Random Politics

[fixed_truth]

Gee you've really gone down that delusional persecuted cis white male rabbit hole haven't you.

Foam off about free speech but can't talk about addressing racism because that's racist. Can't bring up colonisation because that's somehow patronising.

There's so much studies, research & data out there about colonisation and how it's effects on Maori today. I get that media headlines make you think that taking steps to make that right is bad for you, but that's not reality.

Here's our Prime Minister being interviewed about it: https://twitter.com/TeAoWithMOANA/st...32537605259264 (trigger warning, it's not how Australia does it)

[Ab]

was gonna post something snarky but right now I'm sitting next to my Ministers of Health and Aboriginal Affairs and Attorney-General and their staffers with a bunch of angry black activists in a meeting about the impact of systemic racism on health outcomes for First Nations communities and if some Cabinet Minister turns and asks me for my thoughts I don't want brain to still be in sarcastic ab@nzg mode and just launch in with something like "LOL YOU FUCKS COLONISATION IS THAT EVEN A THING oh shit wrong audience"

[xor]

Originally Posted by fixed_truth

Gee you've really gone down that delusional persecuted cis white male rabbit hole haven't you.

Foam off about free speech but can't talk about addressing racism because that's racist. Can't bring up colonisation because that's somehow patronising.

There's so much studies, research & data out there about colonisation and how it's effects on Maori today. I get that media headlines make you think that taking steps to make that right is bad for you, but that's not reality.

Here's our Prime Minister being interviewed about it: https://twitter.com/TeAoWithMOANA/st...32537605259264 (trigger warning, it's not how Australia does it)

NZ's direction has moved into the realm of ethnic nationalism and is intent on separating people by their identity in an attempt to achieve equity(not equality). It'll be an interesting experiment and I'm super glad not to be part of it.

[Lightspeed]

Okay, so you're up to 1840. Let us know when you've caught up on the rest of NZ's history.

[DrTiTus]

Oh look, the WEF at it again with our Prime Minister.

Ha ha, DrTiTus is crazy.

Oh wait, there it is on the news with our soft cock PM going to see some m0f0 we didn't vote for telling him what to do, then the Chinese Communist leader who will also tell him what to do.

It's not my children or grandchildren I'm worried about. It's not my future. But if you want to leave something better than a fucking photo album to your kids, you better wake up.

[DrTiTus]

Originally Posted by fixed_truth

delusional persecuted cis white male rabbit hole

You're a fucking dickhead. Listen to yourself. You limp wristed fucking sorry excuse for a man.

[Ab]

The US Supreme Court has ruled 6-3 that racial preferences in university admissions violate the US Constitution.

[fixed_truth]

Originally Posted by DrTiTus

You're a fucking dickhead. Listen to yourself. You limp wristed fucking sorry excuse for a man.

Such toxic masculinity, very gender norms

[Ab]

Settle down bitches, or I’ll sign you up to Liz Gunn’s new grift. I mean, political party.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/liz-gu...LAIDYOU2WHFD4/

[Lightspeed]

I think this is New Zealand too. Not to the same extreme or precisely the same approach. But the dynamic is similar between our two dominant parties:

Jon Stewart on the GOP

[Lightspeed]

[Lightspeed]

Things are coming to a head in Israel:

Another 10,000 IDF reservists announce they won't serve anymore

"This is one of the most difficult evenings for the State of Israel, but it's also one of the most important in the state's history," said Brothers in Arms leader Eyal Neve. "We represent some 10,000 reservists who are telling the government, the defense minister and the prime minister the responsibility is on you! If you want us on your side as we've served under right and left wing governments, we are calling on you to stop the legislation."

[Lightspeed]

Shit is starting to kick off in Africa. Again, I guess. It sounds like Al-Qaeda is facing off against Wagner in Niger.

There is definitely protesting at Western bases in Niger with considerable presence of Russian flags.

I have to wonder what would be going on right now if Russia had taken Ukraine and Putin was in a position to fully leverage grain supplies to the region.

[xor]

Someone posted that Rawiri Waititi looks like a gay Austin Powers. I cannot unsee this now

[Ab]

If an election were held today, National + ACT would comfortably form government.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politi...ODOXNG34I2CEE/

[Lightspeed]

Polls lolz.

[Cyberbob]

The key thing I take away from that poll is some record high interest in parties outside of the usual two. Act on 13% and Greens on 12%. Those are record highs.

[_indigo1]

Coalition slogan:
NACT MINNIT!

[Lightspeed]

Somewhere someone working for National's election strategy figured out the sense of promoting the idea that there's no much difference between the two main parties. That no calamity will unfold for anyone if the government changes. I've keep seeing that message, framed in various ways.

[Ab]

"We're arseholes, they're incompetent, how will you even notice a difference?"

[StN]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Somewhere someone working for National's election strategy figured out the sense of promoting the idea that there's no much difference between the two main parties. That no calamity will unfold for anyone if the government changes. I've keep seeing that message, framed in various ways.

That's exactly what I thought last night when they backpeddled on pulling the first-year-free tertiary thing. They are clutching at straws to try and grab the student vote just enough to disrupt the status quo.

[xor]

Aren't both the parties the same because the left gave up on the worker's dream of socialism once they realized it was a failure?

[blynk]

I am not clued up on Aussie politics much. Is this common for the referrendum.

1 question, 1 answer box. You need to write YES or NO.
But they will accept a tick for yes, but if you put a cross then it doesn't count.

WTF?
Would it not be easier to have 2 boxes. A yes box and a no box????

Yes, it appears to be a thing
https://www.theguardian.com/australi...not-be-counted

[Ab]

Originally Posted by xor

Aren't both the parties the same because the left gave up on the worker's dream of socialism once they realized it was a failure?

Cultural hegemony, baby. Get your Gramsci on.

[fixed_truth]

I'm so sick of seeing Trump's mugshot EVERYWHERE

[Ab]

It's a perfect Internet echo chamber lesson. To someone in the US East Coast Ivy-League-uni-educated media bubble, this is the most important thing in the world. No-one else really cares, but all those people determine what we see and hear.

[Lightspeed]

Wellington doctors told to stop referring women to specialists unless their condition is urgent

Hipkins can keep saying there's no healthcare crisis because any fix Luxon is going to suggest will ultimately involve cut backs and freezes.

Anyone concerned about their wellbeing in New Zealand should have private health insurance.

[xor]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Anyone concerned about their wellbeing in New Zealand should leave

FTFY.

[crocos]

Yeah, not any better overseas unless you're moving to somewhere like Norway.

[Ab]

Moving to Oz when I did was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I miss the fuck out of NZ and I love being a Kiwi, but I'm glad my kids are growing up here.

[Savage]

Yep, other than leaving family and some close friends behind, the only thing I regret about moving here is that I didn't do it sooner. Applied for dual citizenship and got approved about a month ago, just waiting on the ceremony.

Still love going down to Nelson to visit family, glad they're not in Auckland any more.

[Lightspeed]

Those leaving NZ leave for somewhere where their privilege counts more.

Because there are few places to live that are better for everyone. But if we were to start measuring QoL for the richest, we'd see different conclusions.

So if you've got loads of cash and want to live with a degree of impunity (such as having to deal with the consequences of local deprivation, so you can keep your money), there are definitely better places for you to live than New Zealand.

[Ab]

I just like living somewhere where I can buy Mainland cheese for less than its weight in gold.

[xor]

I'm guessing the green party MPs will be keeping their Palestine support low key from here on out.

[Lightspeed]

Sanders calls Israel’s siege on Gaza ‘a serious violation of international law’

Sen. Bernie Sanders slammed the Israeli government Wednesday, accusing the country of violating international law after Israeli leaders said they would cut electricity and deny food to Gaza in response to the devastating Hamas-led incursion over the weekend that left hundreds of Israeli civilians dead.

“The targeting of civilians is a war crime, no matter who does it. Israel’s blanket denial of food, water, and other necessities to Gaza is a serious violation of international law and will do nothing but harm innocent civilians,” Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a statement Wednesday.

[xor]

Your article makes no mention that the civilians were given plenty of warning to leave. Gaza will no longer be run by Hamas.

[Lightspeed]

Immigration driven population growth in Auckland means demand for housing is starting to exceed supply

Auckland could be on the verge of another housing crisis as the recent surge of immigration-driven population growth outstrips the supply of new homes being built in the region.

I'm confused about this one. When did the last housing crisis get resolved? Is this a double-crisis now?

[blynk]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Immigration driven population growth in Auckland means demand for housing is starting to exceed supply



I'm confused about this one. When did the last housing crisis get resolved? Is this a double-crisis now?

I guess the assume that a reduction in house prices meant that the crisis was resolved?

[DrTiTus]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

I'm confused about this one. When did the last housing crisis get resolved? Is this a double-crisis now?

It's one of those tricky articles where you have to read more than just the headline to understand the context.

Although the shortfall of homes is not large, it is significant, because it is a reversal of the trends over the last few years when low levels of immigration and high levels of residential building saw the supply of new homes in Auckland exceeding demand from population growth.

The Statistics NZ figures show that over the three years from June 2018 to June 2021, Auckland's population increased by 49,900, or an average of just 16,633 a year, largely due to immigration coming to an almost complete standstill following the introduction of Covid-related travel restrictions.

To satisfy that population growth, an additional 16,663 new homes would have been required over that three year period, but Auckland Council figures show that 34,554 homes were actually completed, more than twice as many as required to handle the increase in population, giving a surplus of 17,921 homes over the three years.

It doesn't matter how those homes were distributed amongst people, on raw numbers there were enough houses. If they were left empty it doesn't matter, because more of them were built than needed in theory, so crisis over.

I guess there really is a double crisis: housing affordability crisis, as well as housing capacity crisis. Print money, buy bunks, problem solved. I should team up with xor and solve all the world's problems, we got this.

[Lightspeed]

Lobbying and communications firm Senate's 'wildly inappropriate' contracts at Commerce Commission revealed

A public relations and lobbying firm was embedded in the offices of the Commerce Commission, working on highly sensitive areas of competition policy at the heart of the cost-of-living crisis.

Staff from the Wellington consultancy SenateSHJ worked in the physical offices of the competition watchdog and were given Commerce Commission email addresses and devices.

Guyon Espiner seems to be saying this is not on. I don't really know much about it. I kind of figure pretty much all business rule making is captured by business interests. It's the dominant way inequality is enabled. When Labour got slapped down for its attempt at taxing KiwiSaver financial advisors of the billion or so they make each year, I figure it was via these kinds of configurations.