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6:00 am, April 25th, 2026 - 17 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 …
The big NZDF major who spoke at the Dunedin dawn service was very much against war, and strongly in support of diplomacy and respect for international law.
No politician spoke which was excellent.
And massive turnout.
That's encouraging. In my opinion, it would be good if ANZAC day could become less of a contextless, ahistorical celebration of a particular, and highly curated, national identity. Then I would be less ambivalent about it.
There are some of us who don't see it as a "contextless, ahistorical celebration of a particular, and highly curated, national identity". In my case, I remember the loss of the uncle after whom I was named.
My grandfather, who served in the navy, disliked how ANZAC day had become a "contextless, ahistorical celebration of a particular, and highly curated, national identity", he was vehemently anti-war & man did it fuck him right up serving (though he loved the Morrinsville RSA where he spent 90% of his day).
The context is historic resistance to military aggression and its continuance via the UN Charter.
We were a founder of the UN.
Its weird. These are wars that finished 81 and 108 years ago. Do we really need to keep holding services every Anzac Day?
Isn't it a personal thing by now? By all means wander up to the memorials scattered around the country alone or with friends and family. But to me the dawn services are glorifying events.
(BTW-My dad was on HMS Belfast and fought on her in the Pacific.)
Lest we forget.
Seems particularly important at the moment to have occasions where this is the focus point.
Sure our military today operates in the UN Charter world, but why did the UN form?
(failure to prevent the veto in the UNSC is a work on).
So we are involved in UN actions, such as Korea and various peacekeeping and naval ones and currently one of observation (North Korea).
A defence arrangement with Australia & Five Powers in the region and NATO+ (includes South Korea and Japan).
Notably as partners to democratic nation states.
This is not world shattering news, but why is the recognition of Viv Beck’s resignation broken by the Post, and not an Auckland news source?
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360992815/city-centre-shock-departure-viv-beck-heart-city
Archive.li can’t save the story, sorry.
Is anyone else somewhat cosmically perplexed that on ANZAC Day the soldiers of WW1 and 2 who got it the worst aren't from the United States?
And right now the ANZAC economies are crashing while the US one is spectacularly profitable.
It's like the United States is immune from justice or reckoning.
STRONG…
and stable!
Relax, Nicky No Boats, the Cook Strait ferries run on diesel, not petrol.
Not sure if Shane Jones reads the Guardian. Probably too woke.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/24/global-oil-crisis-changed-fossil-fuel-industry-for-ever-iea-chief-fatih-birol?
Did like the bit where the IEA chief says that it's not for hippy dippy green reasons but purely business, it's all over. Except in NZ of course.
^^^just noticed the mistake in my user name, will fix next time, apologies & thanks.
Checking meaning of IEA. There are three and all somehow connected…
This could be us.
/
‘Decoupling from fossil fuel shocks’: Europe’s electricity made 25% cheaper thanks to solar and wind
https://www.euronews.com/2026/04/24/decoupling-from-fossil-fuel-shocks-europes-electricity-made-25-cheaper-thanks-to-solar-and
From your excellent link Joe.
"An analysis by SolarPower Europe found that harnessing sunlight for energy has saved Europe more than €100 million per day since 1 March, resulting in total savings of more than €3 billion."
Luxon could actually win some votes by dumping the expensive and planet destroying LNG proposal, and instead investing in solar.
He won't.