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6:00 am, June 18th, 2026 - 42 comments
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Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
Never again.
Finland dropped decades of military non-alliance to join NATO in April 2023 in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Finland's parliament voted to lift a total ban on nuclear weapons on Wednesday, to bring the country in line with NATO's deterrence policy after joining the alliance in 2023.
The bill will permit nuclear weapons to be brought, transported, supplied, or possessed in Finland where the country's military defence requires it.
While 125 deputies backed the government proposal, 61 voted against it, with another 13 absent from the chamber. Now that it has been approved by parliament it only requires the approval of the president.
The decision repeals the national ban on the import, production, possession and detonation of nuclear explosives from the country's Nuclear Energy Act dating back to the 1980s.
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/17/finlands-parliament-passes-bill-in-support-of-lifting-total-ban-on-nuclear-weapons
Someone in Iran must surely point out that Iran was attacked by two nuclear-armed nations, twice in two years.
I am interested, although hardly surprised, by this decision but what does your comment "Never again" mean?
The Imperial Russian invasion of 1808-9, the Red army offensive and occupation post Finnish independence in 1917, the Winter War, and 70 years living next door to the thugs.
Huh? Tell us something we dont know !
While he plays his small bishflap violin….
Yeah…about that : (
As he has…an epiphany ? Yeah riiight.
Green MP Tamatha Paul puts it to Bishflap…
And, only $14.5 million !? Let them eat
cakeshit….. : (As I have made comment before, NACT1 are responsible…but not in any way responsible.
Ditch the pricks '26 !
Trump's random brain farts had an interesting focus on neutrality yesterday: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-thanks-chinas-xi-russias-putin-being-neutral-iran-war-2026-06-17/
So brotherly love is better than sibling rivalry at the top of geopolitics? More likely the other 2 autocrats adopted a shrewd wait & see stance, presuming T would make a fool of himself, but the outcome seems moot at present.
Goodwill tends to be under-rated at the top; it flies under media radar. T's effusion here signals the other 2 that he values their tacit compliance, which is likely to impress them as potential for collaboration on other issues…
Whereas businesses have been trying to resume slavery via the back door, authorities seem to prefer civilisation instead: https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/06/16/modern-slavery-law-risks-significant-cost-burden-companies-argue/
Well, obviously! The entire point of neoliberalism was to return everyone to the early 19th century, when slavery was normal. Gotta use a fig-leaf nowadays tho, so sheeple don't see you as naked. Business self-reporting does that real good.
Hipkins will freak out. Incrementalism is neolib praxis! No way should intelligent thinking be allowed to compromise it.
Their bipartisan project seems admirable, and it was prescient of them to keep officials from interfering (given the recent performance of officials being abysmal).
Why are Right-wingers frightened of art?
"Art is essentially the affirmation, the blessing, the deification of existence."
Friedrich Nietzsche
Righties fear life.
I haven't observed any fear of art, or life, among the more right wing people I know. In fact, if anything, they are much greater collectors of art than people on the left.
I am made rather nervous by the Superman views of Friedrich Nietzsche however. I think he would have been a great fan of Elon Musk.
" if anything, they are much greater collectors of art than people on the left."
Of course they are – they have the money!!!
Much of the art-purchasing is art-investment – sinking vast amounts of wealth into art-works that don't attract tax. When Righties look at their collections, if ever they do, they see $$$ (as Scrooge McDuck so graphically illustrates).
That is pure speculative nonsense (aka bullshit) on your part. Nietzsche was never a racist. His sister twisted his work to suit her nazi fangirl wont…
Very interesting, to be sure, but how you think that I consider Friedrich Nietzsche was a racist is beyond me. There is little doubt that he proposed an idea of a superior being but no reason that that was a racist idea.
"Nietzsche fundamentally opposed democracy, liberalism, and socialism, viewing them as manifestations of a "herd mentality" that dragged down superior individuals
. He advocated for a natural hierarchy where exceptional individuals (the masters) could thrive without being restricted by the masses."
This is the view I meant by the Superman views. However I don't see how you can possibly say that I was somehow classing him as a racist.
Ahuh. You were the one linking Superman, Nietzsche,and his supposed fan-liking of Elon Musk (known racist/fascist fan).
Now you are trying to squirm your way out…..
Gosh, that will be news to the numerous art philanthropists who significantly support the arts sector in NZ and elsewhere.
That simplifies the matter of art collections and prices a little too much I think. The huge prices for art reached in the world reflect the amount of available cash or investment money there is in the world. I haven't much but have bought some art pieces appreciated recently though not of the collector, investor type expecting financial appreciation that Mercurio is referring to.
A reaction to the initial highly simplistic initial statement from Mercurio.
A highly simplistic reaction to a generalisation about monied art collectors?
After you have established a fine collection you could then do a Robertson and donate a couple of hundred million dollars worth to a museum in your adopted country,
Thank you Julian. Having seen the works in your gift at the Auckland Art Gallery I can only express thanks for your generosity.
Don't mind the abuse from some of the more miserable people in our society.
https://www.aucklandartgallery.com/connect/history-and-collections/julian-and-josie-robertson-collection
Alwyn, who are the miseries you imagine are abusing poor Julian Robertson Jr. KNZM? In any case, Robertson doesn't care – can't take it with you.
"Highly" simplistic?
Is that more simplistic than simplistic?
Yes, there are some genuinely altruistic, enlightened ones, but on the other hand, there are those who exploit the opportunity to the Max 🙂
Nut jobs are not afraid of art, they love it if it provides personal status and asset value, even in the idea of gift-giving.
What they object to is the public funding of art. That is worse than the holocaust to them.
Nut jobs can't and never will understand the role of the public, so no surprise.
With you on that.
Conspiracy nipped in the bud; looks like God organised it: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqx10xlje1lo
Insurgent Republicans! Gunning for Trump & Vance. Yet maybe God had second thoughts and used Proper's mother as whistle-blower. Cue to recycle the Pythonesque classic line "He's not the Messiah, he's a naughty boy."
Enemy of the people, apparently.
https://xcancel.com/ImMeme0/status/2066923514188247234
Well, elite people mainly. Those with strange dietary habits (from your link):
As well as Palestine Action, the UK is using its state apparatus to go after citizens in the UK supporting Kurdish freedom fighters. UK people accused of PKK membership were unable to be convicted in a jury trial, so will be retried.
This investigation of Kurdish supporters has taken up the resources of 800 UK police.
"Tony Blair’s Labour government outlawed the PKK at Türkiye's request…For decades, the Kurdish community has faced terrorism stops at airports, harassment and criminalisation, but this is the first time such an extensive range of charges has been deployed in court." This despite zero evidence of violent activity in the UK.
"Charges dismissed in the first trial "included a terrorism charge for one man speaking at an event to commemorate his relative who was killed in combat with Turkey—and another for organising an evening of traditional Kurdish dancing."
Conviction of being a member (without evidence of any terrorist action) can face up to 14 years in prison.
https://www.declassifieduk.org/no-convictions-in-kurdish-terror-trial-at-old-bailey/
Think if that police resource were targeted to UK anti-migrant terrorist bombings in the past few years?
"I couldn't believe it was so low" – Winston Peters on Shane Jones' very, very expensive overseas jaunt.
Shane's standard of behaviour, Winston?
His level of self-awareness?
His regard for the New Zealand taxpayer?
"I couldn't believe it was so low".
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360993963/private-limo-standby-24-hours-part-shane-jones-63k-travel-bill
Normalcy ?! Well, his dig-baby-dig/cooker/denier/conspiracist support base are as far removed from Rational normalcy as possible, so… its a view.
https://youtube.com/shorts/FPBCFokubOs?si=tNgwhhBEB81_vpKv
Pauline hanson, in the funnest thing you'll see today
If YT is blocked at work.
"Pauline hanson, the funnest thing you'll see today"
edited
Hmm, our entirely neutral Police Commish has caught the scent of disgraceful behaviour.
If ever NZ Aotearoa needed a People's Select Committee on govt competence it's now.
The ideology of the sorted CoC rears its ugly head again and again; selling NZ off for parts.
https://thestandard.nz/new-zealand-pushes-ahead-with-selling-exchanging-60-of-its-precious-conservation-estate/
OK, yes the nay-sayers were right: US suffers humiliating defeat against Iran: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/17/trump-us-iran-war-mou-deal.
Iran gets:
US gets:
The open society's enemies get:
Quite a legacy Trump's going to leave future presidents…
Do we call govt bots who sign online diplobots? Marvellous that they have learnt how to simulate signatures of presidents:
Google's AI is befuddled by the situation: it told me that the US hadn't declared war on Iran. When I asked if Israel had, it told me yes, both Israel & the US had declared war.
I presume Trump's alternative reality is at play: doing war without declaring it adds a veneer of plausible deniability, enabling an end-run around Congress.
Apparently, try adding -ai to your terms to limit Google using ai in the search.
I see commentators online saying they are busy archiving any important google searches because they think soon Google search will all be ai mush. Also others are stacking search results to silliness by repeated posting rubbish, (or infox, as the French charmingly call it) to bias the search.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/how-to-tell-googles-ai-features-to-leave-you-alone-once-and-for-all/
Okay, I get it. Does push my anti-pollutant button, just like Shortland Street. However in the Deep Green view, nuances are a source of attunement to the Tao, so disconnecting some can marginalise you from a potentially informative source. I suspect I'll keep an open mind awhile, but I do acknowledge your point has merit.
National are most certainly enjoying their day putting NZFirst in their place today.
Firstly killing off that dreadful Fisheries Reform Bill.
Secondly Willis doing the slow roast of Shane Jones and his travel expenses.
Willis is showing Peters she has a file and is preparing to use it.
It's not always bad news when mum and dad fight kids.
Mum & Dad?
Dumb & Mad.