Open Mike 26/09/25

Written By: notices and features - Date published: - 35 comments
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35 comments on “Open Mike 26/09/25”

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    1. 2.1

      Peters. Hypocrite as usual.

      Has he told Shane Jones, and the rest of the Coalition of Cockups, that anthropogenic global warming, is a thing!

      1. 2.1.1

        My memory is telling me that NZ has made an agreement with the EU relating to emissions reductions which the current government has effectively sabotaged leaving NZ on the hook for 10's of $billions of penalties in the future . Is my memory right?

    2. 2.2

      Yes but my take on it, is he is using this as an out for New Zealand, ie: There is no point in us tiny nations doing anything whilst the big 4 do nothing.

      1. 2.2.1

        Yes, I agree. Emissions by country are used as an excuse by many to do nothing. Emissions per capita by country should be highlighted more often.

    3. 2.3

      Under 3B India and China. Under 500M – USA and Russia

      World population just over 8B.

      So c40% of the worlds population and causing 60% of the "problem"

      1. 2.3.1

        Nah, that per capita measure is a terrible one as it basically uses people in extreme poverty to disguise the excess of the wealthy in populous countries and over represents smaller countries with agricultural economies. I'd bet its less than 10% of the worlds population causing something over 80% of the problem.

        2. 2.3.1.2

          Peters said 4 countries caused most of it without reference to the size of the world economy and population that they represented.

          A form of lying.

  3. 3

    Debt over time

    Scary graph with little change until after 2040, designed to promote radical singular focus from government

    (basically diminish government because of demographics – without an estate tax on the wealthy, so the well to do remain secure in their privilege)

  4. 4

    US Defense Secretary, Pete deus vult Hesgeth gets even. (continuing the theme trump/lunatics/asylum)

    Hegseth orders hundreds of senior military officers to Virginia for highly unusual meeting

    Hundreds of US generals and admirals around the globe have been called to Virginia for a meeting with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth next week, several US officials told CNN, though the reason for the meeting is unclear.

    The meeting is expected to be held at the military installation in Quantico, Virginia, multiple officials said, adding that no one seems to know what the meeting is about, including the general and flag officers themselves, or why it was suddenly added to the calendar.

    The complete unaware Irony of ex major, deus vult Hesgeth politicising….

    Before taking on the role of defence secretary, Hegseth repeatedly voiced disdain for much of the military's currently serving general and flag officer corps. In a podcast appearance last summer, Hegseth said a third of the military's senior officers are "actively complicit" in what he argued is a move towards politicization of the military. In a second podcast, he said senior officers are "playing by all the wrong rules" to cater to "idealogues in Washington, DC.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/574169/hegseth-orders-hundreds-of-senior-military-officers-to-virginia-for-highly-unusual-meeting

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Hegseth#Military_service_(2003%E2%80%932006,_2010%E2%80%932014,_2019%E2%80%932021)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deus_vult#Adoption_by_right-wing_groups_as_slogan

      1. 4.2.1

        You must have him confused with somebody else because Pete Hegseth (also known as Kegbreath) is a stupid minded white supremacist with an alcohol problem.

        2. 4.2.1.2

          The Pete Hegseth I'm thinking of has a BA from Princeton and MPP from Harvard.

          Is a New York Times best selling author

          Was awarded a bronze star for his actions in Iraq

            1. 4.2.1.2.1.1

              Please regale us all with your military exploits

              But seriously before he started instructing which given his background makes perfect sense he was also a platoon leader, leading troops into battle

              Dislike him all you want, disagree with everything he says but the guy led troops into enemy fire and that gives him a perspective most people will never have

              1. 4.2.1.2.1.1.1

                he was also a platoon leader, leading troops into battle

                lol…alleged sex offender, drunk, and misappropriator of charity funds Hegseth led a platoon of criminals at the US Guantanamo Bay torture camp and achieved bronze for his attendance at illegal invasions, too.

                https://x.com/patriottakes/status/1964334636177211729

                WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to answers he provided to a senator during his confirmation process that The Associated Press has obtained.

                https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-sex-assault-payment-trump-6674cc8cfee654c374725948e01ff666

                https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/02/pete-hegseth-non-profit-allegations

            2. 4.2.1.2.1.2

              Hegseth’s Bronze Stars were meritorious service, not valour, awards for his roles as an instructor and civil affairs officer.

              Far out.

              Have you not heard the phrase 'An army marches on its stomaches' meaning that without support staff there would be no marching.

              This means, according to you, we now deny that anyone that was not on the very frontline a medal even though he/she may have used his engineering training to build temporary bridges in Greece, and then to Crete, and an another who was an instructor/infantry officer in Crete/Egypt/ El Alamein (DCM). A friend who lost a leg while serving in Vietnam.

              By all means criticise his actions/thoughts and the influence being in various roles may have had but please do not criticise the fact that he got his 'war' medals in other than in the 'kapow' and 'splat' war of comics.

              This from someone whose family had five brothers in WW1 & WW2, two of whom were killed, who marched endlessly against the Vietnam war while at Uni and despise war mongers. and Hegseth may be one of those. He may not be a very ‘nice’ person. Surely we can find plenty to criticise other than recognised war service.

      2. 4.2.2

        Hegseth appears to be in way over his head and only there because he is a Trump yes man. Apparently he was a platoon leader only for a short time and then was assigned to non-combat roles. Claims of alcoholism and sexual assault follow him. Signalgate shows he has poor judgement and would have meant dismissal under other administrations but not Trump's.

    1. 5.1

      They have to be joking.

      "To be sure, the claim that Robinson killed in the name of a left-wing cause is not without merit. Given that transgender people are currently a persecuted, vilified, and oppressed constituency in the United States, attempting to advance their cause, even if in a profoundly misguided and violent way, might well be seen as left-wing."

      There is zero evidence that particular claim is true. The Biden/Harris government gave them everything they demanded.

      The backlash to that has certainly started with no more "Lia" Thomas's taking women's medals and prizes in College sports and restrictions on chemical castration of minors, but "Blue" states still insist that any man who claims a female identity should be in a woman's prison, or a woman's shelter, no matter how many convictions for sexual violence they have accumulated.

      1. 5.1.1

        I agree Visubversa.

        The author has chosen a strange group to illustrate his theory. But if he had to illustrate by referring to a group who else could he use? (sarc)

        Race, religion, ethnicity, disability don't seem to be a factor. Women as a group are deeply unfashionable when you have a 'misunderstood', so-called, group. Families unless they are very unusually constructed, a trans man with a trans female works out to be hetero and other combos work out to be gay & cannot be used.

        When you do remove that you are still left with the personal that the killer was apparently involved in a relationship with a transgender person.

        Along with the use of this group, the author has constrained himself by seeking to try to divide everything (possibly in the world – perhaps an exaggeration) into left and right, Democrats and Republicans.

        At first given Robinson's family's stated Republican links I first thought it was a person who felt that Kirks' illiberal thoughts/speeches were a bridge too far even for a Republican. There are moderate Republicans.

        I then thought that the person may have been too deeply involved/enmeshed in male sexual politics/gender dysphoria to be thinking rationally. I now think that being deeply involved in male sexual politics is not a reason, even though males are more heavily represented in violence.

        I've come to thinking that the shooter may possess a disease of the mind whether transient or permanent. Such conditions still exist. In the criminological sense blaming, and especially punishing, a person of unsound mind is deeply disturbing/flawed.

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