RNZ hate speech, conspiracies and right wing bloggers aghast: Political Kettling
Kettling (also known as containment or corralling)[1] is a police tactic for controlling large crowds during demonstrations or protests. It involves the formation of large cordons of police officers who then move to contain a crowd within a limited area. Protesters are left only one choice of exit controlled by the police – or are completely prevented from leaving, with the effect of denying the protesters access to food, water and toilet facilities for an arbitrary period determined by the police forces.
There has been much claimed and counter claimed over Radio NZs lack of moderation on their Facebook page. David Farrar almost fainted at the sacrilege of it all.
The comments were gross and angry, but this is dear old Radio NZ we are talking about. It’s Nanna, and Nanna only found out about this internet thing last year, so bless right? The technical hiccups are occurring because we are trying to teach a dinosaur to use an i-pad.
Some of the comrades even went as far to suggest the entire thing was a manufactured set up by Slater and Farrar. I don’t think describing it as a “false flag” astroturfing campaign helps distinguish you however from the bloke who wants to send you a really important website link about the truth behind 9/11.
Other than a good chance to bash Radio NZ, Slater and Farrar are doing dirty politics here, they are politically kettling the building hostility from those feeling the desperation of this Government’s policies.
It’s not the stresses Government policy has on the individual that gets focused on, it’s the angry comments that those being impacted most by that policy say that becomes the focus.
The reaction becomes a wonderful distraction from why these people have been pushed to such anger in the first place.
Our recent past is peppered with people who have been broken by this Government’s policy. There is much to be angry and stressed about.
Christchurch has had its mental health services slashed, despite the ongoing pressures of earthquakes.
The protestor who attacked Gerry Brownlee lost his son in the earthquake.
Beneficiary Russell John Tully opened fire at a WINZ office in 2014 and when we consider the way this Government treated with contempt the privacy of beneficiary Natasha Fuller, has attacked the courage of Sarah Wilson and pushed wheelchair bound Sam Kuha to attack a WINZ office with a hammer, I can’t shrug off pointing the blame where it needs to be pointed.
The way we treat people is a disgrace. Where is the emergency housing promised?
Look at the way half of beneficiaries have been caught out by welfare rules that are purposely difficult to understand and they become locked into debt servitude to the state.
Beneficiaries owe $627 million to Work and Income
Beneficiaries owed more than $627 million to Work and Income at the end of the financial year, according to official figures.
As of June 30, beneficiaries owed $627,780,079 to the Ministry of Social Development, the umbrella organisation of Work and Income.
Jobseeker support and sole parent support beneficiaries owed $417,333,640.95. The debtors — 59.1 per cent of total main benefit recipients — owed an average of $2475.90.
Debt can occur as a result of overpayment, “recoverable assistance” and fraud. Recoverable assistance helps people pay for things they need urgently, such as school uniforms or rent arrears.
So effectively the Department of Social welfare are a giant shark loan agency? Lending to the poorest and then screwing them on interest for debt they can never pay.
We don’t like to do anything formal in NZ, we like things casual around a BBQ and allowing beneficiaries to borrow for essentials and then charge them on debt they can never pay back is about as relaxed as we’ll get on slavery.
Let’s call it casual slavery.
Overpayments are another cruel hoax used to catch beneficiaries out and enslave more debtors. The hungry and the poor are unlikely to question extra money and the rules are purposely complex to catch out the rest.
These policies mean the Department of Development is actually just a debt farm, shepherding the poor into a life of servitude and casting off those who can’t fit through the gates.
All the new drop in benefit numbers mean is that National have perfected into an art the excuses they need to just dump weakened people off welfare without them fighting back.
So the Government’s plans for the poor? Why Paula Bennett would like to shift large chunks of South Auckland to Ashburton. You can’t make this up.
We are arresting student loan defaulters at the airport.
We have solo mums who are better off on the benefit than working because wages are so low!
We have a war veteran being stripped of his pension as a punitive measure.
There are other issues. We can’t trust the Government Departments responsible for all of this change because they cook the books to get the stats they want!
We have a private prison industry desperate for expansion and jailing debtors could be a growth business. I’m waiting for the editorial calling on a debtors jail.
Every day in every way, the weakest and poorest members of our society are being treated appallingly and without compassion.
We must be a better country than this. We must otherwise the building fury will only intensify.
Agree 100% this country has gone to the dogs .
Governments of the world are not benevolent to its citizens
Capitalists ,Fabians , may have different ideological roots but control and exploitation the masses is the end result
Democracy is an indeed fragile system where unceasing vigilance of the masses must keep those that would seek to rule over us
held accountable for thier corruption and excesses abuse of power
To destroy the citizens through financial ruin is one way to control the population another is hunger
We are (nz) set up for both
We have to change MMP to allow us to vote bad candidates out and for them not to then be on the list.
Great work Martyn,
Yes the Nasty NatZ will be once again winding their dirty Politics policy up again as we approach the election year eh!
Bring it on mates as we are ready this time for you as we know your evil ways as Winston does so bring him onto your show Waatea news it is a stunningly good program great work congratulations.
It seems you are not even supposed to boo politicians at events. It seems the only acceptable way to protest in New Zealand is to clap politely. 20,000 people peacefully marching in Auckland are called “rent a crowd”.
While I don’t support things being thrown at politicians of any party, and only non-violent protest, if the Prime Minister, government and supporters treat non-violent forms of protest with such contempt, they should hardly be surprised when they get a little more agitated.
I’d like to see an organised booing campaign where whenever the Prime Minister went out in public there was always someone booing him.
Bomber this is the second time (that I’ve noticed at least) that you’ve accused MSD of acting like a loan shark charging interest on recoverable assistance. That’s just plain wrong. People don’t pay interest on recoverable assistance and never have throughout the decades this type of payment has existed. That type of payment exists specifically to provide an alternative to loan sharks, and let people borrow money they need urgently without being locked into interest payments.
Sure, there are arguments to be made about what should be recoverable and what should be given to beneficiaries without an obligation to pay back. But ultimately id argue that the majority of these payments are made for things that no one would expect beneficiaries or anyone else to get for free. And, I reiterate, there is no interest. To suggest there is, and that its some kind of plot to lock people into servitude, is irresponsible because if people listened to you they might not actually apply for the help they need, recoverable or not.
When you go on an uninformed rant and get your facts wrong, it undermines the stuff you’re right about.
yeah but what is called the stats on welfare payments include what are actually loans. And the fact that these guys are getting loans when they presumably don’t have the means to pay it back is not just shark behavior, it’s gangster thuggery.
The amounts paid to beneficiaries are a long way below the adult minimum wage (that includes pensions).
Market place prices are pitched to people who earn far, far more and who may be able to negotiate ‘pay rises’ or a well-paid contract. No beneficiary has that capability, and many cannot work, either.
The atmosphere in many WINZ offices is enough to prevent people from asking for what they are entitled to. And WINZ has been found to fail to advise people of their entitlements – more that just a few times.
Saving for items – school uniforms, shoes, dental care, optical care, etc IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE (can I shout that louder?!) on the starveling amount provided.
And, paying it back means less and less available from a pitiful amount to put a bit aside to meet those exigencies. Stupid, innit?
‘Oh they should pay it back’ – So should the governments collectively who cut the benefit rates as a sick incentive to get the ‘shiftless’ off the dole – and failed dismally to create an economic environment where people could do just that. Despite the pittance (<$25) to flutter from the dead hand of government in April (not back-dated like an MP's pay rise, please note) that cruelty has never been reversed by either of our sleek main parties.
There should be NO usurious interest on these loans. None at all.
Look – John Key has gone out of his way to be the casual, bloke-at barbecue, The Edge guest spot, claytons non- prime minister. These comments are people who don’t like HIM not some left wing conspiracy. This is the internet :it could be the whiff of the insincerity and arrogance just catching up with him.