General Debate 16 December 2016

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holysheet

With the xmas “good will to all men” message being thrown about now, one can be excused for being a little cynical about the motives of those promoting this message. I am referring to the do gooders who are out and about saying the homeless in Auckland need our care and attention.

If they all took 1 person off the street, gave them a bath, fed them food and gave them a bed, the problem of these homeless would be gone. But this will never happen. Why, because it’s easier to expect the taxpayer to stump up the cash to fix problem that money alone cannot fix. These do gooders are so fixed on themselves being seen by their peers as doing something. It’s the “look at me” syndrome of people with too much time on their hands, and not enough brain matter to know the difference.
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December 16, 2016 8:00am
- mikenmild
  
  That is the premise of Nick Hornby’s excellent comic novel How to be Good.
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:03am
- cmm
  
  It’s called “virtue signalling”.
  
  Send all the signals, but expect others to come through with the actual doing part.
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:17am
  - stephieboy
    
    cmm, so the signals are to act like a scrooge this yuletide ?
    
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    December 16, 2016 8:36am
    - Padriv Ustoev
      
      How many homeless are you taking into your home this year Steph?
      
      Or are you just talking about it on the internet?
      
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      December 16, 2016 8:43am
      - stephieboy
        
        Padriv Ustoev , none actually . There is no room at the Inn. The Chrsitmas message is just as much about an attitude of generiosity and a spirit of goodwill.
        
        I aim to donate to the Auckland City Mission and our local Church Christmas cheer fund for those in need .
        
        And you ???
        
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        December 16, 2016 9:01am
      - Padriv Ustoev
        
        I’m volunteering at the local Mosque and spreading the Holly Jihad you know that buddy.
        
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        December 16, 2016 10:12am
    - cmm
      
      stephie: I’m a dickhead athiest, but I’m not trying to make people think otherwise.
      
      What the hell are you on about? I’m no scrooge just because I oppose welfare.
      
      The reason I oppose welfare is because it is more destructive to the recipients than anyone else. I would not mind paying 30% tax if it actually did good for society.
      
      If you knew a fat bastard sitting on the couch all day would you just bring him chips and beer because that’s going to make his life easier, or would you encourage him to get off his arse and do some exercise (or at least fetch his beer and chips himself).
      
      If your kid was failing maths would you encourage him to learn more maths or would you just do all his homework for him so he never learns.
      
      Personal responsibility is like a muscle – it develops with use. When we stop people from developing personal responsibility we destroy their lives.
      
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      December 16, 2016 1:39pm
  - itstricky
    
    And signalling about people signalling is double virtual signalling.
    
    Pfft to users of the words ‘virtue signalling’. It is common human nature. Using ‘virtue signalling’ just means ‘I don’t give a f* about whatever it is they are talking about’
    
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    December 16, 2016 8:52am
    - tom hunter
      
      …using ‘virtue signalling’ just means ‘I don’t give a f* about…
      
      There was a much better definition of ‘virtue signalling’ here this morning:
      
      No its not. Its about solving the problems. What an awful person you must be to reduce the issue of the dire circumstances of many children to a cheap political slogan
      
      Bonus points to ztev for coming right out and saying what an awful person I must be. Preferable to the standard tactic of just implying it.
      
      I suppose this means I should vote Green-Labour.
      
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      December 16, 2016 9:11am
      - itstricky
        
        And people who use ‘virtue signalling’ aren’t implying anything?
        
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        December 16, 2016 9:26am
- GoVege
  
  Most of these people do not want to be just “taken off the street”.
  They want a permanent home.
  The real problem is they’re a bit too fussy about where it is.
  
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  December 16, 2016 1:26pm
  - Steve (North Shore)
    
    And who fucking pays for it – err that would be the net Taxpayer
    
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    December 16, 2016 6:51pm
littlebluedroid

Right. Who is announcing retirement today?
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December 16, 2016 8:11am
- Paulus Gnome
  
  Angry; no that would be silly, he is the gift that keeps giving, silly me.
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:24am
- Steve (North Shore)
  
  Not today, but in 41 weeks I will let you know. Pay your Tax, because I have paid mine well above what you would know
  
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  December 16, 2016 6:53pm
Tarquin North

One week of servitude to go, then off on the briny. Can’t wait.
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December 16, 2016 8:16am
Manolo

The new darling of the progressives, but for how long?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/15/justin-trudeau-interview-globalisation-climate-change-trump
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December 16, 2016 8:19am
- Inandout
  
  He speaks of the ‘rise of populism’. The gall of the man, he who rode to power as a baby of the original Trudeau, plus Hollywood looks. Give me a Trump any day over an indulged child with progressive views.
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:24am
  - Disaster Area
    
    You mean a man who appears to embody the word nepotism by including his sons, daughter and son in law in his meetings with diplomats and business people?
    The same sons, daughter and son in law who are apparently going to be running his business while he is in office?
    
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    December 16, 2016 8:33am
Happychappy

I have to comment on Annette King’s statement on Paul Henry this morning when pointing out all Murray McCully’s faults as a Cabinet Minister. It is easy to make fun of others and their decisions but your mistake over Darren Hughes is of a sexual manner and far worse than any that have been thrown at McCully and then covered up by people in Labour. Annette people in glass house’s shouldn’t throw stones.
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December 16, 2016 8:19am
- Manolo
  
  She is Ginga Hughes’s godmother…and much more.
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:23am
  - holysheet
    
    Do you mean Hughes was her toy boy?
    
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    December 16, 2016 8:28am
    - Colville
      
      I think Hughes and King bat for different teams, if you know what I mean ?.
      
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      December 16, 2016 9:30am
      - holysheet
        
        That’s why I said “toy” boy
        
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        December 16, 2016 10:28am
- peterwn
  
  One could think of issues with Annette’s handling of her Health portfolio leaving Tony Ryall with much tidying up to do including diverting money from dubious projects to where it actually increased surgery and reduced waiting times.
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:28am
  - Salacious Crumb
    
    I will never forget Helen Clarke praising her goverments for the money spent on healthcare and using the example of the shiny new surgery centre in Manukau that was open and delivering extra services to the people of South Auckland. No one bothered to check that the building and theatres were empty (and remained so for some time) because they didn’t have the money to fit them or staff them.
    
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    December 16, 2016 8:53am
    - Colville
      
      Back when I was getting my hands dirty for a living we were involved with a few hospital projects. One memorable one a redesign to cut costs they made the corridors in the wards narrower (to save M2) and then when the place was half built woke up to the fact that the beds wouldnt fit down the hall with the emergency carts parked where they were needed.
      End result each corridor needed to be hacked about and an alcove fitted so 2 of the rooms were too small to use for anything…. ahhhhhh….. those were the days…(maybe 2003?)
      
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      December 16, 2016 9:37am
- RF
  
  King is an old Tusker who has more than a few skeletons in her closet. To name several….her current husband and the Hawkes Bay Hospital Board, daughter who pranged Kings ministerial car and was found to be in possession of drugs.
  
  I agree… people living in glass houses should not throw stones.
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:50am
- oldpark
  
  Not forgetting Kings Daughter, and all that went on there,starting with the ministerial tax funded car. King should quit,while she has gotten away with a lot of sneaky questionable behaviour,over her 35 years in parliament .
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:10am
- Gabby
  
  It’s especially easy to make fun of Munter McMutton, who is a crappy chappy indeed.
  
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  December 16, 2016 10:13am
  - Don the Kiwi
    
    Gabby’s learning – he/she actually spelled “especially” correctly. Previously it would have been “speshly”.
    
    He/she must be moving up to year 2 next year.
    
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    December 16, 2016 11:52am
- Biscuit
  
  Happychappy, Ms King’s inaction over/cover-up of/refusal to discuss the Hughes incident THAT HAPPENED IN HER VERY OWN HOME was my first clue to treat her with the contempt that she has had from me ever since.
  
  A vile woman only ever happy when subjecting the House to her high-decibeled opinions…
  
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  December 16, 2016 11:36am
Jazz-Hands Mc Feels

Another white hating Mohammedan lying about white Trump supporters.

There has been a huge number of fake news reports spinning white Americans as violent racists, when in fact it has been colourfuls who lie and make stuff up.

MANY Trump voters have been physically assaulted by closet commie Killary supporters.

This evil little muslim operative needs to be sent back along with her relatives:

“Muslim college student made up Trump supporter subway attack story to avoid punishment for missing curfew.

A Muslim student who said she was harassed on the subway by drunken, hate-spewing white men shouting “Donald Trump!” lied to police because she broke her curfew, law enforcement sources said Wednesday.

Yasmin Seweid, 18, joined a growing list of local and national alleged hate-crime victims when she told cops she was taunted Dec. 1 on the No. 6 train by three men who called her a terrorist and tried to snatch her hijab off her head while straphangers did nothing.

But Seweid finally broke down Wednesday and was arrested after she admitted to detectives that it was all a big lie.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/muslim-woman-reported-trump-supporter-attack-made-story-article-1.2910944?utm_content=bufferf0b6c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=NYDailyNewsTw
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December 16, 2016 8:20am
- stephieboy
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  This was posted yesterday so its old news. I would say by comparsion it was hard to beat Pizzagate and the Clinton body bag count as examples of pathetic and nasty lies !
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:55am
  - Keeping Stock
    
    Does the fact that I posted it yesterday make it any less newsworthy Stephie? The woman lied to get sympathy, and to turn public opinion against Trump. But when you talk about “pathetic and nasty lies”, what Yasmin Seweid did is certainly in the ballpark.
    
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    December 16, 2016 9:17am
    - stephieboy
      
      Keeping Stock , yes what Yasmin Sewaid did was wrong and did her no credit .
      
      What I object to is the attempt to suggest that her actions according to Jazz Hands is an evil Muslim thing and an insult to white people and Trump and his supporters . As if they ,maybe like you and Jazz Hands, have a monoply on virtue !
      
      Pizzagate and the Clinton body bag conspiracy is a reminder that they obviously don’t !
      
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      December 16, 2016 9:55am
      - Manolo
        
        Are you getting used to say President-elect Trump?
        Just drop the elect part after Jan. 20.
        
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        December 16, 2016 5:27pm
      - stephieboy
        
        Manolo , explain how you felt about the inaugartion of President Obama for his second term ?
        
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        December 16, 2016 5:35pm
- GoVege
  
  Don’t you get it yet Jazz?
  Muslims are supposed to lie to infidels!
  Don’t you remember that Muslim woman in Oz who claimed a cop had ripped her burqa off her?
  And the outrage that followed when she was forced to go to court when it was proved she had lied?
  
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  December 16, 2016 1:23pm
Salacious Crumb

Well done to Beauden Barrett – NZ Rugby Player of the Year on top of his World Rugby award. What an outstanding season.

Also great to see Glenn Jackson as NZ Referee of the Year. He has cemented himself as one of the worlds top referees and I doubt many realise how hard he has worked to get to this level.

Disppointing there was no recognition for the Hurricanes who finally delivered after decades of promise.
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December 16, 2016 8:21am
- Paulus Gnome
  
  The Hurricanes were the team for sure, great effort with the deserved result.
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:28am
- Gabby
  
  Also no great surprise that Hee Hanhen won Coach of the Year.
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:06am
oldpark

Noticed that the the Lie-bour Party television channel, which masquerades as TVNZ set up an ambush in Kaikoura ,as they manufactured the “news” last night. Led by the ex News of The World employee an imported little pest called Andrea Vance, who was fast tracked into TVNZ ,jumping the queue ,over and above far better qualified employees. The ambush was against Bill English and Gerry Brownlee. Sneaky Vance made sure she had installed, a clown to do the dirty work, attacking Big Gerry,she even had given her puppet clown a microphone,to make his lying comments ,saying nothing had been done ,to help clowns like him in Kaikoura. Seems Vance ,by setting up big Gerry,and his reply comments,are once more the beginning of another round of dirty politics,as her and her Lie-bour/Green Party sycophants, in TVNZ get ready for the election year 2017. Sneaky Vance , raging that she couldnt get any dirt on John Key,after her disgraceful performance at the last election,and also on the Panama Papers ,at all times attempting to denigrate John Key,has now put her attention on Bill English and his ministers.
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December 16, 2016 8:23am
- G152
  
  The solution is simple. Ignore her.
  And whatever media employs her will notice and move her to interviewing flower show entrants
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:32am
  - mandk
    
    Wouldn’t that be a bit cruel to dahlia growers?
    
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    December 16, 2016 9:31am
- Happychappy
  
  We hear all the story’s about the Tobacco Industry and the lobbyist’s that get big bonus Payments to argue their cause well in my view i would not be surprised if this happens in the media to help pay to push their Political views.
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:37am
- doggone7
  
  …. ambush … against Bill English and Gerry Brownlee. Sneaky Vance … installed, a clown to do the dirty work, attacking Big Gerry, she even had given her puppet clown a microphone,to make his lying comments …
  
  You obviously heard the other coverage in radio and another tv channel so know what you’re talking about. And the other stuff which was said and the context in which the ‘clown’ was speaking which saw the small bit you saw part on tv.
  
  Of course you didn’t. A stressed man in circumstances in all likelihood you probably don’t know much about gets emotional and overwrought.
  And you’re doing the same thing.
  
  The last bit sums it up; “Sneaky Vance , raging … has now put her attention on Bill English and his ministers.”
  
  You don’t like attention going on them and holding them to account and, as the situation in Kaikoura highlighted, facing up to not doing what they intimated they would happen.
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:03am
- Gabby
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Browneye’s cheque is in the mail.
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:09am
- Paulus
  
  How did Vance get promoted so rapidly ?
  Makes you wonder what other attributes she may have – not much to look at though.
  At least her little tubby compatriot at TVNZ has some attributes, which stand out.
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:13am
- starboard
  
  I thought Peter ‘ hows my hair’ Dunne was shagging her……..
  …bahawawwawa in your dreams buffont boy.
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:44am
  - Paulus
    
    Trying to – or tried !
    
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    December 16, 2016 1:13pm
- KevinH
  
  The MSM have shown that they are going for the jugular on the new team, trying to land a few cheap shots before the Christmas break.
  The presenting staff are being instructed by the editorial team to rattle a few cages, to test the new team, and possibly to get people thinking over the holiday period.
  The editorial staff have done the new team a service, this attitude won’t go unnoticed, and with an election looming Cabinet Ministers will be on guard for ambush attacks.
  
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  December 16, 2016 12:32pm
Paulus Gnome

Brownlee, with his experience in Chch from shouty spitty people not getting their way, gave the ‘pissed off’ man no change.

Divide the billions of dollars that will be spent in reconnecting Kaikoura to the rest of the country once again with those dissatisfied in Kaikoura and I am confident it will be an eye watering number.

I believe that the people of Kaikoura are generally satisfied with the efforts being made on their behalf; we all want more faster but there are times when it is physically impossible.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/do-you-think-feel-course-were-working-hard-gerry-brownlee-stands-ground-frustrated-kaikoura-locals
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December 16, 2016 8:35am
- Salacious Crumb
  
  It was only yesterday that the local mayor was on Newstalk ZB praising the government. He was far more realistic in his outlook in terms of the time it will take but was nonetheless extremely grateful for the governments assistance and their response time.
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:49am
- Steve (North Shore)
  
  Kidult farmers crying like a Democrat that lost an Election. I want, I want. It is not all about YOU sunshine
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:55am
- starboard
  
  Kaikoura’s full of specials, no doubt with their arms fully extended out this time wanting more of the taxpayer folding. How about the charity Whale Watch digging into their billions and contributing for once..ppfft yeah right. She’ all one way with murri.
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:47am
- SteveRemmington
  
  John Murray doesn’t speak for us all here in North Canterbury.
  
  The fact that a left leaning farmer threatens to not vote for National is a joke now doing the rounds locally.
  
  John needs to stick with protecting the black terns instead of meddling in politics.
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:53am
- MGT
  
  “Divide the billions of dollars that will be spent in reconnecting Kaikoura to the rest of the country…”
  oh dear Paulus – you’re forgetting that the road/rail through Kaikoura actually connects Picton with Christchurch, and is an important route for freight and travellers.
  
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  December 16, 2016 10:10am
- RF
  
  If I was Gerry I would told him to fuck off and get a life.
  
  Impatient prick…..
  
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  December 16, 2016 1:30pm
Old.Mickey.Blue.Eyes

Is it just me, or is anyone else dismayed at the horrids ongoing strategy of reporting reddit threads as news worthy and as ‘real, authenticated works of jounalism’ ? Those posing as jounalists between cheap chardonnay must have too much time on their hands…….
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December 16, 2016 8:44am
- Garbageman
  
  SSDD (same shit different day) Mickey most of their photos & memes are from Imgur, stories from Facebook and as you have noted Reddit the once proud forth estate reduced to trawling the internet for the bulk of their drivel, journalism has officially been declared dead in 2016 and their rotting corpse mostly just stinks up our airwaves and newspapers now
  
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  December 16, 2016 12:31pm
  - Padriv Ustoev
    
    LOL @ “rotting corpse mostly just stinks up our airwaves.”
    
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    December 16, 2016 2:44pm
Hugh Pavletich

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL PARTY LEADER JOHN KEY TALKS ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN 2007

Posted at … http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2016/12/new-nz-pm-faces-rising-housingimmigration-angst/ … with further postings …

… Watch and weep …

… This is the John Key I voted for in 2008 …

PM JOHN KEY ON HOUSING REFORM 2007
h/t BH. PH & NL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWPgoAI1cLE

… Where is the accountability ? …
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December 16, 2016 8:50am
- Hugh Pavletich
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  WHY DIDN’T THEY SEE JOHN KEY BAILING THIS YEAR ? …
  
  Former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key was in serious political troubler back August / September. It was very clear …
  
  Check out the Mark Sainsbury of Newshub late August interviews of Key and Labours Twyford on housing issues …
  
  John Key blames Helen Clark for housing crisis (Twyford follows) … VIDEO … Newshub
  
  http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/john-key-blames-helen-clark-for-housing-crisis-2016082909
  
  … and what I had to say at the same time …
  
  Housing campaigner predicts spiralling house prices will be Key’s ‘Waterloo’ | Stuff.co.nz
  
  http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/83627043/Housing-campaigner-predicts-spiralling-house-prices-will-be-Keys-Waterloo
  
  … and Holly Ryan of the NZ Herald in September …
  
  Mood of the Boardroom: Bosses to Government – act on housing – Business – NZ Herald News
  
  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11717271
  
  The NZ Herald recently reported former PM Key told September his Deputy English he intended to bail later in the year.
  
  The only surprising thing is how so few saw this coming.
  
  The corporate bureaucrat and perennial can-kicker John Key clearly had no intention of dealing head on (like a man) with his own housing fiasco in 2017.
  
  As former US President Harry Truman said ‘If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.’
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:52am
  - jms
    
    Hugh, give it up.
    
    It used to annoy me too.
    But judging by recent elections, most Kiwis are quite happy living in a low income / high cost country.
    Key hit the nail on the head with his “Kiwis have a socialist streak” comment.
    NZ has great scenery, try to focus more on that.
    
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    December 16, 2016 9:09am
  - Keeping Stock
    
    I hate to be a Christmas Grinch Hugh, but you are in serious danger of becoming a Single Issue Nutter
    
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    December 16, 2016 9:49am
    - Hugh Pavletich
      
      THE AUCKLAND HOUSING HORROR SHOW …
      
      In late 2008 the median house price for an Auckland home was $427,500 … with the median household income of $67,300 … a median multiple of 6.4 … refer 2009 5th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey … access via … http://www.performanceurbanplanning.org/
      
      The REINZ monthly report for November … https://reinz.co.nz/residential-property-data-gallery
      
      Auckland’s median house price is now $851,944 … some $424,444 more than the late 2008 figure !
      
      About double the price !
      
      The median multiples have rocketed from 6.4 to 10.6 !
      
      With Auckland’s adjusted median household incomes about $80,000 now, that means housing is now about 10.6 times annual household incomes.
      
      Why this massive political failure ?
      
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      December 16, 2016 9:56am
      - wiseowl
        
        Massive immigration is a massive political failure but all MP’s have been told not to react.
        Just implement the UN plan.
        
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        December 16, 2016 12:46pm
      - rightoverlabour
        
        As an owner of a rental house in a most desirable part of Auckland, I only hope the crisis gets much worse. My problem is selling when I have hit 3, 4 0r 5 million capital gain. Sell sooner and spend, or sell later and get more. Such a dilemma… Bugger
        
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        December 16, 2016 12:54pm
      - KevinH
        
        It is a simplistic view to attribute the run away Auckland housing market as a government failure.
        There are a number of factors driving the market presently with the supply/ demand equation being the most significant.
        The government has moved to ease supply by lifting restrictions on land supply, as well as increasing assistance to first home buyers on top of making it more difficult for speculators to operate in this overheated Auckland market.
        Short of intervening in the marketplace and triggering a collapse by introducing price and supply controls the government has few options, there is no silver bullet solution on the horizon.
        The Reserve Bank has constantly warned that the housing boom has created a worrying debt to equity situation that leaves the Auckland market vulnerable and open to external financial influences such as the raising of wholesale interest rates by the US Fed.
        The global economy has been sluggish but is showing signs of recovering, the US stock market is heating up and this will impact on New Zealand mid 2017 with interest rate increases. It will be then that the crunch will come.
        
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        December 16, 2016 12:56pm
    - tom hunter
      
      “becoming”?
      
      Many people, including moir, have pointed out that when a commentator is pushing an issue that many other commentators here would likely agree with him about, yet is still earning him massive downticks in the same forum, that it might be time to think about changing the approach or style.
      
      Not our Hugh though. He’s never given the slightest indication of listening to anybody but himself, or of changing – which may also be why he gets so many downticks. People hate the idea that they’re just being shouted at and not listened to. I heard him once on the radio and he came across exactly the same, which is why they quickly moved on to other commentators, even as he tried to continue talking through his point.
      
      Lacking in self-awareness I guess. Oh well. His loss as good points are scrolled over. Pity about that.
      
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      December 16, 2016 9:59am
      - Swifty
        
        Exactly Tom.
        
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        December 16, 2016 10:17am
      - Jack5
        
        Don’t change, Hugh. We need eccentrics and those who swim against the tide.
        
        John Stuart Mill had it in a nut shell when he wrote this:
        
        “The amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor and moral courage it contained. That so few now dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of the time.”
        
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        December 16, 2016 2:51pm
    - starboard
      
      He reached that stage KS last year..
      
      16 1
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      December 16, 2016 10:01am
    - Old.Mickey.Blue.Eyes
      
      Too late…..
      
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      December 16, 2016 7:29pm
- howitis
  
  Normally HP you are pest on here but this time correct.
  Key was a can kicker. He never took on any real issues incl. housing.
  Leaving the broken Nick Smith in charge of housing was a cynical view not lost on me.
  A smile is not leadership.
  
  I voted for his government 3 times. The last time I had to really hold my nose. Why. Well the Kim DotCom that Key’s Govt let in had formed a well monied minor party that could have brought Lab/Grn+ Hone/Grey lady into power. Key’s Govt let KDC in.
  
  Can anyone show me any ‘rich immigrant’ who has created any jobs apart from James Cameron? ..but where the hell is Avatar 2,3,4? It is 2017 in 2 weeks.
  Certainly not Bill Lui or any of his other 6 names. Nor any of the other high rollers at Sky City.
  Buying a Lunch Bar is not really job creation.
  
  Three great things happened in politics this year.
  1) Brexit happened – a push back against stupid ideas, excessive regulation, and collectivism.
  2) Trump got in as the catalyst against blind globalisation and collectivism (think> a new skin on the communism brand of the 1930s- 60s with the killing of individual thinking e.g. crushing Merry Xmas; Crushing free speech in universities et al)
  3) Din Do Nuffin Key has gone to play with other dogs in the country.
  
  Key’s Govt allowed Kim Dot Com in when KDC should not have qualified (PS. who is paying for his autistic kids and where is bar girl Mona?)
  
  Key’s Govt has flooded this country with low grade migrants as spelt out by EAD a few days ago. Really low grade dishwashers that get in via ‘student visa’.
  
  Key’s Govt formed Auckland Super Shitty that has killed house building for over half a decade while allowing the city population to grow 5% a year. Economics 101 (I am sure Key studied this to get a B. Com.) says that increased demand against limited supply will raise prices. It did. Massively.
  
  Key’s Govt has allowed the main cities to be captured by shamelessly ardent Labour party mayors. Not one push back…. ergo tacit approval.
  All to bring in UN agenda. They are trying to be city/state mini Labour Govts with their social agendas (Living wage; pushing heavily subsidised public transport around forced centralised population where geography does not support this) funded by massively rising rates- under a false pretence that there is a backlog of infrastructure building required.
  Every dollar rise in household rates provides 15c of extra GST money to central Govt who don’t cop any flack for this increased tax. Yay. Tax rises by stealth.
  
  Good riddance to a PM with not a single original opinion. Any actual action was decided by polls from DPF as stated by Din Do Nuffin Key on election night 2014. Welcome Mr English.
  
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  December 16, 2016 10:11am
SteveRemmington

I asked you the other day Hugh but you are still yet to answer. I will give you another opportunity to do so.

As a developer, how many affordable homes have you built or invested in here
in Christchurch?
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December 16, 2016 9:10am
- Biscuit
  
  Steve, you seem a bright chap so I’m sure you already know it, heh heh, but it bears repeating:
  
  Those that make the loudest noises in protest against something (and this covers loons ranging from St Winston, Minto, either of the Bradford women, our very own Penny and now, evidently, Hugh) rarely offer anything constructive as an alternative to the thing they’re protesting against.
  
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  December 16, 2016 12:54pm
lastmanstanding

Have you noticed how the Xmas Carols have been taken out of Xmas by the Left. Like schools arent allowed to sign carols at their end of year functions. Like the Malls dont play xmas carols any more.

Like its all Happy Holidays or Merry Holidays.

WTF these people messing with MY religious celebrations.

Betcha if I complained about Ramadan or any other religion I would slapped down as i should.

Where that useless morn Devoy in all of this. Oh thats right she is one of the Xmas Haters.
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December 16, 2016 9:12am
- Lance
  
  Muslims and Atheists united against Christmas
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:19am
  - Swifty
    
    Rather you didn’t lump us in with the bearded oafs thanks old chap.
    
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    December 16, 2016 10:19am
    - Lance
      
      Trouble is Swifty whenever I see someone screaming and having a hissy fit at anything even remotely Christian in origin and demanding school principles change their age old practices and bring court action against councils etc etc
      It is ALWAYS some anesthetist with an axe to grind
      
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      December 16, 2016 10:26am
      - Swifty
        
        Yep, understood Lance.
        
        Helpful though if you could acknowledge the thinking behind it though. Religion works best, on the whole, when it is a private matter.
        
        Secular democracies Lance – the only model where everyone gets treated equally. And a model we will be grateful for if the muzzies start flexing their muscles in years to come.
        
        And my very best Christmas wishes to you and yours.
        
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        December 16, 2016 10:52am
  - Padriv Ustoev
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERa6qibVUZc
    
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    December 16, 2016 11:16am
- stephieboy
  
  lastmandstanding , try to be informed and get a life . The Auckland Council ,churches and other organisations have had a busy time promoting and sposoring Christmas carols in the parks throughout the city .
  
  Auckland City Hopsital last Monday was visited by a selection of excellant choirs singing carols at various wards etc. Same with other public hospitals in Auckaland .
  
  What about a bit of true Christmas spirit instead of having a whinge binge !
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:38am
- Albert_Ross
  
  No, I actually have not noticed that. I’ve heard a lot of Christmas carols; the other day the Salvation Army, an overtly Christian organisation, were playing carols on the street; nobody at all has wished me Happy Holidays; there are even some shop windows with Nativity scenes in them and no sign of any Muslim or atheist protest.
  
  Which schools have not been allowed to sing carols, and by whom?
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:57am
  - mikenmild
    
    Stop it – you’ll spoil his victim fantasy.
    
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    December 16, 2016 10:15am
- cha
  
  Like the Malls dont play xmas carols any more.
  
  Best you move to Whangavegas.
  /
  
  Check out or extended trading hours starting tonight, Specialty Stores open until 9.00pm tonight, Countdown until 10.00pm and The Warehouse until midnight.
  Santa on site from 4.00pm and Choir singing Carols from 7.30pm and free face painting from 5.30pm
  Check out the below for the various hours we are open.
  Shop inside the Square…
  
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  December 16, 2016 10:42am
  - Biscuit
    
    HappyChappy, I’m a sweet, kind, cat-stroking, amiable sort of chap…
    
    But if I ever turn into a homicidal maniac who goes amok with an automatic weapon in a mall, America style, it’ll be because of ‘music’ in those malls, carols or otherwise.
    
    I trust you’ll turn out for my defence team!
    
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    December 16, 2016 11:42am
- doggone7
  
  “Schools arent allowed to sign carols at their end of year functions”? All schools? Some schools? Why?
  
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  December 16, 2016 12:32pm
- Disaster Area
  
  Any chance you could give specific examples (some names would be good) of schools which ‘aren’t allowed to sing carols at their end of year function’?
  
  Can you also explain how a school not singing a Christmas Carol affects your holiday in the slightest?
  
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  December 16, 2016 7:32pm
Happychappy

Hugh/ You must be pissed because you are irrelevant with only Labour taking notice but as you know they will find out when things don’t work out for you and your views you will turn and use your hate mail on them.
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December 16, 2016 9:16am
Paulus

Do you mean Christmas Carols.
Christmas is, or was, the celebration of the birth of Jesus – or am I now wrong ?
Why is it celebrated throughout the world including such places as Jakarta, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur ?
They will celebrate anything for a buck and they do it well.
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December 16, 2016 9:17am
- mikenmild
  
  You might have noticed that many things spread across cultures. We never had Halloween celebrations here when I was young. Give us a few years and we will have Thanksgiving too.
  
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  December 16, 2016 10:17am
  - tom hunter
    
    Working on it. Have invited various friends and friends of our kids around for the Great Turkey Day. They’ve loved it and the kids have started asking their parents if they can do the same!
    
    … this is the 51st state of the usa…
    
    MUHAHAHAHAHAHAH…..
    
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    December 16, 2016 10:55am
    - Lucia Maria
      
      I’ve been invited to Thanksgiving by friends before. Kinda bombed though – they assumed I knew what date it was and I assumed they’d let me know what day they wanted me to come over.
      
      6 1
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      December 16, 2016 12:50pm
  - GoVege
    
    Believe me, we have Halloween every day in my area these days.
    Scary looking idiots in black shrouds and masks.
    The only thing they don’t do is say “boo”!
    
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    December 16, 2016 1:10pm
MGT

Troughers of the right: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/320550/local-board-member-who-quit-within-minutes-paid-$1600
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December 16, 2016 10:07am
- mikenmild
  
  I wonder why DPF has not blogged about this astonishing case of entitlement.
  
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  December 16, 2016 10:19am
  - ross411
    
    Are you saying he should blog about every single thing that happens politically that meets his standard criteria? You’re going to start your own blog and post these important things there, rather than suggesting someone else do it on their blog, right?
    
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    December 16, 2016 10:23am
- Garbageman
  
  Not sure of her political leanings MGT obviously we know her hubbys but she sure sounds like an entitled princess that thought she was better and worth more than the rest of the council did I would say they dodged a bullet and judging by her pathetic little hissy fit if they didn’t know they sure do now
  
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  December 16, 2016 12:44pm
ross411

How about a good Christmas song? 😆 😯

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h81UOjlFmMs

😆
7 1
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December 16, 2016 10:21am
- mikenmild
  
  I’ll see your Mean Girls and raise you The Who:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMytVwEZO2M
  
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  December 16, 2016 10:27am
  - ross411
    
    The Who do nothing for me. How about some Eagles?
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNnU-8TocSI
    
    6 2
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    December 16, 2016 10:56am
    - fernglas
      
      In the words of the Dude, Lebowski himself, “I hate the fucking Eagles, man” and the Who are no better. I don’t know how to paste links, but go onto Youtube and search for the late Greg Lake with Ian Anderson doing “I believe in Father Christmas” in St Bride’s Church. I am a grinch, but that moved me.
      
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      December 16, 2016 12:10pm
      - cha
        
        The original..
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjggWxGYLdo
        
        …with Ian Anderson in St Bride’s Church.
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6-PAKOt7sM
        
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        December 16, 2016 12:19pm
      - starboard
        
        One of my favourite movies fernglas..a true classic !
        
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        December 16, 2016 2:33pm
Reid

Russian military confirms what I told you the day after Congress passed the bill:

“The thing that should really worry Gen. Townsend is the latest permission of the US Congress to deliver American MANPADs to the Syrian militants in 2017,” Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian ministry, said. He added that it “was not hard to guess who will get them after they are delivered to Syria.”

The Russian general warned the US against using the authorization to deliver anti-aircraft weapons to Syrian rebels, saying that expecting the weapons to be used “against aircraft of one side only” would be wishful thinking, and was not supported by the previous record of arms transfers to the region.

“Sooner or later they will bite off the giving hand,” Konashenkov said.

Authorization to deliver portable shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles to Syrian rebels was granted by the US lawmakers in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, passed last week. Most observers consider it a mostly symbolic gesture.

You watch. When on one day in 2017, 15 planes are downed all over Europe and another 10 in the UK and 25 in the US, they’ll blame Wussia. You wait.

https://www.rt.com/news/370435-us-weapons-threaten-pentagon/
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December 16, 2016 10:55am
- jms
  
  Here in the real world, that’s already happened.
  
  Back in 2014, when the Russian military delivered an anti-aircraft missile system to some pro-Russian militants.
  
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  December 16, 2016 11:06am
  - Reid
    
    Who were they?
    
    2 7
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    December 16, 2016 11:59am
    - jms
      
      That’s actually a fair question from somebody living in a parallel universe.
      
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      December 16, 2016 12:18pm
  - stephieboy
    
    Reid, we can safely assume jms means Assad and his cronies .
    
    http://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-claims-russia-has-started-delivery-of-s-300-missile-defense-system/
    
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    December 16, 2016 12:01pm
    - jms
      
      I was referring to the pro-Russian Donbas rebels, who shot down MH17 over eastern Ukraine.
      
      10 2
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      December 16, 2016 12:12pm
      - stephieboy
        
        jms, thank you for the clarification . It is indisiputable that the Donbas rebels with likley Russian complicy brought down M17. There is stong circunstantial evidence to prove that, e.g the misslie was fired in rebel held terriroty and a Ukraine aircraft had been shot down a week earlier flying at 20,000 plus ft beyond the range of a MANPAD.
        
        I would like to add this clumsy attempt at a cover up by Russian TV ,
        
        https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2014/11/14/russian-state-television-shares-fake-images-of-mh17-being-attacked/
        
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        December 16, 2016 12:20pm
      - Reid
        
        You know that for a fact, or do you think that happened because the same media that told you Iraq had WMDs told you that?
        
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        December 16, 2016 1:57pm
    - stephieboy
      
      Reid, if you look at the record you will find it was Western MSM that questioned the claim of WMD which itself was based on faulty intelligence .
      
      There was no evidence that the Bush administration attempted to cover up that claim in the same manner as Putin and the Kremlin did over flight M17.
      
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      December 16, 2016 7:40pm
cmm

I see Angry Andy is having a reshuffle with Michael Wood being the golden boy.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87634970/labour-leader-andrew-little-announces-caucus-reshuffle

He gets to be spokesman for consumer affairs, ethnic communities and revenue.

Not bad for a white male union activist who has a love of 1970s rock and hasn’t earned a proper wage in his life.

Nor do Lees-Galoway, Megan Woods or Curren seem to have any experience of their portfolios.

It makes Jacinda look overqualified for business portfolio with her chippie experience.
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December 16, 2016 11:04am
- Awww C-mon
  
  They really don’t have much in the way of talent… It’s a bit of an embarrassing situation when you look at the caliber of politicians across all the parties,
  
  Would you trust any one of them running our key international businesses? Yet we vote for them to run the whole country…
  
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  December 16, 2016 11:17am
- cha
  
  hasn’t earned a proper wage in his life…
  
  …. any experience of their portfolios.
  
  *cough* Jamie-Lee Ross *cough*
  
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  December 16, 2016 11:22am
- Keeping Stock
  
  I thought Michael Wood would be the spokesman for Penis Lollies, or the banning thereof. It’s been his sole claim to fame so far.
  
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  December 16, 2016 12:02pm
  - cmm
    
    So Robbo’s going to shank him in the next Labour blood letting.
    
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    December 16, 2016 1:41pm
doggone7

And here in the real real world this it how it goes:

“Howick local board member Lucy Schwaner quit after being sworn in, earned $1600.”

And saying it was the “most honourable” thing she could do. Costing the ratepayers $100,000+ for a by-election. Yeah, that sounds honourable.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11768249
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December 16, 2016 11:20am
Fletch

Both Wikileaks and Judge Napolitano say that the DNC was not hacked by Russia, but info was released by an inside leaker.

“Look, who had an incentive to prevent Mrs. Clinton from becoming President of the United States?” he asked. “Whose agents had their real identities and locations exposed by the reckless manner? … Who had access to all of this material without having to steal any codes?”

“The United States Intelligence agents who did not want this woman in charge of the federal government and exposing more agents and resources and undercover assets in the Middle East,” Napolitano said, answering his own questions.

http://dailycaller.com/2016/12/15/judge-napolitano-drops-a-bomb-u-s-intelligence-was-behind-hacks-not-russia/

A Wikileaks envoy today claims he personally received Clinton campaign emails in Washington D.C. after they were leaked by ‘disgusted’ whisteblowers – and not hacked by Russia.
Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan and a close associate of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, told Dailymail.com that he flew to Washington, D.C. for a clandestine hand-off with one of the email sources in September.
‘Neither of [the leaks] came from the Russians,’ said Murray in an interview with Dailymail.com on Tuesday. ‘The source had legal access to the information. The documents came from inside leaks, not hacks.’
His account contradicts directly the version of how thousands of Democratic emails were published before the election being advanced by U.S. intelligence.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4034038/Ex-British-ambassador-WikiLeaks-operative-claims-Russia-did-NOT-provide-Clinton-emails-handed-D-C-park-intermediary-disgusted-Democratic-insiders.html
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December 16, 2016 11:27am
- stephieboy
  
  Fletch , hopefully the truth about the claims will be resolved by a series of congressional and other Benghazi conspiracy type investigations ?
  
  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/us/politics/russia-hack-election-trump-obama.html?_r=0
  
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  December 16, 2016 11:56am
- Lucia Maria
  
  Fletch,
  
  Given that you’ve posted material you say you don’t agree with before in defence of Trump, do you agree with everything you’ve posted above, or are you just posting it as an FYI?
  
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  December 16, 2016 12:59pm
  - cha
    
    That’s Товарищ Fletch to you, Lucia.
    
    3 3
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    December 16, 2016 1:54pm
    - Lucia Maria
      
      Seems that way, cha.
      
      3 1
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      December 16, 2016 2:07pm
Fletch

1000 Muslims block London streets chanting Allahu Akbar to demand Islamic caliphate

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/743825/1000-Muslims-close-London-streets-chant-Allahu-Akbar-demand-Islamic-caliphate
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December 16, 2016 11:57am
- GoVege
  
  Omg!!!!
  Stop being so darn polite Britain and kick these cavemen OUT!!!!
  
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  December 16, 2016 12:18pm
stephieboy

Fletch , the Daily Mail report on the same indicates that the protestors blame the US for Aleppo .

Interesting .

Thoughts ?
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December 16, 2016 12:09pm
- Don the Kiwi
  
  Stephie wants to borrow your thoughts, Fletch.
  
  He doesn’t have any of his own. 🙂
  
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  December 16, 2016 12:25pm
  - stephieboy
    
    Don the Kiwi , who do you blame for Allepo ?
    
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    December 16, 2016 12:32pm
    - Don the Kiwi
      
      Hi stephie.
      Its a very complex situation – if the yanks had have stayed in Iraq and prevented the birth of ISIS, the forces against Assad would not be so strong.
      Whether we like it or not, Assad is the only legitimate head of state in Syria – total arsehole that he is; but at least he maintained law and order, and protected the Christian and other minorities.
      When the Syrian militants started the civil war four years ago inspired by the so-called ‘Arab spring’, Assad would have defeated them if it wasn’t for the support of Turkey, who was helping ISIS which then grew in strength and joined the Syrian conflict on the side of the anti Assad militants. Then O’bumbler decided to supply the militants – which meant he was also supplying ISIS.
      Iran did not want to see Syria go over to pro-Turkish/Sunni control, so they joined in and supported Assad, as did the Russians.
      Assad appears to be well in control now – certainly has the upper hand; and thankfully so, because now the blood-letting may stop and minorities will not be being slaughtered by ISIS and the other militants as has been happening up till now.
      
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      December 16, 2016 2:17pm
      - stephieboy
        
        Don the Kiwi, at least you’ve grasped the basic point that the Syrian Civil war is indeed complex.
        
        If the US had stayed in Iraq and prevented the rise of ISIS ? Very debatable when the rise of ISIS arose directly as a consequence of the US invasion of Iraq e.g all those Iraqi officers and soldiers that were put out of work and looking for a cause finding it in Al Qaeda in Iraq ( Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ) that morphed into ISIS
        
        The evidence is that an uncomprimsing Assad fired the first shots March 2011 killing numerous protestors that had escallated into a full blown . civil war by the end of the year .
        
        Turkey was drawn into the conflict after 2011 especially as refugees started pouring over the border and Rebel factions were using bases close to the border to launch attacks. Complex isnt is that Assad family and tribal affilations are actually Sunni.
        
        Assad well in control ? Debatable again when recently ISIS re taken parts of Palmyra including advanced Russian missile systems They’re a tenacious persistent bunch . His more difficult task is to win the peace attempting to bring together very diverse factions including old foes Syrian Kurds . ( sound familiar re Turkey ?). The civil war and peace will be about compromise , compromise and compromise which Assad has shown a total unwllingness ( so far )to consider .
        
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        December 16, 2016 9:36pm
- cmm
  
  Obama and Clinton
  
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  December 16, 2016 1:43pm
Manolo

Even the clown Kerry is unsure:
http://ntknetwork.com/kerry-throws-doubt-on-anonymous-intelligence-reports-on-russian-hacks/
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December 16, 2016 12:21pm
- cmm
  
  I don’t blame him.
  
  He sees which way the wind is blowing with Obama desperate to leave a legacy. He doesn’t want the shit-splatter to end up on his face.
  
  He has absolutely nothing to gain by going with the official Clinton/Obama line and everything to lose.
  
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  December 16, 2016 1:46pm
Manolo

More on those mythical attacks, according to our Muslim apologist:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4036668/No-touch-New-footage-Cologne-sex-attacks-reveals-women-screamed-attackers-police-realise-powerless-stop-them.html

Newly-released footage from the New Year’s Eve sex attacks in Cologne show how powerless the vastly-outnumbered police were in handling the out-of-control crowd.

More than 500 women were assaulted and robbed by mobs of immigrant, mostly North African men in the German city during last year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.
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December 16, 2016 12:23pm
- stephieboy
  
  Manolo , I stanby the Inependent’s investigation . Belgium reporter Esmerelda Labye was there and says she was molested by a local German . The CTVV camera etc footage backs this up that it was mainly local men .Of the 58 attested only four were Syrian Refugees .
  
  http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/cologne-sex-assaults-muslim-rape-myths-fit-a-neo-nazi-agenda-a6872566.html
  
  Its not a question of being an”apologist” but trying to find the truth of which you often give the short change on !
  
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  December 16, 2016 12:54pm
  - cmm
    
    “Local men”. Does that mean:
    
    1) Local first generation Muslims from a nearby no-go area recently emboldened by the influx of lawless crims.
    2) Gunther wearing leiderhosen and playing oompah music.
    
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    December 16, 2016 1:49pm
  - Jack5
    
    Anti-white, Third World bullshit from the Independent of London.
    
    Interestingly, its editor, Amol Rajan, has just left to be the BBC’s “media editor”. From a Leftist frying pan into a Leftist fire.
    
    The Independent almost alone among well-known English-language publications has been trying to reframe the Cologne sex attacks as a set-up by white right-wing extremists, who it ridiculously alleges were the actual attackers. Of course the gropers (and worse) were Middle Easterners and North Africans.
    
    No wonder the print publication of the Independent has failed and been closed.
    
    Muslims are incompatible with Western attitudes towards women. An Economist article put its finger on the problem in January:
    
    … a 2013 Pew poll of Muslims around the world makes sobering reading. More than 90% of Tunisians and Moroccans believe that a wife should always obey her husband. Only 14% of Iraqi Muslims and 22% of Jordanians think a woman should be allowed to initiate a divorce. And although Arab societies take a harsh view of sex crimes, women who venture alone and in skimpy clothing into a public space in, say, Egypt can expect a barrage of male harassment.
    
    We don’t want more Muslims in New Zealand.
    
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    December 16, 2016 2:38pm
stephieboy

For Putin’s useful idiots ( read Trump supporters ) ,

“Vladimir Putin’s game is to neuter and divide the West – and he is succeeding”

“…This is the sad cycle of two decades of Western relations with Russia: optimism from each incoming US president or British government, then disillusionment brought on by behaviour that cannot be accepted. From killing untold numbers of civilians in the bombing of Aleppo to murdering dissidents in London with radioactive polonium, Russia takes actions we find beyond the pale.

Now a new US president is about to take office with a fresh determination to do business with the Kremlin, this time unencumbered by the disputes of the past, or indeed any particular knowledge of them. If reports are to be believed, Donald Trump will appoint as his secretary of state an oilman who has done many a deal with Moscow and knows Putin personally. While better relations with Russia are a laudable goal, this could be Russia’s best chance since the Second World War to weaken and divide the West.

If you were Putin, why would you want to do this and how would you go about it? Your overriding priority is to maintain your own power, in a country in economic and social decline. Russia has a falling population, a GDP considerably smaller than Britain, and is excessively dependent on oil and gas revenues. Your power depends on increasing and controlling those revenues, with the whole pyramid of financial and political rewards resting on that.

You also need to make sure that more open economies and democratic societies do not flourish in your neighbourhood, so that Russians do not seek to emulate them. If this means occupying part of their territory to prevent them functioning as sovereign countries, as in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, so be it…”

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/vladimir-putins-game-is-to-neuter-and-divide-the-west–and-he-is-succeeding-20161213-gtaadf.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nc&eid=socialn%3Atwi-13omn1677-edtrl-other%3Annn-17%2F02%2F2014-edtrs_socialshare-all-nnn-nnn-vars-o%26sa%3DD%26usg%3DALhdy28zsr6qiq
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December 16, 2016 12:45pm
Lucia Maria

Understanding Russia’s SpyWar Against [the American] Election

In the latest twist in the evolving story of how Moscow and its spies interfered with America’s 2016 election cycle, U.S. intelligence has determined that Vladimir Putin himself was deeply involved in the secret operation to discredit the Democrats and Hillary Clinton.

According to NBC News, our Intelligence Community has “a high level of confidence” that Russia’s president ”personally directed how hacked material from Democrats was leaked and otherwise used.” Putin’s motivation was revenge, according to unnamed senior IC officials, since he despises Clinton, plus the Kremlin sought to create confusion in the United States to make us appear an unreliable ally and an ailing global power.

To anybody acquainted with Putin and his Russia, this is entirely unsurprising. The Russian president grew up in the KGB and long worked in counterintelligence. To his core, Putin is a secret policeman, what Russians call a Chekist—a term worn with pride in the Kremlin. It’s an easy bet that Putin was briefed on this most special intelligence operation daily; it was very likely the first item in his morning briefing from Russia’s spy services, a quotidian event that Putin—unlike our president-elect—takes seriously.

For a former KGB officer, humiliating the hated Americans by disseminating the embarrassing emails of our top politicians is the summit of glee. The takedown of Clinton, Inc.—and no matter the reality, this is unquestionably how it’s being sold, with smiles all around, by Putin’s inner circle—was by any standard a very successful operation. A century hence, it seems likely that Moscow’s spies will rank this achievement among their “greats” like the TRUST operation and the Rosenbergs.

However, some salient facts about this secret Kremlin operation need to be understood. In the first place, there wasn’t much “hacking” going on here. Instead, most of the purloining of emails from top Democrats fell under normal 21st century signals intelligence operations of the kind done by Russia, the United States, and pretty much every technically advanced country on earth. Everybody spies—among adults this isn’t a controversial statement.

What set this year’s election games apart, however, was how the Kremlin weaponized what its spies in the ether had systematically purloined, disseminating it through its Wikileaks front to harm the Democrats. Russians intelligence has countless emails from American politicians of every stripe—if you’re a Washington macher of any variety who uses email, it’s a safe bet Moscow reads them—but this year it only wanted to expose the ones from Democrats.

Russians call this kind of nasty covert action scheme Active Measures, and Moscow’s spies have been doing it a long time. The only novelty here is that the Internet makes it devilishly easy to disseminate such disinformation, to use the proper term, quickly and anonymously. As the Internet has sped up our news cycle dramatically, it’s made spreading disinformation faster and easier, too.

The Kremlin has done this sort of thing many times to countries it dislikes or fears, indeed it’s old hat to a seasoned Chekist like Putin. But the Russians have never done anything quite this brazen to their “Main Adversary”—as they called America during the Cold War and today do again…

I don’t want to copy the whole thing here, though, given the types of disinformation posted regularly by EAD, Reid and my former NZ Conservative co-blogger Fletch, it’s probably at the point where I should. But let’s try this first. Enough of the article that you know it’s not bullshit, and hopefully intriguing enough that you’ll click on the link and read the rest.
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December 16, 2016 1:54pm
- Lucia Maria
  
  Hi Reid, my first down ticker.
  
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  December 16, 2016 2:03pm
  - Don the Kiwi
    
    Lucia.
    The latest story doing the rounds is that it was leaked internally(FBI. CIA,Homeland or whoever), and not hacked by the Russinas – no doubt the truth will come out eventually.
    However: – Hillary’s private server for five years.
    -Obama telling Medvedev, “tell Vladimir to wait till after the election, then I can be more open.”
    – Hillary selling Russia 20% of their Uranium.
    -etc. etc.
    So who’s in the Russian camp?
    
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    December 16, 2016 2:24pm
    - cha
      
      Hillary’s private server for five years.
      
      A mistake to be sure but no evidence whatsoever national security was compromised – unlike Flynn who deliberately shared classified information with foreign officials.
      
      -Obama telling Medvedev, “tell Vladimir to wait till after the election, then I can be more open
      
      As is his prerogative as POTUS to propose and chiefly negotiate agreements.
      
      Hillary selling Russia 20% of their Uranium.
      
      And approved by the nine member CFIUS
      
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      December 16, 2016 3:06pm
    - Lucia Maria
      
      Yes, Don.
      
      Hillary and Obama and many other Americans have seriously underestimated the Russians and continue to play into their hands. It’s the never-ending story of not understanding the other side.
      
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      December 16, 2016 3:09pm
- tom hunter
  
  Lucia
  
  No doubt the Russians have been spying on the USA via all means, including cyber, because that’s what spying is all about. And I have had no doubt for ages now that ye olde KGB functionary, Vlad Putin, was cranking up the FSB to do the sorts of things the KGB used to do.
  
  All this the article points out, but:
  
  … in the secret operation to discredit the Democrats and Hillary Clinton.
  
  The most damaging leaks came not from the DNC but from John Podesta’s emails, and the ‘secret’ operation there involved phishing the moron! The DNC stuff should have been more damaging, with its revelations of DNC insider scheming against Bernie Sanders, up to an including the head of the DNC. But Bernie and company decided to suck it up and get behind Hillary anyway.
  
  And the damage from Podesta’s emails was more ‘inside baseball’ stuff. It excited people in Washington D.C. and it certainly revealed what the insiders thought of Catholics, Latino’s and so forth.
  
  But none of that comes close to approaching the overwhelming reason for Hillary’s loss – which was Hillary and her super-smart campaign team. That’s what got into the heads of voters: those who voted against her or refused to vote for her, especially in what turned out to be the unexpected key states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
  
  All this stuff is – together with ‘fake news’ and the Electoral College – just more whining and bullshit excuses from people who are not yet willing to examine the godawful failures of their candidate and party.
  
  And the thing that really pisses me off is that in writing this crap, the Observer and others are actually helping Putin! Of course Putin and company will take credit for all this with a smile on their face. Why wouldn’t they? It’s all grist to his mill of demonstrating that his world is no less corrupt and amoral (and immoral) than the West, and that he and Russia are smart, capable, skilled and determined actors in the world – as opposed to a feckless (Oooo – and ‘Godless’) America.
  
  I understand the fears you have, but for all of the talking up of Trump’s connections with Putin and Russia, Hillary would have been no better in defending Poland and others against Vlad’s little games. Vlad has screwed any number of former comrades and he has both GW (who looked in his eyes and saw a man he could trust) and Obama as past marks. Perhaps Trump will be another, but he doesn’t take kindly to being seen as a sucker – and niether will the rest of his cabinet, friendly relations or not.
  
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  December 16, 2016 2:20pm
  - Lucia Maria
    
    Tom,
    
    All this the article points out, but:
    
    … in the secret operation to discredit the Democrats and Hillary Clinton.
    
    He’s reintroducing the story as being generally reported and then explaining it in more depth. I’ve seen him do this multiple times – introduce the general narrative and then show how it’s right or wrong and where and how.
    
    To that end, this is not really about WHY Hillary lost – it’s about what the Russians have been up to and why.
    
    All this stuff is – together with ‘fake news’ and the Electoral College – just more whining and bullshit excuses from people who are not yet willing to examine the godawful failures of their candidate and party.
    
    Just because it’s wrapped up in Democratic whining, it doesn’t mean that fake news isn’t a thing. You’ve seen it here on display, displayed in all it’s glory with regards to stories about Ukraine, Crimea and the downing MH-17.
    
    And the thing that really pisses me off is that in writing this crap, the Observer and others are actually helping Putin!
    
    Putin is not doing this to get a smile on his face, he’s doing this for long-term goals. Goals which include the weakening of democratic governments around the world so that Russia will not be stopped from expanding outwards via pesky things such as sanctions and military alliances.
    
    Getting Western populations onside mean that they are more likely to vote in favourable politicians who are more friendly to Russia and who will happily look the other way while takes what she considers rightfully hers.
    
    Countering the dissemination of false information has to be the prime objective of every person who believes in the freedoms that living in the West has given us, because to not do it is to be sucked into worlds that personas such as EAD and Reid inhabit.
    
    I strongly encourage you to do some background reading on just how effective disinformation is and has been in the past, during the Cold War and even in the WWII period with regards to how Poland was fucked over by the West because of the constant false information flooding the airwaves from Moscow that influenced people and politicians alike.
    
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    December 16, 2016 3:20pm
    - tom hunter
      
      I strongly encourage you to do some background reading on just how effective disinformation is
      
      Well, I started more than three decades ago with a copy of Red Runs The Vistula, courtesy of my Dad, and I’ve covered a lot of material since then so I think I have fairly good handle on the history – including “Active Measures” and the like.
      
      I’m also very well aware of what Putin has been trying in Europe for the past few years, especially Eastern Europe: all those little reconnaissance flights by obsolete Bear bombers, little intrusions by subs to places like Sweden, FFS (Sweden – huge threat there), the whole sad effort to try and recreate the power and influence lost when the USSR collapsed (“the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century” according to Vlad. And of course the more serious mutterings about Russian-speaking enclaves and even nuclear warfare.
      
      Which is why the following annoys me so much…
      
      Goals which include the weakening of democratic governments around the world so that…
      
      Yah. I know. And you know what is a great way of helping that along? Getting the Opposition party to wank on endlessly about the influence of Russian hacking on the election said Opposition just lost.
      
      At the risk of repeating myself: Hillary Clinton lost this election because she was an awful candidate who ran a crap campaign, and the Democrats lost this election because people between the East and West Coasts were exhausted with all their stupid ideas.
      
      The Russian influence? Five eighths of fuck all. Personally I think they cracked Hillary’s stupid exposed email server looking for shit to use against her when she became President, although they’d hardly be the only ones.
      
      And now I see Obama yakking about taking measures against the Russians. Oh, I’ll bet that’s keeping Vlad up at night. He must be laughing himself to sleep at the idea that ole’ ‘Red Line Obama’ is finally going to do something about Russian hacking – as if the 2014 efforts against the Whitehouse system itself were not enough. You can read the Powerline guys talking about it here – Remember When The Russians Hacked the White House’s Computers – and as they say:
      
      You probably don’t. We broke the story on Power Line in October 2014, writing about it here, here, here, here, here and here. The White House’s computers were down for weeks because of the intrusion by a “foreign power,” which the administration finally identified as Russia. It wasn’t just the White House, either; it was the entire Executive Office of the President, which comprises a good chunk of the executive branch. Nor was that all: the State Department’s computer system was hacked, too.
      
      As they pointed out at the time, it could not possibly have been missed that the computers were offline, they’d been informed by people they knew and it was quite common knowledge, but …
      
      While we pounded away at the story, the White House refused to respond to our inquiries. The Washington press corps, which must have known that the White House’s computers were out of action, maintained a discreet silence, declining to write about the Russian hack, even though many D.C. reporters no doubt followed the story on Power Line. Why the coy silence? Because it was October 2014, weeks before the midterm elections, and the story reflected poorly on the Obama administration, which didn’t even discover the intrusion itself. It turned out that American officials were alerted to the Russian hack of the White House and State Department by an unidentified ally (I’m guessing Israel).
      
      Useless pricks! I never heard any blood-curdling toughness from Obama after that event – or the Chinese hacking of the OPM. Oh but now it’s a big deal? Well, I’d say they bought it on themselves. And you think Hillary would really have been different? As the Powerline guys end:
      
      Now, the same news outlets that refused to cover the Russian government’s hacking into White House and State Department computers and email systems try to tell us that an intrusion into Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s and John Podesta’s email accounts by someone–allegedly the same Russian government–is a story of world-historical importance. What a load of bulls–t.
      
      Finally I would note that the CIA Refuses to Brief Congress on Email Hacking. So they have time to leak information but not the time to come and testify before Congress.
      
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      December 16, 2016 6:56pm
  - stephieboy
    
    tom hunter another real useful idiot for Putin !
    
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    December 16, 2016 3:28pm
    - Morrissey
      
      Stephie, as someone who reflexively cites the most discredited and extreme websites, you have no right to label anyone—be it tom hunter or ANYONE—as a useful idiot.
      
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      December 16, 2016 3:30pm
      - stephieboy
        
        Morrissey”, the most discredited and exteme websites” ?
        
        Which ones and discredited by whom ??
        
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        December 16, 2016 3:43pm
      - Morrissey
        
        Yesterday, after I provided you with evidence of a routine killing in Palestine, to “refute” it you cited the obscenely offensive “Israelly Cool” website, which labels reports of IDF atrocities as “blood libels”.
        
        To give any credence at all to such an ugly and violent site suggests that you are the epitome of what is meant by “useful idiot”
        
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        December 16, 2016 3:50pm
      - stephieboy
        
        Morrissey, the photo of Israeli Soldier giving her water was posted on January the 2nd . The claim the same soldier shot the grandmother dead was posted on August 3rd .
        
        Explain the 6 month delay ?
        
        Also the alleged photo ff her head had no gunshot wound or blood spatter etc
        
        Explain ?
        
        And why should the Middle East Monitor etc be a trustworthy sources of information with these kind of blatant discrepancies ?
        
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        December 16, 2016 4:05pm
burt

Further incentive for the establishment of more p-labs in Auckland.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/87653251/cannabis-growing-operations-in-million-dollar-houses-in-auckland
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December 16, 2016 2:49pm
Reid

Trump Delivers on Promise to Mend Ties with Russia

Trump’s pick of oil industry chief Rex Tillerson as the next Secretary of State is an encouraging sign that the president-elect is indeed following through on campaign promises to mend bilateral ties with Russia.

But the war hawks within the Republican and Democrat parties could yet throw a spanner in the works over the nomination.

Immediately, the news of Tillerson’s nomination drew insinuations that the outcome was «more evidence» that Russia had interfered in the US election to sway the result for Trump over Democrat rival Hillary Clinton…

http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2016/12/14/trump-delivers-promise-mend-ties-with-russia.html
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December 16, 2016 2:49pm
- stephieboy
  
  Reid , others have gone before Rex Tillerson to be disapointed so we shall have to wait and see if Trump and Tillerson can usher in a new golden age of detante with ” peace in our time .”
  
  By the fruits ye shall know them !
  
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  December 16, 2016 3:24pm
- Lucia Maria
  
  Reid,
  
  This is exactly what people are afraid of – that Trump will disregard the political reality and pretend Russia is his friend and give Putin whatever the hell he wants.
  
  I know you know this – but to everyone else – see?
  
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  December 16, 2016 3:57pm
Manolo

Sore losers on the Left do not give up:
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-12-15/long-shot-bid-to-block-trump-arrives-at-electoral-college-monday

The Electoral College’s 538 members gather Monday at 50 state capitols to cast the ballots that matter the most when it comes to electing a U.S. president.

Normally sedate affairs that pass with little notice, this year’s proceedings have been injected with a bit of drama and a dash of uncertainty with an unprecedented campaign by a small group of electors to overturn the results of Election Day.

The attempt to deny Donald Trump the presidency by trying to convince Democratic and Republican peers to back someone else is almost sure to fail. But it injects still more rancor in what already has been a divisive political season and serves as a capstone for a 2016 presidential election that will go down as one of the oddest in U.S. history.
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December 16, 2016 2:52pm
Jack5

Students want ban on campus screening of films that might upset Muslims.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/13/protectumd-student-protest-group-issues-demand-ame/
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December 16, 2016 6:01pm
Manolo

Some of his own supporters are keeping their distance from the incompetent Obama:
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/democrats-open-to-replacing-obamacare-232589
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December 16, 2016 6:07pm
Reid

In summary, I don’t think this article in The New York Times adds very much. If anything it shows how thin the case the Hillary Clinton campaign and the CIA are making that Russia was behind the leaks in order to swing the election to Donald Trump actually is.

https://alethonews.wordpress.com/2016/12/14/new-york-times-undermines-its-own-case-russia-was-behind-clinton-leaks/
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December 16, 2016 6:10pm
publicwatchdog

Howdy Kiwibloggers!

Feel rather vindicated, following the unprecedented verdict last Friday (9 December 2016 – International Anti-Corruption Day) in the Auckland High Court, by Justice Sally Fitzgerald, of bribery and corruption charges against a senior Auckland Transport manager and contractor.

The bribes over a 7 year period between those two amounted to $1.2 million.

(Sentencing will be on 22 February 2017).

I predict a ‘blue collar’ sentence for these two ‘white collar’ criminals.

That this is the ‘tip of the iceberg’ regarding corruption in the NZ roading industry, is the subject of a five page investigative article in today’s NBR (print version).

Have a lovely evening 🙂

Kind regards

Penny Bright

‘Anti-privatisation / anti-corruption Public Watchdog’.
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December 16, 2016 7:31pm
- Nostradamus
  
  Penny:
  
  I don’t think you should feel “vindicated” as you had nothing to do with this matter (apart from sitting in court as a spectator).
  
  Any update on your house sale?
  
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  December 16, 2016 7:55pm
  - stigie
    
    Just realized it is heading into the 10th year now Nostra, just amazes me that nothing has been done after all this time and the ratepayers of Auckland have been well and truely shafted !~
    
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    December 16, 2016 8:22pm
- nasska
  
  If you ask Watercare nicely they may relent & let you run a Xmas bath all for yourself. ?
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:02pm
  - Awww C-mon
    
    Not an issue Nasska, my mate at Bunnings reckons he sold a smelly old bag in a possum hat some cutting discs for an angle grinder 2 days ago…
    
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    December 16, 2016 8:04pm
  - Nostradamus
    
    Nasska:
    
    It depends – are they on Penny’s Christmas card list?
    
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    December 16, 2016 8:06pm
  - stigie
    
    No bloody good without bodywash Nasska !~
    
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    December 16, 2016 8:06pm
    - nasska
      
      Do you reckon if we passed the hat around we’d collect enough to run her through the local BP car wash stigie? 🙂
      
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      December 16, 2016 8:10pm
- Captain Mainwaring
  
  Sorry Penny, you have zero credibility until you pay your rates.
  Until then, fuck off.
  
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  December 16, 2016 8:17pm
stigie

Penny:- Do you still feel “vindicated” that not having paid your rates for 9 fucking years and the neighbors around you and the rest of Auckland have..?
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December 16, 2016 8:04pm
- publicwatchdog
  
  My house is fine – thanks for asking 🙂
  
  We are now, in my opinion, much closer to getting the books open and finding out exactly where public monies are being spent on private sector consultants and contractors.
  
  I realise that those who consult or contract to Auckland Council and CCOs may not be particularly thrilled to hear this?
  
  Kind regards
  
  Penny Bright
  
  ‘Anti-privatisation / anti-corruption Public Watchdog’.
  
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  December 17, 2016 1:32am
  - mikenmild
    
    Your delusions remain strong, Penny.
    Even if you are correct that Auckland Council and its associated organisations should release more information (and I have some sympathy with that view), your refusal to p[ay rates is completely unconnected to this aim. You are doomed to lose in court without accomplishing anything.
    
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    December 17, 2016 6:42am
EAD

“To learn who rules over you, first learn who you are not allowed to criticise” – Voltaire

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4036710/Blogger-52-posted-grossly-offensive-anti-Semitic-song-YouTube-denies-hate-crime-charge-brought-Jewish-charity-private-prosecution.html

Terrific to see such courage from such an ordinary looking middle class Englishwoman too in the face of such hysteria.
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December 16, 2016 8:48pm
- RichardX
  
  EAD
  “To learn who rules over you, first learn who you are not allowed to criticise” – Voltaire
  ….
  DECEMBER 16, 2016 8:48PM
  
  Only it probably wasn’t Voltaire
  
  http://www.mediaite.com/online/to-learn-who-rules-over-you-viral-voltaire-quote-probably-originated-with-white-supremacist/
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:03pm
  - mikenmild
    
    Ha! As Thomas Jefferson once said, “Never trust quotes you find on the internet.”
    
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    December 16, 2016 9:26pm
Nostradamus

Morrissey swoops in for a group hug at The Standard:

Yesterday (Thursday 15/12/16) I achieved some kind of record over on Kiwiblog. Seven—-count ’em, SEVEN—of my posts on just one discussion thread were accorded the grim accolade of “Hidden due to low comment rating.” This stern notice of exclusion is followed by the invitation: “Click here to see”, which rather defeats the purpose.
…
What do Standardistas think about this?

Would someone please give Morrissey a box of tissues and instructions on how to use them correctly?
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December 16, 2016 8:56pm
- Morrissey
  
  Thank you [sniff] Nostradamus. You’re a [sniff, sniff] prince. You really are.
  
  https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/woman-comforting-her-crying-man-28284673.jpg
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:26pm
  - Awww C-mon
    
    Ummm are you cuckold or the shemale in that pic mossey?
    
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    December 16, 2016 9:36pm
    - Morrissey
      
      I’m the male there, and Nostradamus is the lovely woman.
      
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      December 16, 2016 9:43pm
      - Awww C-mon
        
        Yeah but are you the male in the dress or crying like a bitch?
        
        Can’t be sure with you lefties?
        
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        December 16, 2016 9:47pm
      - Morrissey
        
        Sounds like you might have had an inadvertent ladyboy experience somewhere along the line there, Awww C-mon.
        
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        December 16, 2016 9:51pm
      - Awww C-mon
        
        Nah that’s SB…. though not sure it’s inadvertent TBH
        
        But enough chit chat and diversion, which one is you?
        
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        December 16, 2016 9:52pm
      - Morrissey
        
        I’m the one crying like a bitch, I’m afraid.
        
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        December 16, 2016 9:59pm
      - Awww C-mon
        
        Meh, shoulda guessed, you are more labour than geeen.
        
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        December 16, 2016 10:14pm
nasska

An I-phone is just like religion…..people don’t know how it works but it gives them something to cling to in an otherwise meaningless existence
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December 16, 2016 9:00pm
- Nostradamus
  
  Tonight’s Religion with Nasska segment takes you back through the Kiwiblog archives:
  
  A preacher whose “patients” claim his prayers can heal cancer is bringing a team of evangelists to Wellington to pray for the sick.”
  …
  Fliers distributed to Wellington households titled “Jesus Christ saves and heals” contain testimonies from Mr Subritzky’s followers telling of miraculous recoveries from cancer, kidney failure and arthritis. “I had kidney failure and was instantly healed after Bill prayed for me,” one says.
  
  That thread is excellent.
  – Redbaiter attacks the “sec progs”.
  – Fletch told us: “I actually knew personally an elderly priest who was prayed for and became taller”.
  – Don the Kiwi told us: “I know of two people who have had miraculous cures. I know a priest who also has this gift. A woman in our parish whom I know was diagnosed with terminal cancer – 6 months to live. Fr. Alex prayed over her, and a day or so later she felt much better” (Don shared more miracles with us).
  
  Needless to say Nasska had a lot of fun on that thread!
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:19pm
- Awww C-mon
  
  Best work yet Nasska,
  
  Is atheism like a Hauwai, you think it makes sense and you’re glad it’s not an apple… but eventually you realise it’s just not the real deal?
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:19pm
  - nasska
    
    I’m retiring next year & I’ll probably have time to volunteer for good works AC.
    
    I was thinking of taking up deprogramming cult members. 🙂
    
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    December 16, 2016 9:26pm
    - Reid
      
      You’d be quite good at that nasska. Branch Davideans top of the list or is it the Jesuits?
      
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      December 16, 2016 9:29pm
      - nasska
        
        I thought I’d get a bit of practise in with the Left-footers around here first Reid. 🙂
        
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        December 16, 2016 9:34pm
      - Awww C-mon
        
        Yeah, good luck with that!
        
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        December 16, 2016 9:37pm
- Reid
  
  It’s distraction. Birth rate and marriage rate in Japan is way down. Just like we’re a test market for things like EFTPOS (so they can go to electronic money), the Japanese are a social engineering test market and their love of and propensity for gadgets is exploited to test concepts, of which distraction techniques are prime.
  
  It’s not the only technique they use but it’s one of them. The ultimate interface is reliable flawless response to anything you ask for via voice and I would imagine that’s not far away. You watch the distraction take off then.
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:25pm
Reid

Some people won’t read this simply because its from the World Socialist Web Site.

I think of those people like blind men in a dark room looking for a black cat…

New York Times’ narrative of Russian hacking: War propaganda in the guise of news

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2016/12/15/prop-d15.html

…that isn’t there.
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December 16, 2016 9:14pm
- nasska
  
  But I think you’ve found the cat Reid! 🙂
  
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  December 16, 2016 9:16pm
  - Reid
    
    I had it all the time nasska. That’s the secret.
    
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    December 16, 2016 9:27pm
  - mikenmild
    
    It was in his head all the time, nasska.
    
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    December 16, 2016 9:29pm
    - Reid
      
      Yes of course it was mm. Duh. Did you think it was real?
      
      Really?
      
      Of course, you didn’t laugh…
      
      …but did you sneer?
      
      Genuinely interested.
      
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      December 16, 2016 9:33pm
Manolo

Who wouldn’t feel sorry for crooked Hillary?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4039350/Hillary-Clinton-arrives-holiday-party-New-York-s-famed-Plaza-Hotel.html
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December 17, 2016 7:02am
Manolo

Is Pocahontas on the wane?
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/12/14/where-does-warren-stand-liberal-icon-tangling-with-dems-base.html

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, hailed for years as the darling of the liberal left, lately has found herself at odds with her own party – and confounding followers with positions that have, at times, seemingly put her out of step with the base.
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December 17, 2016 7:11am
Manolo

Predicting USD-EUR parity:
Divergence in monetary policy between the United States and Europe will bring parity between the value of the euro and dollar, according to ING Group.

On Thursday the euro hit a low of 1.0364 against the dollar, the lowest level since August 2003 when it traded as low as 1.0357.

Dollar strength is the key driver as investors believe the Federal Reserve will adopt a higher rate rise path in 2017 as the U.S. economy gathers momentum.
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December 17, 2016 7:21am

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