I’m not going to get angry at NZers who have been conned into giving spies more powers using the bogeyman of lone wolf extremists creating acts of domestic terrorism.
I’m not.
Most NZers work bloody hard every day. They slump down on the couch and numbly flick through the news and current affairs before trying to find the energy to interact with family, do the house chores and collapse into a restless drained slumber.
So with such a narrow view of the world, you’d honestly believe the hype that ISIS are a danger to us and we need vast new surveillance powers and more resources to the GCSB and SIS to protect us.
Look at the breathless editorial in the NZ Herald today trying to trick the Labour Party into supporting the new spy legislation…
When the debate on that bill was raging the word Isis was unknown.
By the end of 2014, the spectre of Isis terrorism was prompting all Western states to adopt stronger measures of surveillance and passport control.
New Zealand allowed the Security Intelligence Service to conduct an emergency surveillance operation for 24 hours without a warrant.
The SIS was also allowed to trespass on private property to watch someone of concern. The act extended the time passports could be cancelled from one year to three years, and allowed the Government to suspend a passport for 10 working days when it needed to act urgently to stop someone travelling.
All these powers are due to expire in April next year. The Cullen-Reddy review has been asked whether they should continue beyond that date. It has also reviewed the powers given the GCSB in 2013 to see New Zealanders’ internet communications.
The review has proceeded in a calmer political climate than previous debates and that should continue.
…using radical Muslims who have been funded by Saudi Arabia and other regional powers in the latest failed middle east bloodfest to give the State more stasi like surveillance powers is not a fucking solution!
The entire premise is based on bullshit.
IF there are NZers who have become radicalised, it’s because of the righteous grievance that ISIS feeds on. Social isolation and racial profiling will do more to tip radicals into terrorists than any other policy we could chase.
This is about vastly increasing capacity so that NZ can use the 5 Eyes technology the NSA has invested into us.
Look at how Key introduced the term ‘Jihadi Brides’ at the Intelligence and Security Committee. Asked why they were spying on trade partners to get Tim Groser a bloody job, Key and SIS boss Rebecca Kitteridge  were allowed to hijack the meeting and inflame fear around ‘Jihadi Brides’…
And so, there was plenty for the five sitting MPs to delve into. They failed miserably in that duty.
With a review of the security services due to report back in February, MPs had an obligation to get answers on all of these concerns.
Instead, they meekly allowed the public hearing to be hijacked as a press conference – but without the hard questions.
Acting GCSB head Una Jagose was allowed to deflect questions about WTO spying.
Instead Key and SIS boss Rebecca Kitteridge made an ambulance-chasing pitch about jihadi brides and the perceived terror threat to New Zealand.
…so after being caught breaking the law numerous times, getting caught telling the NSA new legislation would allow loop holes for mass surveillance, getting caught planning the interception of all NZ data via the Southern Cross cable, spying on trade partners for Tim Groser, targeting American drone strikes, and a review to see if we aided in CIA torture programs – AFTER ALL THAT – what did we get?
Andrea Vance from TVNZ nails it…
And so what we got was breathless media reporting about ‘jihadi brides’. And little-to-no critical examination of the issues that have dogged both agencies this year.
Dear fellow NZers – you are being conned into fearing an enemy who poses less risk to you than drunk drivers on any given day of the week, to allow the State vast new powers. These buggers can already search our homes and spy on us without any warrant. They can’t currently handle the power they have been given responsibly, so how the hell can the solution to a threat that doesn’t exist be even more power?
We must demand more protections for ourselves from this ever growing ultra secret and corrupt deep state. A modern day stasi doesn’t make our democracy safer, it makes it far more dangerous.
‘They slump down on the couch and numbly flick through the news and current affairs before trying to find the energy to interact with family”
YES BUT WHERE ARE THE REAL CURRENT AFFAIRS PROGRAMS LIKE Q+A ECT’ NOW?
As to the surveillance industry;
This whole scare to open up the intelligence network to spy on us is probably a dark plan just fashioned to allow the ruling class to observe the activities of their opponents in any activities that involve their interest be it in politics, business, or any issue that interested them.
We are just now captured animals under the observation of the slumbering elite who are benefiting from early knowledge that we are not subject to observe like the high speed trading activities at Wall St are using with forward knowledge of business transactions, so this may have been originally inspired by Wall St baking and insurance arm bandits that Shokjey is mates with???? .
With the exception of Goldmen Sachs (not by much). The rest of Wall Street are talentless hacks. Revenue is down 80%, the entire industry is in huge structural decline. All the talented guys left by 2008 and now are working in hedge funds or trading there own money.
Investing is a one way street. You either do things properly or you end up very untalented in very important positions. Since 2004 every one has been using a style of accounting called mark to model. It’s just another name for making stuff up as you go.
What’s left of Wall Street is just a museum. I’m not kidding. Every one has literally moved uptown into cheaper buildings.
Before 2008 the world had 7 great financial houses. Now we have three. That is a very poor track record the industry under mark to model. There bleeding money, there hart is exposed on the operating table, the surgeon can only perscribe pills because the Wall Street patient has failed to the treatment plan.
I think it’s obvious. The rise of Bernie Sanders signals the weakening state of the financial industry.
I mean yes the financial industry is powerful. But it is decaying, eating itself death. Much like how Hitter eventually succumbed to syphilous and in his last days, and would manoeuvre imaginary armies infront of his subordinat generals who where very untalented in very important positions. And so his whole. Delusional security apparatus failed.
History will repeat. These intelligence constructs are fragile edifices because capturing and privatising information is at odds with sharing information freely.
Oligarchs tried to protect there business models by throwing up pay walls during 2001, then got desperate and tried extra judicial arrests such what happen with Kim Dotcom. Now we are seeing the rise of super trade deals but they still can’t brake the Internet.
Yawn, pass me another pack of pipeweed please Frodo?
-1
I am para phrasing here but…
People who claim that surveillance is, “nothing to worry about if you have nothing to hide.” Is like claiming that freedom of speech has no place just because you have nothing to say.
Doesn’t anyone here recognize sarcasm when they see it????
My point is that the establishment won’t care about increased state surveillance because they think it is just lefty whingeing and that if Uncle John says its OK, then it must be OK.
Germans probably thought the same in the 1930s.
Right on Martyn, great work.
Al Queda was created by the U.S. and now Isis is being funded by them as well.
Perpetual war and perpetual fear over terrorists that they helped create.
If I saw my family being blown apart by a Drone, I may want to take some action too.
This hyped up insanity over terrorists and taking away our privacy rights is a load of nonsense funded by the madness behind this Natz govt. ( via England and the U.S. )
What happened to the simple priority of ” Well Being ” for all and ending war and having more compassion instead of following those who have their heads up the corporate a holes so far they can not see the light of day.
Money talks while brains and compassion walk.
Donky jonky and his elitist; out of touch and bought govt. are beholding to their puppet controllers and they do and say what they are told to. We can not allow them to take away more of our rights for illusions and insane justifications. The real terrorists and the real ones to be watched are those who want to encourage fear and trumped up false realities and support perpetual war for mostly greedy criminal corporate profits and proliferating nuclear arms etc.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/01/big-money-behind-war-military-industrial-complex-20141473026736533.html
http://wakeup-world.com/2015/08/29/mutually-agreed-peace-ending-the-doctrine-of-perpetual-war/
Right on Martyn and Right on Blake.
We are getting warnings of a possible terrorist attack against the UK or against Mainland USA so expect another false flag soon. Particularly if the UK vote looks like going for leaving the EU. Also look for an official anti-terrorist exercise just “by chance” at the same time as the incident and a passport left at the scene.. These perpetrators aren’t that imaginative
As everything turns to custard economically, socially and environmentally, the fascists who are in control will resort to ever-greater deceit and repression, to ensure wealth continues to flow into the hands of the few.
On my way home last week I hitched a ride with a truck driver, who calmly informed me that he thinks ISIS are so disgusting he would happily kill their children. This man then informed me he was “christian”, a follower of a legendary figure whose most violent act was to kick moneychangers out of a temple. He wasn’t a bad person. He was an ordinary kiwi, doing an ordinary job, living an ordinary life of modest “western” privilege. Yet his moral philosophy has been so twisted by decades of state-corporate war propaganda against Islamist nationalists that he thinks it ok to talk about killing their kids. Honestly, it was like something out of an episode of Vikings. This is the power of propaganda. What can we do in the face of the level of disconnection from geo-political reality?
Thanks Daniel for sharing your experience and showing just how brainwashed many are — when what most everyone wants is well-being; compassion and happiness. It is not the people in a country that are the problem – it is the governments and the corporations/msm that they are in bed with and beholding to.
These propaganda machines and war mongers are the reason why so many stoop so low to even want to kill innocent children. Let us not be deterred by such evil and keep questioning and keep speaking out and sharing our stories. We are many and strong and those psychopathic idiots are few and dwindling and getting exposed more each day.
Now please give me lots of negative ticks you Natz loving dim wits.
TEST
It got posted, Kate. Sometimes Strange Things Happen to posts but- this time you cracked it. 🙂
Keep people scared and ignorant and you can get away with almost anything……just look around you.
And the most fearful and easily scared are the unprincipled redneck right wingers. That’s why they support and vote for the likes of John key and National, no matter how dodgy, how corrupt, and how treasonous that political party is.
Hey Words.
I doubt that that is how they would frame their position. If you were to do the exercise of attempting to see the world from someone else’s eyes you may be well on the way to – not giving them a pass – but maybe formulating an argument that they might understand. If we want to change hearts and minds in the world, and I will offer the courtesy of believing that most of us do want to do that, we have to communicate in a language and a framing that is comprehensible to a big chunk of the population.
Perhaps in our contributions to the discussions that take place in the comparative security of the Daily Blog we can learn and practice the delivery we will need.
Howz the world of planet key doing for you? From what I see, (through no fault of their own), it’s hurting a lot of innocent people. Seriously doubt that anything I, you or others say will ever change the hearts and minds of those that I have referred to in my above comment, which is quite clear in language AND framing and can be very easily understood.
I found the following study, where it says “Conservative politics work almost as a ‘gateway’ into prejudice against others”…. “gravitate towards right-wing views because they make them feel safe”…. interesting reading.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2095549/Right-wingers-intelligent-left-wingers-says-controversial-study–conservative-politics-lead-people-racist.html
Sure, Words, but they would see themselves as sensible, careful and responsible. This is not what either you or I believe, obviously, but if the conversation deteriorates into Trump-like invective, there never will be a chance to put another point of view.
I’m not suggesting that there are endless mid-level Nat supporters reaming through The Daily Blog, there are probably next to none. But what I am saying is that to rehearse an argument that can be deployed in conversation with those who are not like-minded, we have to learn to use our words and couch the argument in a way that can be understood and accepted by those who did not necessarily agree with us at the outset.
This is why ” institutional racist” is not a useful term. Better to take the time to explain what exactly causes the disadvantage. In the same way “neo-liberal,” while a good rallying buzz-word for the engaged, should be expressed in terms of how those people view the role of business, internationalism and money.
The right-wing rednecks you refer to are just people who have been allowed, even encouraged, to see the world in jungle colours. The “I’ve Got Mine” principle, or even “If I Don’t Look Out For Number One, No One Else Will”. But in a more general way, they probably believe that New Zealand is still the kind, generous, welcoming and socially engaged country of their memory and simply disconnect that from their own Needs-Must approach. They can put that together, no doubt, with a disdain for and a rejection of the Left, based on little more than prejudice. But if we are to oppose that, (and by opposing, end it) we must bring a bit more to the table.
The more we try to define our terms, the better we will understand our adversaries, in my view. And also, the better we will actually understand and be able to articulate why we are so uncomfortable with the current administration. That can’t hurt, either.
All very nice and airy fairy but it won’t work. There are ardent National supporters who frequent the Daily blog. don’t know what gave you the idea that there are none. The right wringers that I refer to will never change, and have no intention of changing their view what so ever. You can explain as much as you like, but they will not listen to you. What you get back are insults and abuse, that’s their answer. Donald Trump said, not long ago, if he murdered someone, his supporters would still support and vote for him. And he is right in that regard. Same here with John key/National and their supporters. Some may have some principles, but you can bet, the majority of Nat supporters would still vote for National regardless. Over a period of months John key physically abused a young woman at her place of employ look how his supporters and media friends rallied behind him. They blamed the victim for the Prime Minister’s atrocious behaviour. If it had of been another PM from another party, that person would been charged and hounded out of office by everyone, including the media. So you can articulate as much as you like to the redneck right wing Nick, but it won’t make an iota of difference or make them care, they ALREADY KNOW why we are more than uncomfortable with the current administration.
Off topic just briefly. I have a question that I know someone from here will be able to clarify for me.
On Don Buck Road heading towards Westgate, Massey, Paula Bennett has put up a large hoarding that has a pic of herself and the message Drive safe North Habour have a happy Easter. This particular hoarding also appears on Moire Road outside Royal Road shops. Is this legal? Paula Bennett often puts up hoardings promoting herself (without the drive safe etc message) in Te Atatu as well. This is not the first time National ministers/MPs have put up political hoardings outside of a general election. Alfred Ngaro puts up political hoardings promoting himself all over the place (not just in Te Atatu). Is this legal? I haven’t seen other political parties doing this.
@ Words – yep good question, I saw that self-congratulating Benny Basher paula sign the other day, nearly frightened me off the road.
Where is the Labour Party on this?….taking an opposition lead?…nowhere to be seen?
…really the NZLabour party is NOT an Opposition Party …it is a shadow- in- waiting party
Are Labour even allowed to breathe? Unlike National and their spin doctors, Labour are inclined to get informed about an issue before commenting. This constant Labour bashing at every opportunity by some is getting very old and very tiresome. Is it meant to be a distraction and a diversion from the dirty dodgy deeds of the corrupt key National government?
Another 5 star comment there Martyn Bradbury. I completely agree with you, and the Herald ALWAYS lies for John key.
Isn’t it so ironic that John key was told by America, stuff your NZ farmers and stuff your NZ economy, you are not allowed to sell dairy to Russia, and John key complies without question, then turns round and spends millions of tax payer dollars bribing a dodgy Saudi businessman, that is a part of a terrorizing oppressive regime, that among other human rights atrocities, regularly cuts people’s heads off.
Well said, Martyn. Key is just following his orders. Welcome to N.Z. David Icke to explain Problem Reaction Solution.
some say David Icke is a nut job
I wonder how this rumor will translate in the coming days:
http://www.ascensionwithearth.com/2016/03/operation-disclosure-update-general.html
Rumours being rumours. Can we now confirm Senator Paul Ryan as the new President for the Republic of the USA:
http://www.ascensionwithearth.com/2016/03/operation-disclosure-intel-update.html
Oh dear, jonkey, now wotcha gonna do?
Seems it is more than just a rumour. This will put a spoke in jonkey’s wheel:
https://www.facebook.com/Indian-in-the-machine-125510660874540/
and
http://operationdisclosure.blogspot.co.nz/2016/03/http/www.dinarchronicles.com/intel
I fear the current Nat government more than ISIS at the moment.
Agreed. ISIS are a tiny group whose main goal is to “liberate” (from their point of view) Iraq and Syria from US military occupation. Their sympathizers would have no reason to carry out a terror attack in NZ if we didn’t support that occupation. So it seems obvious to me that by sending troops to support the US occupation Key and National have created a danger to the people at of Aotearoa that was totally avoidable. For them to then ramp up the funding and powers of the surveillance state, claiming to protect us from a (fairly small) risk they created is absurd.
Me Too Kim !!
My concern is that “5 Eyes” are really “6 Eyes”. Jeff Halper points out in his book War Against the People (p 104-105) that the IDF’s Urim facility in the Negev is part of the Echelon system network. Urim is particularly interested in monitoring social media. I doubt that the NZ officials would hesitate to give the Israelis any information they wanted.
Once upon a time, it was the “Yellow Peril”.
In the 1950s and 60s it was communism.
Now it’s Islamic militants.
Governments need a bogeyman to justify their power over us.
Absolutely right, you are so on to it ALH84001.
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