UN OCHA

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July 12, 2025

The Daily Blog Open Mic – 12th July 2025

Announce protest actions, general chit chat or give your opinion on issues we haven’t covered for the day.

The Editor doesn’t moderate this blog, 3 volunteers do, they are very lenient to provide you a free speech space but if it’s just deranged abuse or putting words in bloggers mouths to have a pointless argument, we don’t bother publishing.

All in all, TDB gives punters a very, very, very wide space to comment in but we won’t bother with out right lies or gleeful malice. We leave that to the Herald comment section.

EDITORS NOTE: – By the way, here’s a list of shit that will get your comment dumped. Sexist abuse, homophobic abuse, racist abuse, anti-muslim abuse, transphobic abuse, Chemtrails, 9/11 truthers, Qanon lunacy, climate deniers, anti-fluoride fanatics, anti-vaxxer lunatics, 5G conspiracy theories, the virus is a bioweapon, some weird Bullshit about the UN taking over the world and ANYONE that links to fucking infowar.

A war criminal like Netanyahu nominating Trump for Noble Peace Prize is like Hitler hosting the Olympics

Netanyahu nominates Trump for Nobel peace prize at White House meeting

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July 12, 2025

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A war criminal like Netanyahu nominating Trump for Noble Peace Prize is like Hitler hosting the Olympics

Benjamin Netanyahu told Donald Trump that he would nominate him for the Nobel peace prize on Monday, as the two leaders met for the first time since the US launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear program as part of a short-lived war between Israel and Iran.

Jesus wept this is grotesque.

As the IDF shell Palestinian children waiting for food aid…

Israeli strike kills at least 10 children queueing for medical treatment in Gaza

Children among at least 15 killed in attack that NGO says was ‘blatant violation of international humanitarian law’

…they pat each other on their blood drenched backs for ‘peace’.

A war criminal like Netanyahu nominating Trump for the Noble Peace Prize is like Hitler hosting the Olympics.

It’s obscene.

HE HAS AN ACTIVE WARRANT FOR HIS ARREST ON WAR CRIMES!

Israel, enabled by America have murdered maybe as many as 300000 Palestinians.

This is a genocidal ethnic cleaning war crime and the monsters who are perpetrating this are pretending they are worthy of the Noble Peace Prize.

I am throwing up in the back of my throat just contemplating this abomination.

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GUEST BLOG: Talk Liberation – 8 Ways Big Brother Is Gorging Itself On Your Data This Week

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July 12, 2025

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GUEST BLOG: Talk Liberation – 8 Ways Big Brother Is Gorging Itself On Your Data This Week

In this edition:

US Government Using Palantir to Build Mass Surveillance System
Tinder Rolls Out Mandatory Face Scans for New Users in California & Canada
Pentagon Goes All-In on Drone Warfare With Massive 2026 Funding Boost
Defense Department Partners With OpenAI on Next-Gen AI Military Projects
Leaked Emails Reveal ICE Use of Facial Recognition App to ID Everyone
British Police Pilot AI System Profiling Individuals Using Sensitive Data
COPPA 2.0: The Age Verification Trap Threatening Online Privacy
Digital Services Act: EU Disinformation Rules Fuel Trade Clash With U.S.

US Government Using Palantir to Build Mass Surveillance System

The Trump administration has significantly expanded its partnership with Palantir Technologies, the data-mining firm co-founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, to centralize vast amounts of federal data on American citizens. According to a New York Timesreport, Palantir has secured over $113 million in federal contracts since President Trump took office, including deals with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Pentagon, and discussions with the Social Security Administration and IRS.

The administration relies heavily on Palantir’s Foundry software, which organizes and analyzes data across agencies, fueling fears that it could enable unprecedented surveillance capabilities. But those against data-mining and surveillance tech point out this consolidation would allow the government to create detailed profiles of citizens—tracking everything from medical histories to financial records, weaponizing data for political targeting. Initially framed as a “cost-saving” measure, a Timesinvestigation revealed that behind the scenes, officials are leveraging Palantir’s tech to merge disparate datasets, including immigration records, tax filings, and healthcare data.

Elon Musk’s (former) Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), staffed by former Palantir employees, is reportedly driving the effort. Internal dissent has also emerged, with 13 former Palantir employees signing a letter condemning the company’s collaboration with the administration, arguing that aggregated data increases risks of misuse or breaches. Palantir has vehemently denied allegations of enabling mass surveillance, asserting that it operates as a “data processor” rather than a collector and emphasizing its commitment to privacy protections.

Tinder Rolls Out Mandatory Face Scans for New Users in California & Canada

Tinder has rolled out a mandatory face liveness detection system for new users in California and Canada, marking a significant escalation in its efforts to combat fake profiles and AI-generated impersonations. The feature, called “Face Check,” requires users to submit a video selfie during account setup, which is then analyzed by FaceTec’s biometric technology to verify that the person is real and that they match their profile photos. Unlike Tinder’s existing ID Check system—which cross-references government IDs for age and identity—Face Check focuses on detecting liveness to prove the user is present and prevents duplicate or deepfake accounts, a growing concern in online dating.

The move follows successful pilot programs in Colombia, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. where early results showed a reduction in bots and fraudulent activity, according to Yoel Roth, Match Group’s head of trust and safety. California was chosen for its large, diverse user base and stringent online privacy laws, which align with Tinder’s need to balance security with data protection, addressing rampant issues like cat-fishing and romance scams which cost U.S. victims over $1.1 billion in 2023.

Match Group, Tinder’s parent company, recently cut 13% of its workforce due to declining revenues and user engagement. While Face Check seeks to restore trust in the platform, some question the long-term storage of encrypted face maps, even as Tinder assures users that video selfies are deleted post-verification. The initiative reflects the dating industry’s pivot toward AI-driven safety tools, though its ultimate success hinges on user adoption and regulatory scrutiny in an era of concerns over increased biometric surveillance.

Pentagon Goes All-In on Drone Warfare With Massive 2026 Funding Boost

The U.S. Department of Defense’s fiscal year 2026 budget includes a historic $13.4 billion investment in autonomous and non-crewed systems, marking the first time such funding has been designated as a standalone category. Senior defense officials revealed that the allocation spans across domains, with $9.4 billion earmarked for unmanned aerial vehicles, $1.7 billion for maritime autonomous systems, and $734 million for underwater capabilities, alongside $1.2 billion for cross-platform autonomy software. The budget also dedicates $3.1 billion to counter-drone technologies, reflecting the military’s clear focus on perceived threats, using inexpensive, proliferating unmanned systems that challenge traditional defense systems.

A significant portion of the funding will bolster the Navy’s unmanned initiatives, including $5.3 billion for sea-based autonomy—a $2.2 billion increase over last year’s FY2025—to procure three MQ-25 Stingray refueling drones and advance medium unmanned surface vessels. The Pentagon emphasized the operational urgency of these investments, noting that carrier strike groups in the Middle East are “engaged in combat every day” against enemy drones.

The budget’s focus on autonomy aligns with broader efforts to modernize the military’s technological edge, though challenges remain in integrating these systems. Officials emphasize the need for interoperable “central brain” software to synchronize disparate platforms, while concerns point to over-reliance on expensive solutions to counter asymmetric threats. As the Pentagon pushes to accelerate innovation, the 2026 defense budget signals a poignant shift toward unmanned warfare—one that could redefine battlefield dynamics.

Defense Department Partners With OpenAI on Next-Generation AI Military Projects

The U.S. Department of Defense has given OpenAI a $200 million contract to develop cutting-edge AI prototypes aimed at addressing critical national security challenges, for both war-fighting and admin domains. The agreement, managed by the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and AI Office (CDAO), focuses on creating “agentic workflows”—semi-autonomous AI systems capable of handling tasks traditionally performed by humans, from logistics and operational planning to healthcare management and cybersecurity. The project aligns with the CDAO’s broader strategy to integrate commercial AI solutions into defense operations, with an estimated completion date of July 2026.

The partnership points to the Pentagon’s urgency to leverage private-sector innovation, particularly amid rising competition with China’s state-backed AI advancements. OpenAI quietly removed a ban on military applications from its usage policy in early 2024, and now permits defense collaborations as long as they exclude weapons development. The deal also highlights the CDAO’s evolving role as a central hub for AI integration, despite internal challenges. OpenAI’s newly launched “OpenAI for Government” initiative will oversee the project, offering secure access to advanced models like ChatGPT Gov and custom AI tools tailored for “national security” needs, building on existing partnerships with NASA, the NIH, and other agencies.

While the initiative promises efficiency gains—like streamlining veterans’ healthcare or automating compliance paperwork—there are ethical and operational concerns. The CDAO has hinted at additional partnerships with other frontier AI firms, pointing to a focus toward it. As OpenAI steps into its role as a federal contractor, the project could set a precedent for how AI transforms national security, balancing innovation with the imperative to safeguard ethical and operational integrity.

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Leaked Emails Reveal ICE’s Use of Facial Recognition App To ID ALL Individuals

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun using a new smartphone app called Mobile Fortify that allows agents to identify individuals in real time by scanning their faces or fingerprints with a mobile phone camera, according to leaked internal emails. The app connects to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) databases, which typically collect biometric data from travelers entering or exiting the U.S., but is now being repurposed for domestic immigration enforcement. Mobile Fortify enables ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers to instantly match a person’s face or fingerprints against DHS records, significantly expanding the agency’s reach in conducting on-the-spot identity checks in public spaces, private work places, and other non-border areas.

Civil liberties-wise the tool shows dangerous escalation in surveillance, as facial recognition tech is prone to false matches and could lead to wrongful arrests. The app’s rollout aligns with the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation policies, which have prioritized the use of advanced technology to meet arrest quotas. It also exemplifies how biometric systems designed for limited purposes, like border security, can be quietly expanded into broader, unchecked surveillance tools.

ICE defends the app, stating it provides “real-time biometric identity verification” without requiring additional hardware. The lack of transparency around its deployment—including unclear safeguards for data retention, oversight, or error correction–has raised constitutional concerns under the Fourth Amendment. With ICE already relying on unsecured mobile devices and expansive data-mining practices, Mobile Fortify points toward pervasive biometric policing on American streets.

British Police Pilot AI System Profiling Individuals Using Sensitive Data

British police forces have begun implementing an AI-powered profiling system called Nectar, developed in partnership with Palantir Technologies, which consolidates sensitive personal data from approximately 80 sources—including race, health records, political views, religious beliefs, and trade union membership—into a unified intelligence platform. The system, currently piloted by Bedfordshire Police and the Eastern Region Serious Organised Crime Unit, aims to “enhance crime prevention” by generating in-depth profiles of suspects, victims, and vulnerable individuals, including minors. However, some have raised alarms over the potential for misuse, particularly regarding data retention, algorithmic bias, and the risk of innocent individuals being flagged with no oversight.

The initiative is part of a broader UK government push to integrate AI into public services, with Palantir’s Foundry platform organizing existing law enforcement data to accelerate investigations and identify at-risk groups. Yet critics argue the system effectively enables mass surveillance, creating “360-degree profiles” of individuals without adequate transparency or legal safeguards. The system also has potential to reinforce racial profiling, given Palantir’s controversial history with tools like ICE’s migrant tracking software.

While Palantir and police insist Nectar only accesses lawfully held data and avoids predictive policing, the lack of parliamentary scrutiny and vague deletion protocols fuel skepticism. Amnesty International warns such tools “supercharge racism” by codifying biased policing practices. The Home Office is considering a national rollout based on pilot results.

COPPA 2.0: The Age Verification Trap Threatening Online Privacy

A proposed update to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) aims to strengthen protections for minors by raising the covered age range from under 13 to under 17 and requiring platforms to obtain consent from teens aged 13–16 for data collection. While framed as a necessity in modern digital privacy laws, the bill’s ambiguous language could force platforms to adopt invasive age-verification systems for all users. Such measures, likely relying on government IDs or biometric scans, risk creating new surveillance infrastructures that extend far beyond their original intent, centralizing sensitive personal data vulnerable to breaches or misuse.

The shift from reactive to proactive age identification compels companies to analyze behavioral cues, usage patterns, or contextual data to avoid legal penalties. This could lead to widespread deployment of facial recognition, ID uploads, or other intrusive verification methods–even on platforms not primarily serving minors. The lack of federal safeguards for the data pools is a problem, as once collected, biometric and identity information may be retained indefinitely or shared with third parties without transparency. The bill’s supporters, including bipartisan lawmakers and major tech firms, argue it closes loopholes exploited by advertisers, but opponents counter that it outsources privacy risks to users, disproportionately affecting minority communities reliant on anonymity for safety.

Beyond privacy erosion, COPPA 2.0 threatens to reshape online access by erecting barriers to participation. Age-gating could deter users from public forums, educational resources, or creative platforms unless they submit to verification, impeding free expression. While the bill’s intent—protecting minors from predatory data practices—is widely endorsed, its execution risks normalizing mass surveillance under the guise of child safety, underscoring the need for precise definitions and enforceable data rights to prevent unintended consequences.

Digital Services Act: EU Disinformation Rules Fuel Trade Clash With U.S.

The European Union’s Code of Practice on Disinformation, now formally integrated into the Digital Services Act (DSA), took full effect on July 1, 2025, imposing stringent transparency and auditing requirements on major tech platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok. Under the new rules, designated Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Search Engines (VLOSEs) must demonstrate compliance with measures to combat disinformation—such as algorithmic transparency and ad disclosure—or face fines and investigations by EU regulators. The European Commission insists the framework targets systemic risks like manipulative algorithms, covert advertising, and “harmful content,” rather than censorship.

The policy has sparked transatlantic friction, with some U.S. officials accusing the EU of exporting “de facto global censorship” by forcing platforms to adopt Europe’s standards worldwide. In May 2025, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and colleagues warned the DSA could restrict Americans’ speech, as companies may harmonize moderation policies globally. The EU counters that the Code focuses on corporate accountability, not content removal.

The clash unfolds against a backdrop of high-stakes trade negotiations, with the Commission explicitly stating the DSA is “not on the table” in talks, mirroring tensions seen in Canada’s recent digital tax dispute with Washington. The U.S. frames the rules as protectionist and the EU defends them as democratic safeguards. The dispute risks escalating into a broader trade war over tech governance.

That concludes this edition of Your Worldwide INTERNET REPORT!

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Ray Chung as disgustingly foul as NZF Hate Troll Rhys Williams

Exclusive: Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung’s sex and drugs gossip about Tory Whanau

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July 11, 2025

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Ray Chung as disgustingly foul as NZF Hate Troll Rhys Williams

Wow…

An email has emerged in which Wellington councillor and mayoral hopeful Ray Chung describes a New Year’s Eve drugs and sex orgy involving incumbent mayor Tory Whanau that she flatly denies ever happened.

Chung – who wants to become Wellington’s mayor in the upcoming local body election – wrote of Whanau in explicit terms having drug-fuelled “tempestuous sex” and making reference to her having “pendulous soft breasts”.

Whanau told the Herald the email contents are false and that she celebrated New Year’s Eve 2022 with ambassadors from the diplomatic corps and attended a rainbow community celebration.

Whanau said the email is an example of the “dehumanising” personal attacks she has experienced during her term as Wellington’s mayor – and part of the reason she is not running for the mayoralty again.

She said “I personally do not think [Chung] is fit for the mayoralty based on this email and other public comments he has made other the past few months.”

She said those comments included Chung saying she was “full of shit” in a Newstalk ZB interview.

…look.

There are many legitimate reasons to dislike Tory Whanau, but this creepy disgusting behaviour by Chung is dogs hit on your shoe level spite.

Ray Chung as disgustingly foul as NZF Hate Troll Rhys Williams.

This fucking maggot even goes as far as admitting he has no idea that the smear is even tru!

Chung has confirmed to the Herald he wrote the email and had no idea if the contents were true.

He said he did no fact checking but found it “interesting” and thought his fellow councillors would agree.

Oh fuck off you weird creep!

If the people of Wellington really want someone like Chung representing them after learning of how he led these sort of panty sniffer level character smears, well Wellington deserves to be burnt to the ground.

It’s a totally needless cruelty that speaks ill of Chung as a human being and as leader. The only honourable thing now he has been exposed is he stands down immediately.

Chung shames all asian-Kiwis with these scumbag tactics.

What a fucking piece of shit.

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MEDIAWATCH: Ryan Bridge lecturing on crime is the sound of ZB white privilege talking points

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July 11, 2025

Election battle lines are slowly being drawn – Ryan Bridge

MEDIAWATCH: Ryan Bridge lecturing on crime is the sound of ZB white privilege talking points

The younger, gayer, poorer version of Mike Hosking, Ryan Bridge, vomits up ZB white privilege talking points on crime…

You know immediately when something makes good political sense.

You can usually tell, not by listening to a minister sell it, but by listening to the Opposition oppose it.

Crime is the Government’s topic du jour this week.

It’s one of a shrinking number of election issues on which National still currently outpolls Labour.

So, it’s no wonder they’ve pulled out all the stops after a few weeks of shaky results and a fair amount of time spent on defence.

The problem for Labour with crime is simple: nobody trusts them. The facts are as follows: crime went nuts. Labour’s policy? Cut the prison population. Sure, there’s more to it than that, but this is clearly how voters feel.

…so it doesn’t matter how irrational the laws being proposed are, the Left should just join Ryan Bridge Lynch mob because rednecks love Lynch mobs.

Charming.

NOTE: There is no data on how many coward punches so it’s a solution looking for a problem.

NOTE: We already have assault rules against first responders but Judges don’t use them because the majority of those assaulting Fire Fighters or Ambulance staff are in trauma or shock.

NOTE: The shoplifting fines are a joke.

NOTE: Paul ‘Mad Max’ Goldsmiths Vigilante Nation – GET YOUR BASH ON (trademark pending) allows for ZB Dads to assault children if they suspect them of shoplifting.

According to Ryan, it doesn’t matter that the announcements were counter productive virtue signalling garbage, what matters is LABOUR ARE SOFT ON CRIME!

Ryan is making sure new alt-Right Canadian Billionaire Jim Grenon won’t sack him in the next purge.

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Government want beneficiary slaves to clean up for Farmers

Government wants unemployed people to help with flood clean-up

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July 11, 2025

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Government want beneficiary slaves to clean up for Farmers

The government plans to bring in jobseekers to help with the response to the recent flooding in Tasman and Marlborough.

Social Development Minister Louise Upston has announced the activation of an Enhanced Task Force Green.

This allows the use of funding for training, supplying, transporting and paying people on the Jobseeker benefit to help with the cleanup.

Upston said the work could include clearing debris and fencelines, as well as repairing buildings and waterways.

She said the programme would put jobseekers where they will be of most help to farmers and growers cleaning up their properties.

There is a late stage capitalism climate change game being played by the Political Right.

On one hand they tell you the voters that climate change is a socialist hoax, that it’s alarmism and that the solution is more cows, more cows and more cows. They fund Groundswell with Dark Ag Money and lie to you about the truth of climate change.

On the other hand they are panicking like fuck at the reality of the situation and how it utterly undermines the free market capitalism that has empowered them. That is the real reason behind the Treaty Principles Referendum, banning Māori wards and pushing the Regulatory Standards Bill.

It’s the reason they secretly decided to dump you all with cost of climate change events…

New Zealand climate report: Home owners face risks as buy-outs phase out, expert warns

…the Political Right know you aren’t so stupid that you will be led to the climate change abattoir, so they are ramming all these changes through before you all wake up.

Forcing beneficiaries to clean up the climate change storm damage caused by Farmers is a beautiful solution because people don’t care about beneficiaries and they point blank refuse to acknowledge Farmers have anything to do with climate change.

As the environmental carnage continues from Climate Change, the Government will move from forcing Beneficiaries to clean up and expand that to prisoners as well.

This way they never have to confront the truth that climate change that they have helped cause is here while channeling public anger against beneficiaries and prisoners as a sort of silver medal for right wing spite.

Yes, they have to barely acknowledge climate change, but on the bright side they get to force beneficiaries and prisoners to suffer.

This is what we is now, this is who we have become.

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BEN MORGAN: Why Ukraine matters to Europe, and should matter to the US

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July 11, 2025

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BEN MORGAN: Why Ukraine matters to Europe, and should matter to the US

The Ukraine War may have dropped off the mainstream media’s radar, but it is still a vitally important conflict. The war could pose an existential threat to the NATO alliance, and therefore to the global order. A threat US policy makers do not seem to have appreciated.

Analysing the Russian threat requires new thinking because the world and security assumption have changed. The binary nature of the Cold War era is long gone, replaced initially by a period of cooperation and prosperity during which large nations embraced free trade and then by a period of violence and uncertainty post 9/11. But the Global War on Terror (GWOT) did not threaten the post-Cold War order, large nations generally worked together to suppress new terrorist threats.

However, we now are entering a new period of multi-polar politics. An economically ascendent China is keen to reset the current global order to reduce the dominance of the US in world politics. Prior to the Ukraine War, Russia was an equal partner with China. Putin understood that a global order led by the US limited Russian power, and found a powerful ally in China. Although quite different in many ways, Russia and China saw advantages in working together to advance their agendas.

Before the Ukraine War, Russia was a credible ally. Many analysts and commentators rated it the second most powerful military in the world. It was regarded as technologically advanced, experienced in war and able to project power globally. A force quite different to the untested Chinese military.

Invading Ukraine proved these assumptions wrong. Initially, Russia’s military looked powerful but did not overwhelm Ukraine. Instead, significant weaknesses started to show. Russia could not coordinate joint operations its air, naval and ground forces were unable to operate in an integrated manner. Russian soldiers were poorly trained and led, with very poor logistics support. Corruption was rife, further weakening its capabilities.

Ukraine did not give up, or fail, its military fought hard and Ukraine received enormous amounts of support from around the world, the US and NATO countries donating military and humanitarian aid. Even countries on the other side of the world like Japan, Australia and New Zealand provided support. Many smaller nations understand that their borders are guaranteed by collective security arrangements, and that if Russia triumphed it would set a dangerous precedent.

Now Ukraine and Russia are locked in a stalemate, both sides hanging on, neither willing to give up. But neither appears to have the resources to inflict a catastrophic defeat on the other and win the war.

Putin’s problem is his maximalist objectives and too little combat power

Russia’s single biggest obstacle to winning the war is self-created. Putin’s conditions for victory are currently impossible to achieve and can be summarised as follows:

Regime change in Ukraine. Replacing President Zelenskyy’s government with a new, tame, pro-Russian administration.

Ukraine disarmed. The demobilisation of the Ukraine’s existing military, and its replacement with a smaller more easily dominated force.

No NATO membership for Ukraine. Aside from stopping NATO membership protecting Ukraine, Putin wants the nation to focus politically, economically and culturally on Russia rather than ‘facing’ Europe.

Putin’s aim is probably to create a state like Belarus, independent in name only. Achieving these objectives is currently impossible because Ukraine’s people do not want to be a Russian vassal, and many nations around the world are supporting them. The motivation to fight, combined with international support, makes Ukraine too tough an opponent. Russia simply does not have the military power to catastrophically defeat Ukraine and force these conditions on the defeated nation.

What is Putin’s plan?

I do not understand the Kremlin’s calculus so defer to two Russia expert when trying to assess the situation, Sir Bill Browder and Mark Galeotti. The former is a financier, who worked extensively in Russian and is famous for his conflict with the Kremlin. Browder describes the gambling culture of senior Russian leaders, their comfort with risk and propensity to bluff.

Galeotti is a historian with a particular interest in transnational crime, and regarded as an expert on Russia. He describes Putin’s regime as an ‘ad hoc-cracy,’ a government that typically reacts to events in a poorly thought through manner rather trying to shape events by planning.

The views of both provide human insight into Russian strategy. It appears that Putin’s gamble to invade Ukraine has not paid off, and since then the Russian campaign is a series of ad hoc responses to the situation. We can extrapolate that Putin’s strategy is ad hoc and is simply to keep bluffing for as long as he can, throwing manpower at the problem and hoping for a failure within NATO that will limit support to Ukraine and change the campaign’s dynamics.

The current White House’s policies regarding Ukraine and NATO incentivises this behaviour. Uncertainty about the US’s role and commitment to Ukraine and NATO may encourage deeper division amongst members, a situation Putin appears keen to reinforce by leveraging his relationship with President Trump.

A global perspective

The situation in Europe has wider implications and China, Russia’s most important partner benefits from any tension within NATO. In 2023, NATO’s Strategic Concept identified China as a threat and the need to deter potential aggression like an invasion of Taiwan.

Now NATO countries warships regularly exercise in the Pacific and conduct ‘freedom of navigation’ patrols in the Taiwan Strait. Last year, NATO countries practised moving two dozen fighter aircraft and their support teams around the Pacific and on the ground, there are more exercises and activities with the alliance’s Indo-Pacific partners, Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. European defence companies are also working closely with defence industries in the Pacific region.

Chinese strategists are sure to see the risk posed by a united NATO that is willing, and able to support US deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region. And that it is in China’s strategic interest to support any Russian attempt to weaken the alliance.

Therefore, China covertly supports Russia buying oil and supplying essential electronic equipment because the Ukraine War puts pressure on NATO. On 4 July, CNN reported that “Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat that Beijing can’t accept Russia losing its war against Ukraine as this could allow the United States to turn its full attention to China, an official briefed on the talks said, contradicting Beijing’s public position of neutrality in the conflict.” A statement that summarises China’s position, Ukraine is potentially a useful diversion of military resources away from the Indo-Pacific region.

The best way to ensure Russian victory is to reduce support for Ukraine, and senior Chinese diplomats are unlikely to speak without thinking. So, this statement is probably designed to reinforce the narrative that Russia will win in Ukraine. China’s support propping Russia up and allowing it to keep fighting. A narrative that encourages NATO members that are less concerned by the threat of direct attack to see the potential for a long and costly Ukraine War, that they will need to help fund.

The objective is probably to create a ‘wedge’ between NATO members and try and split the alliance. Any split reduces its collective power and ability to deter aggression, whether in Europe or worldwide.

Defining Russia’s threat

However, the threat Russia poses is not a conventional threat, Putin is unlikely to achieve his maximalist goals in Ukraine, and he would be foolish to launch a large-scale invasion of any NATO country. Instead, he is more likely to choose to influence the Ukraine War by creating an asymmetric threat, an expensive ongoing dilemma for European nations to manage.

A situation that forces the nations bordering Russia to demand more from the alliance. A demand that other countries far from Russia may not be willing to meet, creating political tension within the alliance that may cause a split.

A worst-case could be some form of hybrid action. For example:

Enforcing a territorial claim in the Baltic.
Capturing a small area of disputed territory in the Baltic republics or near Kalingrad.
Capturing territory in the Finnmark, Finland’s northern-most county.

A small operation designed to force a decision about whether all European nations would commit to support a full-scale military response. A test to see how strong the alliance’s bonds are, especially when many countries will struggle to meet new spending goals or to support Ukraine. For instance, would Polish politicians be willing to accept the risk of being attacked by Russian missiles and drones to support the defence of a small part of the frozen Finnmark? Likewise, would Spain or Portugal wish to be committed a potentially large war to protect a small and isolated territory of an alliance partner? It is an interesting question.

If NATO’s response is united and firm, an operation like this would be unsuccessful. But if there is hesitance or indecision, it could create the conditions for debate and possibly a split.

Conclusion – Why Ukraine is important

In conclusion the Ukraine War is about deterrence, not just in Europe but around the world. By supporting Ukraine, alliances like NATO and individual countries across the globe are demonstrating that unilateral aggression is not acceptable. That collective security based on an international rules-based order can deter large countries taking the law into their own hands. If a breakdown can be forced, then this alliance and its deterrent value around the world is weakened.

A situation the US should actively be trying to avoid but that its actions appear to be encouraging. The recent stall in support for Ukraine sent a dangerous message, and President Trump’s angry words about Putin mean little if they are not backed by action. Therefore, now more than ever it is important that Europe, the US and other countries maintain their support for Ukraine because a united approach to deterrence disincentivises military escalations in Europe, and around the world.

Ben Morgan is a bored Gen Xer, a former Officer in NZDF and TDBs Military Blogger – his work is on substack

Dear ZB Dad Vigilantes empowered by Paul ‘Mad Max’ Goldsmith, if we think you’re being too violent, you’ll get the bash

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July 11, 2025

Dear ZB Dad Vigilantes empowered by Paul ‘Mad Max’ Goldsmith, if we think you’re being too violent, you’ll get the bash

As ZB Dads, Redneck Crackers and Culture War Boomers salivate at Paul ‘Mad Max’ Goldsmith’s ‘Vigilante Nation’ – GET YOUR BASH ON (trademark pending), it’s important to point out that the rest of us will be watching.

If we see ZB Dads, Redneck Crackers and Culture War Boomers attacking poor desperate people inside Supermarkets, we will step in and if we think you’re being too violent, you’ll get the bash.

Brothers and sisters, I don’t drive, I walk everywhere and catch public transport which means I am in public a lot and because we live in a liberal progressive democracy, I believe we all have a civic duty to protect people in public spaces from violence, abuse and harassment meaning I’ve stepped in to stop public fighting as many times as I’ve had hot dinners.

I’m suggesting I’ve broken up public violence a lot.

However, while I believe passionately as men that we have an obligation to protect those who are weaker than us in public, I’m not tackling some poor bugger shoplifting at the local supermarket.

Violence, harassment, intimidation – oh I’m all up for stopping that nonsense in public, and that includes ram raiders, you pull that crap around me and you deserve the arse kicking quite frankly, (and so say all of us), but I’m not narking or citizen arresting some bugger for denting the supermarkets profit margin.

The Supermarkets who use their market dominance to price gouge us and use mass surveillance face recognition software, I’m not helping them criminalise some desperate person nicking food because their hungry – whenever I shop at the Supermarket, I always buy a little extra for the begger out the front, that’s how you help, not by being the tough guy and grabbing desperate people in some Get your bash on vigilante jamboree.

I’m always going to turn a blind eye to hungry people stealing, the real crime is the cost of living crisis that forces so many to steal in the first place.

If ZB Dad start beating up on weaker people, we will start beating up on the ZB Dads.

Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.

If this many people had been leaving under Labour, Mike Hosking would be screaming

The brain drain is on: 30,000 Kiwis wing it to Australia in a year

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July 11, 2025

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If this many people had been leaving under Labour, Mike Hosking would be screaming

The sheer incompetence of this Government is staggering.

They imposed a massive public funding amputation using an Austerity Budget that borrowed more for tax cuts we cant afford while hollowing out actual money for public services.

This led to a total shut down of the construction industry for public housing builds and has seen workers flee to Australia!

758 construction businesses have gone into liquidation in the last 12 months, thanks in part to the Government’s freeze on transport, housing and hospital investment spending at the beginning of 2024, Centrix reported this morning. Construction jobs have fallen by 12,723 in the last year!

National did this, National take the blame.

What I found most delightful, is the hypocrisy of the NZ mainstream media.

If Labour was in power during an exodus this massive, the mainstream media led by Mike Hosking would be demanding revolution while listing every reason Labour were driving Kiwis offshore, yet it happens while National is in power and no such reaction from the media!

If this many people had been leaving under Labour, Mike Hosking would be screaming!

Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.

MEDIAWATCH: Herald Now starting to smell like TodayFM and why Megan Whelan should have ‘resigned’ from RNZ a long time ago

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July 11, 2025

Media Insider: Top RNZ executive resigns as broadcaster tackles budget cuts, voluntary redundancies

MEDIAWATCH: Herald Now starting to smell like TodayFM and why Megan Whelan should have ‘resigned’ from RNZ a long time ago

What do I know?

I only picked Newshub going under and Today FM dying.

I’m getting that stench of media death from the Herald Now project.

It’s ratings are dire and most dangerously, it is eating up ZB ratings which is the Golden Goose of NZME.

Not even the smug charm of Ryan Bridge can protect him from that looming backlash.

You get the feeling NZME hired someone from Stuff who said, ‘hey we can do this just like we poorly did at Stuff’.

It’s like a transmission of bad ideas from one media platform to the other.

Talking of which, how unsurprising was this?

RNZ chief executive pays tribute to one of his most loyal lieutenants – will her departure spark a top table overhaul, amid budget cuts?

One of RNZ’s most influential executives has resigned.

Megan Whelan’s departure, as head of content, comes at the same time as the public broadcaster faces budget cuts and increasing pressure from the Government over its ratings performance and trust levels.

Whelan’s role includes oversight of RNZ hosts and other talent.

…surely the real question is how did Whelan survive so long?

Why was she allowed to stay around after the Mick Hall fiasco?

5 years ago when RNZ started their digital news department (without it being under the editorial control of the News Dpetament) it was met at the time with the exact criticisms that have been harvested now.

The criticism was that the Journalistic oversight required to run a digital arm wasn’t funded and would end up with copy being printed that hadn’t been given appropriate oversight.

All Mick Hall was guilty of was doing his job! He was adding context to news stories taken off overseas media wires, he wasn’t a Russian 5th columnist FFS.

He worked from home, doing a job no one was funded to oversee until an anonymous right wing blogger compared stories and the rest of the media picked it up and ran with it.

A work from home journalist subbing copy at a poorly over sighted and underfunded State Radio broadcaster with internal turf wars over who has editorial control is not the infiltration of bias that it was sold as.

The real question is how senior staff on $300 000 per year seemed to miss all of this?

Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.

Political Caption Competition

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July 11, 2025

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Pig Brother is watching you

The Daily Blog Open Mic – 11th July 2025

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July 11, 2025

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The Daily Blog Open Mic – 11th July 2025

Announce protest actions, general chit chat or give your opinion on issues we haven’t covered for the day.

The Editor doesn’t moderate this blog, 3 volunteers do, they are very lenient to provide you a free speech space but if it’s just deranged abuse or putting words in bloggers mouths to have a pointless argument, we don’t bother publishing.

All in all, TDB gives punters a very, very, very wide space to comment in but we won’t bother with out right lies or gleeful malice. We leave that to the Herald comment section.

EDITORS NOTE: – By the way, here’s a list of shit that will get your comment dumped. Sexist abuse, homophobic abuse, racist abuse, anti-muslim abuse, transphobic abuse, Chemtrails, 9/11 truthers, Qanon lunacy, climate deniers, anti-fluoride fanatics, anti-vaxxer lunatics, 5G conspiracy theories, the virus is a bioweapon, some weird Bullshit about the UN taking over the world and ANYONE that links to fucking infowar.

The Liberal Agenda – The Basement Auckland

The Liberal Agenda

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July 11, 2025

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The Liberal Agenda – The Basement Auckland

Kia ora Basement whānau,

Nau mai haere mai ki ngā whakaari hou i tēnei wiki!

In the Theatre, catch Firing the Canon – Play Reading Week, a free play reading series produced by Sam Brooks and presented by Smoke Labours Productions showcasing essential and exciting New Zealand plays with fresh interpretations by new and familiar artists.

In the Studio, Therapy: A Musical Comedy, the award-winning Kiwi musical that blends true crime fun facts, cult realisations, and intrusive thoughts with a heartfelt journey through mental health, all while making you laugh and reflect deeply. Also in the Studio, catch hilarious performances with Don’t Quit Your Day Job, Asian Comedy Takeover, and Bull Rush.

Mā te wā,
Basement Theatre x

Therapy: A Musical Comedy
08 – 12 July, 6.30pm. Studio. True crime fun facts, realising you joined a cult and boldly announcing your intrusive thoughts. Yeah – we sing about these things.

A one (and a half) woman musical following a woman’s visits to therapy with the hope of a quick fix for dizzy-spells. Instead, she spends a few sessions dodging serious questions, laughing about being human, and finally addressing the loss of a parent.

THERAPY is an original, Kiwi musical based on real events. The show discusses mental illness, suicide, sexual assault, and uses strong language.

WINNER: New Zealand Fringe Touring Award (2024)
NOMINEE: Best in Fringe (Dunedin Fringe 2024), Best Comedy (Dunedin Fringe 2024)

Firing The Canon – Play Reading Week
08 – 12 July, 8pm. Theatre. Free. Firing the Canon presents a selection of plays from Aotearoa New Zealand’s massive back catalogue – plays that are important to our history, plays that represent the best of the best, and plays that are just plain cool – and pairs them up with Basement Theatre artists new and familiar. Some of these plays are having their Auckland debut, some their Basement debut, and some are old favourites having fresh and exciting new outings. The common theme? They’re all from New Zealand, and they speak not to just the history of theatre, but to our own history.

The plays are:
Glide Time by Roger Hall (Tuesday July 8)
Smashed by Tāwhi Thomas (Wednesday July 9)
Rēwena by Whiti Hereaka (Thursday July 10)
The Packer by Dianna Fuemana (Friday July 11)
Cow by Jo Randerson (Saturday July 12)

All these readings are free, produced by arrangement with Playmarket NZ, and proudly supported by Auckland Council and the City Centre Targeted Rate.

Read more about this event: Why do so many New Zealand plays have such short lives?

Book Now (Free)

Don’t Quite Your Day Job
10 July, 8.30pm. Studio. Choose What You Pay. Which comedian can cut a job in the “real-world”?

There’s plenty of people who will say ‘comedy isn’t a “real job”’ but this is the only show which tests comedians to see if they’re capable of doing anything else. Through a series of quizzes and improv situations all based around one area of work, each comic will be vying to see who can walk away with the Champions title of “Employee of the Month”.

Hoani Hotene hosts, while two teams of comedians know their knowledge and improv skills to show that they’re more than just punchlines and the rule of threes. If you enjoy shows like QI and Thank God You’re Here this is the show for you!

July’s Don’t Quit Your Day Job features:

Panel:
Janaye Henry
Courtney Dawson
Rhys Mathewson
Anthony Crum

Improvisers:
Bailey Poching
Rebecca Mary Gwendolyn
Luci Elisara

Theme:
Painters 🧑‍🎨

Asian Comedy Takeover
11 July, 8.30pm. Studio.The Asian Comedy Takeover is back for July! A line-up comedy night with some of your favourite Pan-Asian comedians in Tāmaki taking the stage at Basement Theatre. Hosted by Jess Karamjeet, with more acts to be announced!

PACSA (Laughs) aka the Pan-Asian Comedy School Aotearoa, trains Pan-Asian creatives in the art of stand-up comedy. For more information, visit @pacsa_laughs on IG or jess-karamjeet.com

Bull Rush
11 July, 10pm. Studio.No Friday night will ever be the same again.

With a roster of Tāmaki Makaurau’s best and brightest performers, expect spit-take- worthy gags, epic stories, heartbreaking tales, and live improvised music at Bull Rush.

So gather your mates for a night of never before seen, totally made up, improvised comedy every Rāmere Friday.

Mess with the bull, feel the rush.

Since 2020, Bull Rush have been making it up as they go. With several seasons (Jingle Bull(Rush), Ghoul Rush, 1822) under their belt, these self-professed improv nerds know how to put on a bloody good show.

Winners of Best Improv Group at the 2024 NZ Comedy Guild Awards, among other accolades (not to brag.

The Ballad of Briar Grant
15 – 19 July, 6.30pm. Studio.Hayley’s whole life has always revolved around her best friend, Briar Grant. When their relationship abruptly combusts, Hayley finds herself unexpectedly shipped off to an orchard in the South of France. Stranded in the most beautiful place on Earth, the world seems to be playing a joke on her. The Kiwi woman she’s wound up working with is also named Briar Grant.

The Ballad of Briar Grant is a new dramedy by Jack McGee, presented by Squash Co. Arts Collective, about two very sad divas taking it out on one another amongst the apple trees. Together they’ll play out decades old conflicts that have nothing and everything to do with each other.

How To Art – Fundraiser Season
17 – 19 July, 8pm. Theatre.Winner of the NZ Fringe ‘Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award’ 2025, How to Art returns for three nights only!

Two bananas wake up duct-taped to the wall of a prestigious art gallery and meet their maker. Three artists, two auctions, one audience… Will anyone get paid?

Birthed from the burnt-out brains of Katie Burson and Georgie Llewellyn, How to Art is a post-post-post-ironic-clown-fruit-mash-up about making art, surviving, and chasing mass a-peel. In a world that values youth, perfection and mass production, can two bruised bananas go the distance? Ripe with potential, can they find their place before they’re put up for sale?

Jesters, collectors, and narcissists reign in this low-brow exploration of the cost of creativity and the art of living.

You’ll never eat a ladyfinger the same way again. (We certainly can’t).

Find out how starving these artists truly are. Watch out, Picasso.

Throwing Pains: Poems by Claudia Jardine and Friends
17 July, 8.30pm. Studio.First, she brought you Biter, and now she’s bringing you… something that’s still kinda taking shape.

Come join Ōtautahi-based poet Claudia Jardine as she shares some new work that might make you want to throw up, but that’s growth.

In a show of solidarity, fellow poets Amber Esau and Sophie van Waardenberg have agreed to come along as special guest readers for this hour of poetry. Bless them.

William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
22 – 26 July, 6.30pm. Studio. Choose What You Pay. After sellout shows around Te Waipounamu, just two actors perform Shakespeare’s most celebrated history play.

Julius Caesar is all-powerful after a string of military and political successes. Plans are set into motion to make Julius Caesar an Emperor … and Caesar’s friends gather to discuss their fears. They hatch a plan to assassinate Caesar … who will take up Caesar’s mantle? Who will retain their honour? Shall Rome stand under one woman’s awe?

Starring Elisa Jones and Josiah Morgan as boldly reimagined by Khalil Qualls, this production is a thrilling exploration of corruption and power in a divided political world. Don’t miss your chance to see this Shakespearean classic as you’ve never seen it before.

Ranggheli: The Bhavai Saga
22 – 26 July, 8pm. Theatre.A monk and a courtesan switch souls in this riotous, soul-shaking satire based on a 7th-century Sanskrit farce. Sacred meets scandal in this fearless Gujarati folk theatre experience—Bhavai unleashed!
By Shailesh Prajapati

Gujarati Sahitya Mandal NZ Inc. is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting Gujarati language, literature, and performing arts in Aotearoa. Since 2016, the group has brought over a dozen original and adapted Gujarati productions to New Zealand stages. Led by Shailesh Prajapati—a seasoned filmmaker, director, and Bhavai-trained artist—the group supports emerging South Asian artists and preserves traditional storytelling through bold contemporary performance.