Random Politics

[crocos]

Your reminder that billionaires are bullshit, as are their charitable contributions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVpCbHKqqKI

[Lightspeed]

Māori more likely to die after surgery than non-Māori - study

[crocos]

Unsurprising. Same can be said of African-Americans and First Nations people in the USA, and Torrie Strait Islanders and Aboriginals here in Aussie. Probably similar stats for other peoples elsewhere.

Not saying it's a good thing. It's heavily reflective of two things: Typically people from these groups are less likely to be affluent and afford sensible after-care, and second, the far greater majority of medical studies are of white people, so there's much better knowledge of the risks and counters.

[Lightspeed]

The German election has had an interesting result. Quite a significant change of those who make up the federal government looks likely.

They're doing a good show of what a healthy functioning democracy looks like. At least comparatively. Funny what change a century can bring.

[Lightspeed]

Gangs are going to be a hot issue next election I think. Might depend on how we fare against delta.

It's a bit fucking late though I think. Gangs are doing pretty well at the moment. Any efforts to take them on will only create a survival of the fittest dynamic.

But the easier sell is gangs are bad. Would be interesting to see what a government that won on that platform would do. Shit might get all Miami Vice in Auckland.

[Lightspeed]

These motherfuckers have a sweet grift going on:

Emails, pay rises and power points: the inside story of how Rotorua got seven deputy chief executives

[xor]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Gangs are going to be a hot issue next election I think. Might depend on how we fare against delta.

It's a bit fucking late though I think. Gangs are doing pretty well at the moment. Any efforts to take them on will only create a survival of the fittest dynamic.

But the easier sell is gangs are bad. Would be interesting to see what a government that won on that platform would do. Shit might get all Miami Vice in Auckland.

Gangs are doing well? At what exactly? Recruitment? Meth programs that have no checks or balances? Murder rate?

[Lightspeed]

Yeah. Recruitment, organisation, effectiveness. Being able to exist generally unchallenged.

We don't get to have our cake and eat it too, xor. When society neglects its people, people find alternative options.

You can cry, wail, proselytise over how things should be all you want. You still have to put up with things the way they are.

[Ab]

Originally Posted by xor

Gangs are doing well? At what exactly? Recruitment? Meth programs that have no checks or balances? Murder rate?

At revenue, and entrenching themselves within the system.

[crocos]

Originally Posted by xor

Gangs are doing well? At what exactly? Recruitment? Meth programs that have no checks or balances? Murder rate?

At acting as the social welfare for the segments of the population the government has failed.

Not saying it's in an overall socially-positive way, but many folks don't have an alternative... and in some cases it's simply a better alternative (for them).

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by crocos

At acting as the social welfare for the segments of the population the government has failed.

Ardern defends head of Waikato Mongrel Mob Sonny Fatupaito being given essential worker exemption to travel to Auckland

"As part of supporting the Government's COVID Delta Strategy, the Mongrel Mob Kingdom have been liaising with the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC), Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS), and the NZ Police, to assist in reaching hard to reach communities within gang chapters and associated whanau," she said.

[blynk]

I hear National are already starting to pick this to complain about.

[blynk]

Originally Posted by blynk

I hear National are already starting to pick this to complain about.

Lol. I actually just read what she said. It quite hilarious.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politi...V5QVG3OUVKS4Y/

[The Edge]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/judith...JLVXJDATFZC7A/ (paywalled)

[xor]

I think it's awesome that the media fail to state that Fatupaito isnt fully vaccinated.

[blynk]

I guess there are 2 things to that.

1 - I assume not fully vaccinated means has had 1 dose and was waiting for the 2nd.

2 - Source? Or is that your friends, brothers flatmate who works in a prison was told be a rival gang member.
Not doubting you, but just wondering why does it matter if he's had 1 or 2 doses?

If he had had no doses then that would be a different story.

[xor]

He also travels with an entourage of bikies. None of whom are vetted. #letsdothis #ngamihi

[fixed_truth]

Yeah I heard on newstalk ZB yesterday that he is fully vaccinated?

[blynk]

Originally Posted by xor

He also travels with an entourage of bikies. None of whom are vetted. #letsdothis #ngamihi

Yeah, probably. But 2 people went through the border to help get gangs vaccinated.

Whats your point?

[xor]

It defeats the purpose of having having cordon.

It introduces risk by allowing unvaccinated people in and out of auckland without effective controls to reduce the risk of spreading covid into other regions.

[blynk]

Are talking about the same thing?

2 people entered and exited Auckland. They appear to be vaccinated (maybe 1 dose, but you haven't actually put your source).

So where are all these unvaccinated people you are talking about?

[Lightspeed]

But don't you understand? Gangs are bad.

[xor]

Family who are in the police told me.

[xor]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

But don't you understand? Gangs are bad.

Except Hell's Angels, eh Jeremy.

[Lightspeed]

lolz, you're so obviously pathetic.

Way to out yourself.

[xor]

Your statement just reiterates you don't care about cordons and are more concerned with your own argument.

[Lightspeed]

What argument, Mavis?

[Nich]

China just launched a nuke into orbit capable of striking anywhere on earth, and they were less than 100km off their test target. US formal response is "that took us by surprise!". Probably nothing.

[Lightspeed]

You could at least share what you're reading...

[Nich]

https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/ch...18-p590rn.html

[Lightspeed]

Where were you reading about nukes being launched?

[Nich]

It may have been from one my hyperbolic social media follows commenting on its potential.

[Lightspeed]

Oh, right. Maybe look up ICBMs. Nukes are already capable of striking anywhere on earth.

And there's no shortage of weapons research going on.

[StN]

As long as no one tries to launch my glass collection anywhere.

[Ab]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Oh, right. Maybe look up ICBMs. Nukes are already capable of striking anywhere on earth.

And there's no shortage of weapons research going on.

I think a more measured description of events is: China just did a test of a hypersonic weapons system that, had it been launched in anger, would have put a nuke anywhere* on earth with almost no warning. And the reaction of the US military establishment appears to be "um we didn't know they could do that".

* first test: 32km from its actual target.

[Lightspeed]

One hot take could be "Chinese weapons research EXPOSED".

More likely this is part of China's continued flexing. We're all still no more or less fucked if the superpowers go to war with each other.

[Ab]

Oh yeah, file this one under "flex" for sure.

[Nich]

Goodbye Taiwan, goodbye Chinese Muslims. Cavalry has most likely been deterred.

[Lightspeed]

*cough* Vietnam *cough* Iraq *cough*

[Lightspeed]

Climate change: New Zealand to quadruple climate cash for poor countries to $1.3 billion

The people crying that we could be spending this money on NZ's poor are the same people who would be crying if we spent this money on NZ's poor.