Politics

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  • DEI

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    Stupid though the article Tim posted is, the notion that positions in most professions have ever been given on merit is a bit of a myth.

    This does take it to a new level of lunacy though.

  • NZ Politics

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    didnt see the same outrage by the media when the goverment was accused of genicide or white supremacy by the opposition

  • F off with the damn PC Brigade

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    @MN5 said in F off with the damn PC Brigade:

    Fuck those piston wristed gibbons who are complaining…..I hope it backfires on them and he does a roaring trade

    It's Greenwich and it's most likely just snooty fluffybunnies not liking "the eyesore" on the wall. Highly doubt it's got anything to do with him or his business

  • Transgender debate, in sport, in general

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    @antipodean

    To channel my inner Michael Ironside from Total Recall - “About damned time”.

  • Ukraine

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    Another Putin interview

    Russia Today  /  Russia & Former Soviet Union ‘Your vampire ball is over’ – Putin to Western elites — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union ‘Your vampire ball is over’ – Putin to Western elites — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union

    The so-called “golden billion” will soon be unable to exploit other nations as it has done for centuries, the Russian president has said

    The era of Western elites being able to exploit other nations and other peoples across the world is coming to an end, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an exclusive interview published by Rossiya 1 and RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

    The president stated that over the past few centuries, the so-called “golden billion” has grown accustomed to being able to “fill their bellies with human flesh and their pockets with money” as they have been “parasitizing” other peoples in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

    ”But they must understand that the vampire ball is ending,” Putin said.

    He added that the citizens of the aforementioned regions, which have been continuously exploited by the West over the past 500 years, have started to associate Russia’s struggle for sovereignty with “their own aspirations for sovereignty and independent development.”

    At the same time, Putin noted that Western elites have a very strong desire to “freeze the current situation” and preserve the “unjust state of affairs in international affairs.”

    Previously, in his keynote address to Russia’s Federal Assembly last month, Putin stated that the West, with its “colonial habits” of “igniting national conflicts all over the world,” intends to do everything it can to stall Russia’s development and turn it, as it did Ukraine, into a dying failed state.

    ”In place of Russia, they want a dependent, withering, dying space, where they can do whatever they want,” he said.

    West wants to destroy Russia – Putin

    The president followed up on those comments in Wednesday’s interview, stating that many Western elites, who have been “blinded by their Russophobia” were “thrilled” when they were able to push Russia to the point where it had to launch its military offensive in Ukraine in order to end the war unleashed by the West in 2014.

    ”They were even happy, I think, because they believed that now they would finish us off using a barrage of sanctions, having practically declared a sanctions war against us, and with the help of Western weapons in the hands of Ukrainian nationalists,” said Putin, suggesting that this mindset was behind Western calls to “inflict a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield.”

    Now, the West appears to have realized that defeating Russia in this way is not only unlikely, but impossible due to the unity of its people, the fundamental foundations and stability of its economy and the growing potential of its military, the president said.

    ”Those who are smarter” have now come to the conclusion that it is necessary to change their strategy in relation to Russia, Putin surmised.

  • Political Memes (memes only)

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  • Politics & rugby hakas

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    @MN5 alt text

  • US Politics

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    @Victor-Meldrew said in US Politics:

    Interesting. Polls showing a substantial number of Republican voters will back Biden over Orange Donald.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/23/trump-moderate-republicans-problem-00137112

    "It’s an issue that became starkly apparent in polling ahead of the Iowa caucuses, when an NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of voters in that state found that fully 43 percent of Nikki Haley supporters said they would back President Joe Biden over Trump."

    A counter theory is that the vast majority of the Nikki Hayley supports are democrats that have always voted democrat who have jumped on the primary's and voted for Nikki to make sure that "Trump doesn't run for president".

    It's like a while lot of labor supports joining NZfirst so they can vote Winnie off as leader (if you follow NZ politics).

    How true either theory is I guess we'll find out come the elections.

    However to think that 40% of republican's are going to vote for a president with the lowest approval rating of all time does seem rather fanciful.

  • British Politics

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    @MajorRage

    Be fair. They are way too busy arresting people for carrying signs pointing out official UK government policy.

    Mar 8 Watch: Protester holding ‘Hamas Are Terrorists’ sign arrested by police Watch: Protester holding ‘Hamas Are Terrorists’ sign arrested by police

    Officers held down man after intervening to ‘prevent breach of the peace’

  • Aussie Politics

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    @antipodean 🤦‍♀️

  • Newshub closing down

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    News is a very expensive product. Just on wages alone, if you take a very conservative guess of 90K per staffer for 300 people you are looking at 27 mil. But, we need it to be made. I keep on hearing the likes of Sean Plunket saying that the model has changed (which it certainly has), but a lot of the punditry from the likes of Plunket and the other requires a news article to base their content on.

    By my maths Newshub, at its full schedule was providing around 35 hours of news, which reflects well over a hundred interviews, articles, promotional ops and investigative pieces. Most of which would be shared again through online channels and used by the agencies involved, or developed as starting points for pundits.

    The problem is that while linear tv is the starting point and where the advertising needs to come from, the product is ubiquitous. When networks like Three are doing well financially, there is a Corporate Social Responsibility to maintain a news service for the area you are operating in. When they are going poorly, it is their most expensive liability. It simply can't be justified.

    The Government's response has been disappointing. Not due to their refusal to do anything, but more due to the complete lack of knowledge around how the industry works.

    In terms of the 'go woke go broke', label. From a political reporting stand point you hear the likes of Jenna Lynch get called a Labour mouth piece, in the pocket of the Act Party, the Nats biggest supporter. It has been wide and varied. If accusations are flying around from all sides, generally the product is ok. Sure there have been some mistakes, especially around commentary on gender issues, treaty discussions and probably the end of the COVID response.

    The only way some of the Newshub reporters/products can be saved in my mind is through Sky TV. Even if that is to occur it would be a much reduced option. Half an hour bulletin, significantly reduced newsroom, a short and sharp breakfast programme and maintaining some political programming.

    Whether people like Newshub or not, going to one main broadcast provider is not a good thing.

  • Climate Change

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    @antipodean said in Climate Change:

    A few months ago I spent half an hour watching two wedge-tailed eagles soaring. In that time I didn't witness them flap their wings and it was fantastic to see. It would be a shame if such apex predators were to be pushed into a conservation status of concern, especially when nature is a balance.

    We watch the buzzards circling and hovering over our field - magical. Even more fun when the crows start crowding them...aerial warfare between species

    Motorways in the UK are often designed as wildlife havens and attract raptors as well as other species. When I lived near Marlow, you'd often see Red Kites and even Barn Owls at dusk hunting along the verges of the M40. Not expensive and a good way to combat climate change in some ways.

  • Royal drama

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  • European Politics

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    @Tim

    Meanwhile on the UK..

  • Musk & Twitter

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    @voodoo said in Musk & Twitter:

    To be fair, that's like 80% of the entire western world workforce these days

    Closer to 95% of middle managers.

  • Housing hornets' nest

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    Australia has a housing crisis and it's easy to point the finger at immigrants, primarily because of the record amounts arriving here, but also accurate. The problem is it's not just their fault, although housing all of them is clearly a key driver of the problem. Some people complain that it's because of negative gearing, but that's an ignorant argument, the real problem is the capital gains discount treatment and increasing population with decreasing ability to met the commensurate demand.

    On that last point it occurred to me that the insistence on making children remain in school until they're 17/18 and go to university to get a useless degree (with associated debt) has resulted in less people doing trades. Less tradespeople, more work and we're confused as to how properties cost more? And then how our tax treatment encourages this unproductive speculation?

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    It's fucking sad that anybody has to live like this.

    IT's even worse that it will never ever change.

  • Your favourite conspiracy theories

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  • This topic is deleted!

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  • Politics in General

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    liberalism
    /ˈlɪb(ə)rəlɪz(ə)m/
    noun

    willingness to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; openness to new ideas. a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.

    Not entirely sure what the writer was trying to say and not an expert, but liberalism has nothing to do with the political left these days. The political left with its post-modernism-driven identity politics, etc is completely illiberal, the complete opposite of liberalism. Liberalism embraces modernity and science, considers opposing views to progress, believes in judging people not by any immutable characteristics, the list goes on and on.