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Open mike 23/06/2025

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 23rd, 2025 - 42 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:


Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

42 comments on “Open mike 23/06/2025 ”

  2. Dennis Frank 2
    23 June 2025 at 7:40 am

    You can imagine the messages incoming to the White House from Putin and Xi: Naughty. But I like you. And T's response: Hey guys, I was just sending a message. Don't get too excited. Meanwhile CNN has helpfully provided this analysis: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/21/middleeast/nuclear-sites-iran-us-bombs-wwk-intl

    Such military intelligence is impressive, and I particularly liked the way that the before and after pictures don't match. In the first one, buildings and roads are totally different.

    After closely examining each set of photos, I suggest you consider the possibility that the US military has acquired a Harry Potter. A wizard so adept that they can even move roads from one place to another. Or you may prefer to use the rightists favourite explanation – that it's just the socialist media doing their normal disinformation.

    Reply
  3. Muttonbird 3
    23 June 2025 at 8:11 am

    – A tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches among the ruins of buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardments west of Gaza City, Saturday, June 21, 2025.JEHAD ALSHRAFI / AP

    The war in Gaza continues, yet every single day many of our readers turn away.

    We get it. The scale of suffering is overwhelming for many. But it’s our job to show up and show you what is happening on the ground.

    This is why we’re going to publish a single image from Gaza every morning, showing you a snapshot of what the people there face.

    Obviously this will not replace our broader reporting, but we hope it can give you a simple and personal way into the ongoing story.

    Alas, too late for some commenters here.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/360732057/gaza-one-photo-ground

    Reply
    • Anne 3.1
      23 June 2025 at 9:57 am

      Yes. I'm one of those who turns away. The daily blast of death and destruction is more than I can cope with.

      Good on Stuff for understanding the dilemma. We need to see that image each day just to remind us what is happening there. I think I can cope with that.

      Reply
  4. Kay 4
    23 June 2025 at 8:41 am

    Excellent response to Seymour's idiocy.

    From reading this, it's clear that this course of action is illegal, never mind the whole Cabinet rules thing.

    This is a sacking offence- we all know that, but will Luxon have the balls to do his job? Yeah, right, nah. The opposition have to be all over this, and the media need to keep yelling it out loud. Yeah, right, nah.

    Good luck to Anne with her formal complaint, but the cynic in me say that Seymour will keep his job, and maybe a wet bus ticket.

    https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/06/23/anne-salmond-victim-of-the-day/

    Reply
    • Anne 4.1
      23 June 2025 at 10:15 am

      Look at the way he is standing in the photo. Jacinda Ardern was spot on when she described him as an "arrogant prick".

      Actually I saw it when he made his first attempt to win the seat of Epsom. He only succeeded because National recommended their supporters vote for him.

      It was at a popular café in Newmarket. He stretched himself out on an outside bench in not very clean walking shoes taking obvious delight in the attention he was attracting from other patrons. Whether they knew who he was at that stage I don't know. Whether he knew they were not impressed I also don't know, but if he was he didn't care.

      Reply
      • Kay 4.1.1
        23 June 2025 at 11:04 am

        He only succeeded because National recommended their supporters vote for him.

        Which says a lot about the intelligence of the Epsom national voters.

        Reply
        • Visubversa 4.1.1.1
          23 June 2025 at 5:11 pm

          Epsom voters know their class interest. The vote National for the Party Vote and ACT for the Electorate vote. That way they hope to get a safe seat for ACT and a Nat led Government.

          Reply
    • AB 4.2
      23 June 2025 at 10:29 am

      Just another self-proclaimed champion of free speech showing us how deep that commitment actually runs. Also, he has an agenda and won't be derailed by people who actually know stuff.

      Reply
    • Wynston 4.3
      23 June 2025 at 10:57 am

      "the cynic in me say that Seymour will keep his job, and maybe a wet bus ticket".

      Definitely no doubt about the former, but our Bald Ego of a PM hasn't got neither the strength nor gumption to lift a bus ticket be it wet or not!

      Reply
    • tc 4.4
      23 June 2025 at 11:06 am

      Rimmer knows what he's doing and pushing the button as hard as he can rattling those cages.

      Then he will play victim as part of the show when Luxon gestures towards him with a soggy bus ticket tops.

      Reply
  5. Incognito 5
    23 June 2025 at 11:17 am

    [former Otago Polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker] Ker said the fundamental problem was everyone wanted a polytechnic system but nobody wanted to pay for it, least of all the government.

    "It's an inconvenient truth that we would like to have a really good vocational education system, but we don't want to pay for it. Employers don't want to pay directly for their training and the government doesn't want to pay adequately their share of the cost."

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/564870/polytech-job-cuts-the-mood-has-changed-from-anger-to-sadness

    Their model is that students/apprentices pay through the nose to get their qualifications so that they can work for a pittance and become good little work slaves. Alternatively, employers cry foul and demand that the immigration rules be relaxed to bring in even cheaper workers from overseas who are more than willing to work for an even smaller pittance. Welcome to the neoliberal world of the Coalition and their capitalist supporters who are relatively wealthy & sorted.

    Reply
  6. SPC 6
    23 June 2025 at 11:45 am

    FYI

    There is a 10,000 character limit on submissions.

    RSB deserves more. Brilliance 30.000 words requires some editing.

    [What is the basis of your claim? Do you have a link?

    I think your comment might be highly misleading, so I urge to you clarify – Incognito]

    Reply
    • Incognito 6.1
      23 June 2025 at 11:53 am

      That must be the limit of the AI app that they’re using to ‘vet & analyse’ the submissions. I assume this includes spaces, which means it’s no more than about 3 pages of full text.

      Is multiple submissions a viable option?

      Reply
    • Karolyn_IS 6.2
      23 June 2025 at 12:04 pm

      Whew. I just checked mine as it's quite long. It is under 10,000 characters.

      Reply
    • Incognito 6.3
      23 June 2025 at 12:18 pm

      Mod note

      Reply
    • SPC 6.4
      23 June 2025 at 12:19 pm

      Bollocks I got the red line comment has to be under 10,000 characters.

      Cut and paste something at 10,000+ characters and post as a submission and find out.

      They should say in advance that there is a limit.

      And the wording is approximately – whatever that means?

      Reply
      • Karolyn_IS 6.4.1
        23 June 2025 at 12:28 pm

        Did you use their form, or did you submitted as an uploaded file?

        Reply
      • Incognito 6.4.2
        23 June 2025 at 12:39 pm

        This is highly surprising because in the previous submission round for this Bill it was submissions with more than 10,000 characters were undergoing qualitative analysis by a human being.

        In addition to this, the Ministry undertook qualitative analysis on a sample of the submissions on the Bill to summarise the main reasons for support and opposition to the proposed Bill, and feedback on specific proposals (the results of which are outlined in Sections 2 and 3 of the Summary of Submissions). This sample included all submissions made on behalf of organisations, iwi or hapū, and any other submission with over 10,000 characters. This involved the manual analysis of approximately 4.1 per cent of all submissions, which was 34.4 per cent of all text received.

        https://www.regulation.govt.nz/our-work/regulatory-standards-bill/submissions-on-the-discussion-document/

        After this, the ministry separated out all submissions from iwi, hapū or other organisations, as well as all submissions longer than 10,000 characters (about 1600 words) and read these as part of a “qualitative analysis”.

        […]

        He [senior lecturer in public law at Victoria University of Wellington, Eddie Clark] said there was no notice for submitters ahead of time that their submissions might not be read and “treated as ticks in a yes/no box”, or that they should write submissions of 10,001 characters for them to be read rather than 9999 characters.

        https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/05/19/thousands-of-regulatory-standards-bill-submissions-not-read-by-ministry/

        The Coalition and particularly David Seymour must hate sound democratic process because they actively seek to undermine it wherever and whenever they can, it seems.

        Reply
        • SPC 6.4.2.1
          23 June 2025 at 12:56 pm

          It basically ruined the submission.

          It ended up being well under 10,000 characters, as there was limited time to manage it down.

          It was based on collating a range of other submissions and harnessing quotes from their collective power into one overarching criticism.

          Bureaucratic gatekeeping. Modest compared to what the RSB is about.

          Reply
          • Incognito 6.4.2.1.1
            23 June 2025 at 1:16 pm

            Bureaucratic gatekeeping is a euphemism for sabotage of the democratic process and interference in politics. No submission (or vote in elections, for that matter) should be ruined because of deliberate obstacles, confusion/lack of clarity, or manipulation. The irony is that this has been orchestrated by officials, including elected ones, who pretend to stand for better regulation and governance.

            Reply
    • Ad 7.1
      23 June 2025 at 1:46 pm

      US wanted pro-capitalist regime change in Russia. The people got Yeltsin, then Putin.

      US proposd regime change in Egypt. Egypt got the Muslim Brotherhood.

      US accelerated regime change in Syria. The people got an ISIS and an Al Qaeda commander.

      US wanted to eradicate Hamas with Israel. The people got genocide.

      US instigated regime change in Iraq. The people were provided Iran-dominated chaos.

      US instigated regime change in Libya. the people got no functioning government, and sustained civil war.

      US instigated regime change in Afghanistan. Afghan people got brutal theocracy.

      US wanted anti-Russian government in Ukraine. They got 11 years of Russian invasion, and counting.

      Canada resisted. Denmark resisted.

      Hey Luxon: resist the United States. Protect what's left of democracy.

      Reply
      • KJT 7.1.1
        23 June 2025 at 5:27 pm

        In 1953. Iran. The USA and Britain replaced a democratic Government with a murderous totalitarian Dictatorship, the Shah.

        For the crime of trying to keep oil revenues in Iran.

        The current state of Iran is a US fuckup.

        Reply
  8. Ad 8
    23 June 2025 at 11:52 am

    US: "Hey Libya, give up your thoughts on nuclear weapons, and we can do a great deal."

    Nek minnit: Gaddafi left unprotected and then hunted to death by his own people.

    US: "Hey Iraq, you've got weapons of mass destruction, so we have to invade you."

    Nek Minnit: No weapons, nation destroyed, Sadam Hussein hung.

    US: "Hey Ukraine, hand over your nuclear weapons, we'll protect you."

    Nek Minnit: Russia invades, Zelynsky humiliated by US, no country joins troops against Russia.

    US: "Hey Iran, let's rebuild the deal we signed to keep your nuclear power industry non- weaponised. We'll keep Israel in check."

    Nek Minnit: US drops largest non-nuclear bombs onto Iran's nuclear power industry.

    Can anyone figure why no-one will do a deal with the US anymore?

    Reply
    • lprent 8.1
      23 June 2025 at 2:04 pm

      At this point, despite my ongoing objections to a civilian nuclear industry, I desperately want to start a nuclear weapons program in NZ and Australia.

      Don't bother with missiles, underwater nuclear armed drones seem an optimal delivery mechanism against invasion fleets.

      Reply
  9. Stephen D 9
    23 June 2025 at 1:08 pm

    Trump, owned by two masters of the long spy game. Putin and Netanyahu.

    It must be exhausting for him trying to keep them both happy.

    Somewhere there is a folder…

    Reply
  10. Ad 10
    23 June 2025 at 1:54 pm

    Iranian Parliament has just voted to close the Strait of Hormuz.

    Prepare for 91 at $3.00 a litre.

    Reply
    • lprent 10.1
      23 June 2025 at 2:12 pm

      Doesn't worry me directly. As someone who is superannuated 🙂 and part time self-employed I now control costs closely in Hrny so I can claim expenses against part-time income..

      Our last three months of petrol requirements are a max of 60 litres for a month, including the trip to Rotorua every 4-6 weeks to check up on the parent. I'd start noticing when it starts to compete in costs with the monthly internet bill.

      Might induce me to start considering the depreciation advantages of a company EV

      Reply
    • weka 10.2
      23 June 2025 at 6:07 pm

      those EVs and public transport start to look better all the time.

      Reply

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