Random Politics

[xor]

I can't help but look in dismay when i see the homelessness statistics and then see our champagne socialist prime minister getting married at some billionaire's property.

[Lightspeed]

Yes, your concern for the homeless is well demonstrated...

[xor]

Yep, the party of the people. What a joke

[blynk]

Dam her getting married at a Billionaires property.
Just think of the cost to the tax payers. There must be many zeros in that number.
I reckon it will cost us approx $00,000,000

Crazy times. People complain about giving people housing, and then complain that people are given housing.

I do agree that it is a shame there is still so much homelessness.
I would love to see a large wrap around service of providing homes and counselling for a lot of these people.

[xor]

It's more about the optics.

[Lightspeed]

Kazakhstan's political crisis has taken a tragicomic turn. The president who appears to be consolidating power by ousting those he shares authority with is saying that protests have been hijacked by external terrorist groups.

To demonstrate this, they've broadcast a confession by a "foreign national", who has been obviously beaten confessing that they're an unemployed person who was paid to come into the country to participate in the violence.

Turns out tho the fellow they've got confessing is a well known musician with a decent Instagram following, in the country to perform.

Still, it'll likely be only a bump in the road to totalitarian rule in the region.

[Lightspeed]

For humour value only:

[Lightspeed]

So war in Ukraine with Russia? Lots of different people saying, yeah, nah. Putin is angling for a deal. But tensions are only increasing, none of the predicted pivots have come about yet.

[Lightspeed]

[Ab]

NZ gov to kiwis in Ukraine: leave now

https://flip.it/_9_lRp

[Lightspeed]

I always wonder how deep the chess game is, what games are being played, what ploys and counter-ploys are being pulled off. Or maybe it really is just checkers like it seems. Maybe Putin's facing problems at home, needs a war to show he's still the tough guy?

[Ab]

Originally Posted by Ab

NZ gov to kiwis in Ukraine: leave now

https://flip.it/_9_lRp

NZ gov to kiwis in Ukraine: you can't come home though

[xor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AqpXWy3O1M

#bekind

[Lightspeed]

Biden says he's now convinced Putin has decided to invade Ukraine, but leaves door open for diplomacy

My only comfort right now is that US intelligence often isn't.

[Ab]

This is the US intelligence-slash-media apparatus that announced Russia would invade on Feb 16, right?

[Lightspeed]

It seems like the US announces the invasion, Russia won't prove the US right, so they don't. Rinse, repeat. All the while the Ukrainians have a little more prep time.

Or, y'know, it's all hot air and bluster.

[sidbo]

https://twitter.com/cpoliticditto/st...%3D141 5pti35

[Ab]

Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says there isn’t a mental health crisis

Someone check Dr Ash and see if he was making the Signal for Help when he said this

[Lightspeed]

This is some lolz:

Capitol riot suspect is granted refugee status in Belarus after fleeing US

[StN]

Hey - remember those time Labour discovered the Intertron?

Now it's the minor parties turn!

[pxpx]

Originally Posted by Ab

Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says there isn’t a mental health crisis

Someone check Dr Ash and see if he was making the Signal for Help when he said this

He also once said that masks did nothing so, who knows what's going on really?

[_indigo1]

[Ab]

https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/03/24/a...ce-with-maori/

Seymour is 100% right.

[blynk]

Originally Posted by Ab

https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/03/24/a...ce-with-maori/

Seymour is 100% right.

[fixed_truth]

Shit, it must be racist dog whistling season already.

[xor]

The word 'racist' is thrown about in every discussion that it no longer carries any meaning.

[Lightspeed]

Well, the experience of the phenomena is no less harsh for those on the wrong end of it.

[Ab]

It’s ok they are fighting back by (checks notes) cancelling their cloud accounting subscriptions

Rawiri Waititi MP
@Rawiri_Waititi
Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti organisation out there that use Xero products its time to send them back! Rod Drury Xero founder donated a huge sum towards the ACT party to actively campaign against Māori and to solidify White Supremacy in this country.
11:38 am · 25 Mar 2022

[xor]

Clearly he has never used the nightmare that is MYOB

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by Ab

It’s ok they are fighting back by (checks notes) cancelling their cloud accounting subscriptions

Well, I guess that's enough for me to forget what racism is.

[Lightspeed]

Seems like NZ is in for some hard times if Labour loses the next election the way National and ACT are winding up. Looks like a competition of who can be hardest on the "bottom feeders".

[Cyberbob]

Who does ACT think they're appealing to here?

Reducing sick leave, not allowing minimum wage increases, and scrapping public holidays.

The only people I can see being for that, are incredibly selfish business owners who think of no one but themselves.

[blynk]

Originally Posted by Cyberbob

Who does ACT think they're appealing to here?

Reducing sick leave, not allowing minimum wage increases, and scrapping public holidays.

The only people I can see being for that, are incredibly selfish business owners who think of no one but themselves.

Agree. If your business is working at that finer margins that they cant give their workers a fair deal, then they shouldn't be in business.

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Kazakhstan's political crisis has taken a tragicomic turn. The president who appears to be consolidating power by ousting those he shares authority with is saying that protests have been hijacked by external terrorist groups.

To demonstrate this, they've broadcast a confession by a "foreign national", who has been obviously beaten confessing that they're an unemployed person who was paid to come into the country to participate in the violence.

Turns out tho the fellow they've got confessing is a well known musician with a decent Instagram following, in the country to perform.

Still, it'll likely be only a bump in the road to totalitarian rule in the region.

Perhaps it was something else after all:

Kazakhstan president proposes reforms to limit his powers

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed constitutional reforms to limit the powers of his office, saying the country needed to switch from “superpresidential” rule to a presidential republic with a strong parliament.

[Lightspeed]

The tweet is real, I think the quote is invented. True tho. Elections are just tests of who has the best grip on our systems of influence.

[Ab]

a) NZ is a western liberal democracy and anyone who wants to can set up a paper or radio station or tv network, it doesn’t require Jacinda’s personal permission

b) Which is exactly how Murdoch was able to, for example, buy The Dominion and The Waikato Times (like he did). NZ was literally the very first country in the world that Murdoch expanded to outside Australia.

c) if you saw that post and believed any part of it, you’re an idiot

[Lightspeed]

That's not really how it is tho, is it?

When we look and observe, we see a heavily skewed media landscape, one limited and enabled by specific legislation. There are any number of hurdles imposed on those seeking a genuine place within this landscape, it's certainly not open to anyone.

What's true about that tweet is that an individual has undue influence on billions, and it's specific political acts that allow/resist this influence.

Our elections and referendums can be clearly seen under this influence, decisions made often against the interests of those voting for them.

It's not about believing a tweet. Who believes a tweet?

[blynk]

So a more correct tweet should remove all reference to Ardern (which she definitely didn't say that), and it should just be "Because Rupert Murdoch has never established a media outlet in NZ"

That's probably all it needed. If he wanted too, there wouldnt be anything stopping him.
He would go through the OIA if he were to purchase one of the big 2, but he could easily start a fresh.

[Ab]

Did you read what I posted? NZ was the first place Murdoch expanded to outside of Australia. But the early 2000s Murdoch had either full or part ownership of like 75 different media outlets in NZ. The Dominion Post...? Stuff...? Sky TV...? Heard of them?

[Lightspeed]

So the author of the tweet is expressing a belief by putting words in our PM's mouth. They, rightly or wrongly, assess that NZ's media landscape is not so dominated by Murdoch and his demographic. They, rightly or wrongly, assess that this is due to our politicians not having let Murdoch gain the kind of control he has elsewhere. They then assert this control has caused harm to US society.

I hear you saying Ab that Murdoch does indeed have a place in NZ's media landscape.

My perception is that Murdoch doesn't have the same degree of media control as elsewhere. Which does appear to be the case, especially in regards to partisan politics.

My recollection of how our media is legislated is vague, but I'm certainly aware of the law and courts being involved in how our large media organisations are structured and expected to compete. I am aware of protections in the US and elsewhere being watered down in succeeding decades with anticipated consequences, such as allowing broadcasters to exploit their positions so they can operate without fear of competition or accountability.