’t that Bartlet had multiple sclerosis. The problem was that him, his spouse and his senior advisors LIED TO THE ENTIRE COUNTRY about it.

                    The line you are running is ableist, meaning that you are assuming that her illness is a disability and that disability is an incompetence.

                    Fuck that is stupidly missing the point. See above. The point is the LIE and the DECEPTION ffs.

                    1. 5.1.2.1.1.2.1.1.1.2

                      “Fuck that is stupidly missing the point. See above. The point is the LIE and the DECEPTION ffs.”

                      Fuck that is a stupid thing to say….whose business is it anyway if a person has a disability or medical condition?

                      Eh? Eh?

                      If they can do the job….so fucking what?

                      Trump? Clinton?

                      Who really gives a toss…one as bad as the other and the US of A richly deserve either…or hey…both.

                      But CV…leave a person’s health and disability status out of it…

                      Unless its fucking relevant.

                    2. 5.1.2.1.1.2.1.1.1.4

                      No, the ableism is you deciding that someone you perceive as having an illness or disability is lying, when you really have no idea. That shit damages people’s lives. It’s the same prejudice and arrogance that leads people to question the right’s of ill and disabled people to benefits. It’s also the same dynamic as an insurance company denying someone cover for chronic illness because their facebook page has a picture of them at a party dancing. Or someone deciding that a person on a sickness benefit seen painting their roof is really a lying bludger and instead of making a speech about it they ring the fraud line at WINZ which reigns a whole heap of shit down on that person despite them having done nothing wrong.

                      The only difference is that Clinton is writ large a million fold because of who she is.

                      No-one has the right to diagnose people online and use that misdiagnosis for their own ends (it looks like your anger against Clinton is a part of this). It’s discriminatory and creates a culture where people who are ill and disabled get active prejudice directed at them.

                      The people who have a legitimate right to discuss Clinton’s medical status are her, her family, and her medical practitioners.

                      As for Bartlet, I took a different moral to the story. Which was the dilemma of having a disability in a country which is prejudiced against illness, and having to make decisions about what is fair and useful to disclose when in a position of power. Had Bartlet disclosed he had MS he would have been discriminated against and never have become president despite his disability not affecting his ability to do the job. You think that the issue is the lying, I think the issue is that disability doesn’t equate to incompetence and yet we live in a society that too often thinks it does.

                      I actually don’t care if Clinton has a health issue that she isn’t disclosing. I do care if she has a condition that affects her ability to be president. Both those statements apply to anyone running. But we have no way of knowing if she has an illness that affects her ability, and you trying to guess in such a politically charged way sanctions that being done to anyone. That’s fucked.

        2. 5.1.2.2

          Joe, your one sided posts create an inpression that you desperately wish to see a Hillary Clinton presidency

          Why is it that you defend Clinton so feverishly?

          What is in it for you that has created this obsession, via your posts deriding Trump or anyone who may take up an opinion against Clinton?

          Do you even know?

            1. 5.1.2.2.1.1

              Ahh yes the copious liberal sneering and falling for the MSM memes of the day, replacing actual thinking and insight.

              Easy Trump win Nov 2016.

              1. 5.1.2.2.1.1.1

                As opposed to the copious sneering and falling for the alt-right memes of the day, replacing actual thinking and insight.
                //

                  1. 5.1.2.2.1.1.1.1.1

                    Trump is a thin skinned narcissistic draft dodging bully boy with allegations both public and private, of racist misogynist behaviour and sexual impropriety swirling about in the ether.

                    And then there’s his lying, cheating financial skullduggery

            2. 5.1.2.2.1.2

              Can’t fault your honesty

              Critical thinking and evaluation are not for everyone

              So how about the decades of ‘allegations’ against The Clintons and The Clinton Foundation including sexual violence, fraud, corruption etc?

              ABT provide you with a big enough curtain to hide all that behind?

        1. 5.1.3.1

          Trump is doing one to two public appearances a day in front of crowds of between 1,000 and 10,000.

          Hillary has got 5 campaign events scheduled across 24 days, all small, non-public event fund raisers.

          You do the math on who can keep up the pace.

  5. 6

    Can anybody explain to me why there has to be Terms of Reference for a Government inquiry. Tonight Dr Jonathan Coleman has announced there will be an independent inquiry into the contaminated water in Havelock North and now Hastings by the look of the news this evening. He said once the Terms of Reference have been sorted out they do this inquiry.

    Surely if you have experts in the field presumably to conduct this inquiry then surely they will be totally adequate, experienced and knowledgeable enough to know what to do and be left to get on with it. It looks to me like the Government like to steer these inquiries to a conclusion to their liking, not very democratic if you ask me.

    Why are Terms of Reference always included in any Government inquiry.

    1. 6.1

      Terms of reference enable us to know that an inquiry will be a waste of time before it begins, rather than having to wait until it is finished to find this out.

  6. 7

    “Why are Terms of Reference always included in any Government inquiry.”

    They are there to make sure when the brown stuff hit the revolving thing, none of it sticks to the government or their tory mates. and to make sure that it is Labours fault

  7. 8

    Thanks guys, I thought it was pretty obvious why they set Terms of Reference. Democracy as it is today is totally wrecked. Terms of Reference have to be the most cynical ploy and so openly practiced. Why bother with these expensive enquiries in the first place. They now need to declare it is a State of Emergency but its obvious that the Government doesn’t want to have to give compensation and that is the reason they are declining to do so – cynicism of the highest order. What a ghastly lot we have sitting in power today.

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