Gimmicks, pandering, positioning himself for the next election. Peters is well past his use by date, and Aotearoa's vaunted foreign policy is mostly pussy footing. So much damage being done in the the name of what? No plan, no vision, just piecemeal destruction.
You are so right Nick. Many of my high school students thought that the porn they watched was normal sex. They need teaching about relationships and sex when they are vulnerable teens.
I see that Winston turns 80 next month. He has been in politics for 50 years (!) and has always had a very high opinion of himself and hostile intolerance for anyone who disagrees with him (read Wiki for a reminder about his destructive record). When Winston was young, kids learned about sex for themselves out in the bike shed or the back of the school grounds without any guidance from parents, let alone schools, who thought talking about sex and sexuality was taboo. His latest rants on social media leave me gobsmacked about who has let him loose. Imagine, this is the man heading to the US to try to convince Trump's mob they shouldn't pick on Aotearoa NZ.
Coming from the same era as Winston, we did get advice from our parents. It's just they were too embarrassed to tell us themselves, so they gave us small books - the sort you get when buying a product and have to put it together. We laughed because we had sorted the 'technicalities' between us even though, I hasten to add, we didn't put them into practice. Indeed, in those pre and early teen years we considered the process somewhat distasteful.
I had some respect for Peters in the1990s due to his tenacious investigatory work into the "Wine Box" saga, but since then he has been drifting towards the rabbit holes and would now appear to be in them. After all, he wouldn't be where he is if it hadn't been for the inhabitants, so he has much to thank them for.
He used to champion for superannuitants as well. The gold card does have value and my mum has certainly used it. Why isn’t he fighting for winter energy payments to continue and a better tax relief than National gave, or an increase in Super (absolutely needed in this cost of living crisis). What about increased social housing for the elderly. More and more kiwis will not be homeowners by retirement age. If he was fighting for these causes, he’d get a lot more respect and I reckon a lot more votes. His dog whistling around the edges is counterproductive and weak.
Its almost like Standford/National have been muzzled by NZF and Act, she has gone to ground over this issue and the school lunch fiasco. NZF/ACT are running the show and Natz are there to make up the numbers. Peters even took control of Nicky no boats debacle. Where is the media?
Nats include conservative christian groups where 'daddy knows best'. Simeon, Luxon and others. These folk are happy that any discussion of relationhips is 'at home' where minimal information biased to heteronorming is 'best' conveyed. The reality is it is seldom overtly discussed even in minimal ways.
Speaking as an ex-Canadian Kiwi I have been more and more convinced over the years that National has taken all its political direction and policies directly and almost to the letter from the most recent expositions of the Republican White Yankees of America...this includes of course, the insane lurch to the Right of the Christians.
Oh dear.....Winston Peters is becoming more and more like the elderly relative who keeps wandering down to the dairy in just their vest and has to be brought home by embarrassed police officers.
I'd like to share with you a reply that I got a week or two ago from a supporter of his who seemed to be even more far gone than Winston himself. The Spinoff had run a story on the old boy making a fool of himself over the water fluoridation issue.
So I said;
'Peters made his choice to actually engage with the 'Freedumb' crowd, back when they were rolling about in their own bodily waste outside parliament. I've no doubt that he saw them as the useless narcissists they unquestionably are, but decided to take a punt on winning a few votes from people who are normally not politically engaged.
Probably an astute move on his part since that entire movement is unlikely to have any serious traction in future elections.
Still, he has to pander to them for now.
But you can tell that he's not ready INTERESTED in this whiny nonsense, he's just going through the motions.'
A week or so later, one of the cookers noticed my comment and made the following reply;
'@AlanKnight Hahaha what's your Back Ground ? Can you Weld or Fix a Motor, Drive a Steam Engine ! Real People can't get into Represent The PEOPLE of New Zealand because our Political System is So Corrupt! Can you please tell us about the Executive Council within the New Zealand Government?
I was there for 23 Days I know exactly how the Waste was Handled on our Side of the Fence it's The WASTE on YOUR SIDE you Really NEED to be LOOKING into! Watch out you DON'T FULL into the Through????'
So there you have it. The eloquent expression of a chap who got a new box of crayons and a bag of meth for his birthday. I have absolutely NO IDEA what this numpty was trying to say, but then again if they were capable of rational thought they wouldn't be cookers in the first place.
(For the record, I actually DO know how to do welding. Though what this has do do with my distaste for Freedumbers is a mystery.)
What is a cooker??? Oh, and I think "Watch out you DON'T FULL into the Through" actually was trying to write "don't fall into the trough"... I really like Freedumbers" eh!!
I don't know where the term 'cookers' originated. But it's become a useful term for describing the people who lost the plot during the pandemic and threw themselves into political activism despite being entirely clueless as to how politics works.
Honestly, how many people are going to be hiding from Erica Stanford now? Are there going to be more meetings that run over time because neither Seymour nor Winston have time to meet her? How does the fact that two ministers totally ignore her damage her chances of rolling Luxon? I can't wait for the next episode in, Hiding the Minister.
Nick you killed me. Can’t shake the images of Andrew Tate as a sex educator and our two arbiters of Aotearoa’s society, one driven by the gaps in his synapses and the other by Atlas ideology. We’re so screwed. Might stay in bed today.
The voice that Winston projects covers two overlapping groups I think.
There are conservative patriarchal christians who have always said 'parents do thi s best.' But the truth is they don't do it. They are likely to want to control the behaviour of particularly their daughters. In the 70's at 22 I was teaching general science in a high school and the curriculum contained human reproduction . I used this forum to enable the young people to ask questions about birth control, and other biological aspects of relationships. Most had little information from elsewhere. The teens were grateful and in my case it didn't become an issue.
I have been pleased that the conversations in other areas of the curriculum enabled broader discussion about relationships and particularly consent.
The new group are the TERFs who seem to think there is a plot to convince young people to 'transition' and have some very odd ideas. This group of course includes general 'whackos' and bigots like Apostle Brian. However i've been surprised at those who have fallen down the TERF rabbit hole. Now just from logic what teen would want to turn off their hormones and contemplate exclusion from family etc unless they were in the pschological pain caused by gender dysphoria or confusion?
I think some of Winnies people come from both of these groups (conservatives and antitrans) and in his dotage he seems to willing to act as their advocate. Young people need quality information to be able to navigate the mineffeild of 'adult' sexual relationships. The drive of hormones and feelings is strong. So I am deeply disppointed that he advocates taking away the only place that some teens can have honest open conversations.
I was sure I replied to this the other day. Of course you are right Brian is an antifeminist however there are also some unexpected folk with anti trans attitudes.
Winston is an angry, sad old man (think Simpsons) shouting not at the clouds but at the polls - the winter election is coming (Game of Moans latest season). Billy Bragg - he knows stuff!
A bit off piste but relevant to a government without a clue. After inviting business people from all over the world, representatives of any number of companies, I’ve just that Luxo has buggered off to India in the hope of getting a trade deal with them. What are the guests in Auckland going to think of the host who’s left his own party!?? Not very much I imagine.
Below is something I sent to the Herald earlier this morning, before I read about Luxo heading off, which I think confirms his lack of any real leadership or interest in his country.
“New Zealand is open for business”. Really? The Foreign Investment Summit looks to me to be little more than a tactic admission by our Coalition that it’s run out of answers on how to drag us out of the economic and social ditch they’ve created over the last 18 months. It would be more honest to advertise “New Zealand is for sale! Some renovations required as current landlords are vacating any responsibility for upkeep. A recently redundant, cheap workforce can start immediately, no issues with union disputes, health care, (as none is currently available), no need for “woke” sensitivities regarding cultural or conservation of threatened species or resources. It comes as a “where is, as is” package, ready for you to dig it up, chop it down, drill it full of holes. You won’t find a better deal anywhere! All offers considered. Please contact Luxon & Co Real Estate for more information.
Still nor sure why you are, albeit reluctantly 😆, a promoter of Stanford Nick? She's really just Simeon Brown in heels and has been totally inept in her dealings with Seymour, and another incompetent member of the 'meritocracy' 🙄 Who woulda thunk a reality TV producer would know NOTHING about education or disrespect the expertise and evidence of those who do. And now we get to watch Drunkle Winston drive all over her.
I’m by no means a supporter, I just get the impression she is a bit more open minded than Winston or Luxon. She is showing signs of sticking up to Seymour and that’s more than I can say about the rest of them. But no, she definitely shouldn’t be the Mijister of Education. I would like to see Jan Tinneti back.
Day after day after day.... more of this moronic retrograde garbage from these fools. And media passes over it nightly like it's an offbeat cat up a tree story. They really are taking a Trumpian leaf out of the book and flooding the zone. Daily. Until we're immune to the rubbish they spout and we switch off. But that's the plan. Creating an anaesthetised populace who find it too ridiculous to even comment any more. And it's fkn exhausting. And our gutless non leader Luxon just polishes his empty head, brushes his big white expensive teeth and looks for the next photo op. Never mind the school kids or the marmite, he thinks we can all have a shit sandwhich.. and like it.
What annoys me even more than Winston's antics is the way people immediately stop everything to wait and see what the government wants e.g. pausing sexuality education, reading recovery. They should have stood up to the funding changes to school lunches to protect their communities. If something works schools need to keep doing it under the radar and make a stand. But teachers at the coalface have little choice but to buckle when their principals don't make a stand. Why aren't teachers and schools organising protests around the country about everything that is being inflicted on them? School lunch debacle, rushed literacy and math's changes, changes to te reo.
Totally agree Bronwyn. As well why aren't parents making a stand about these issues? Too busy paying the rent and mortgage and trying to make ends meet?
🤷Too busy chasing late/non delivery of school lunches⁉️ Too busy scrambling for lunch alternatives for hungry kids⁉️ Priincipals & teachers have their unions to organise pushback (IF Ministers will actually deign to meet with them?) so I think it's the parents & all of society that need to get organised, like with the hikoi (it affects us all no matter our age if we have a disaffected rebellious younger population 😱) Problem is, so many things to fight back against & many people dealing with overwhelming situations already - some caused by this govt and some made worse and/or not helped by this govt 🤬
Surely not “opposite” Catherine? He has access to unlimited preconceived “alternative” facts for any occasion. He doesn’t need “opposite”. That would imply the need for rational thought way beyond his IQ level.
I think Trump is clever and crafty with an inflated ego which makes him more dangerous. He appears to ignore all regular rules, and he is unpredictable and plays people off against each other, as he did in "The Apprentice" where he made all the decisions. Gaming the political system to make wins, he is using people and countries like counters on a board. IMHO he is a megalomaniac of the highest order.
Oh Nick....I just despair! Apart from like.....everything.....the point you make about where are the Liberal Nats is right on! How can Erica Stanford allow this? I would hope for a thorough grilling from the mainstream media but...well, y'know.
I remember when my daughter was doing Health in the late 90s in Year 10. Part of a lesson was how to put on a condom. The teacher announced that someone had stolen all the wooden penises and they'd have to use bananas. She told me when she got home and we thought it was hilarious.
One of my crimes at one of my schools was selling condoms I’d pinched from a pharmacy I worked for after school, to senior pupils for 10 cents each. I think I was about 14 at the time. It was a very Winstonian private school where any reference to sex wasn’t heard at all. I was hauled before the Headmaster for my sins and when he asked why I was doing what I was, I replied “surely it’s preferable to having pregnant schoolgirls running around sir”. He had to agree but I still got 6 of the best. That was in the mid 60’s, apparently where Winston still feels the most comfortable and relevant.
Gimmicks, pandering, positioning himself for the next election. Peters is well past his use by date, and Aotearoa's vaunted foreign policy is mostly pussy footing. So much damage being done in the the name of what? No plan, no vision, just piecemeal destruction.
Exactly - a full 6% of the population voted for this garbage.
You are so right Nick. Many of my high school students thought that the porn they watched was normal sex. They need teaching about relationships and sex when they are vulnerable teens.
Agree with emphasis.
I see that Winston turns 80 next month. He has been in politics for 50 years (!) and has always had a very high opinion of himself and hostile intolerance for anyone who disagrees with him (read Wiki for a reminder about his destructive record). When Winston was young, kids learned about sex for themselves out in the bike shed or the back of the school grounds without any guidance from parents, let alone schools, who thought talking about sex and sexuality was taboo. His latest rants on social media leave me gobsmacked about who has let him loose. Imagine, this is the man heading to the US to try to convince Trump's mob they shouldn't pick on Aotearoa NZ.
Coming from the same era as Winston, we did get advice from our parents. It's just they were too embarrassed to tell us themselves, so they gave us small books - the sort you get when buying a product and have to put it together. We laughed because we had sorted the 'technicalities' between us even though, I hasten to add, we didn't put them into practice. Indeed, in those pre and early teen years we considered the process somewhat distasteful.
I had some respect for Peters in the1990s due to his tenacious investigatory work into the "Wine Box" saga, but since then he has been drifting towards the rabbit holes and would now appear to be in them. After all, he wouldn't be where he is if it hadn't been for the inhabitants, so he has much to thank them for.
He used to champion for superannuitants as well. The gold card does have value and my mum has certainly used it. Why isn’t he fighting for winter energy payments to continue and a better tax relief than National gave, or an increase in Super (absolutely needed in this cost of living crisis). What about increased social housing for the elderly. More and more kiwis will not be homeowners by retirement age. If he was fighting for these causes, he’d get a lot more respect and I reckon a lot more votes. His dog whistling around the edges is counterproductive and weak.
Its almost like Standford/National have been muzzled by NZF and Act, she has gone to ground over this issue and the school lunch fiasco. NZF/ACT are running the show and Natz are there to make up the numbers. Peters even took control of Nicky no boats debacle. Where is the media?
Nats include conservative christian groups where 'daddy knows best'. Simeon, Luxon and others. These folk are happy that any discussion of relationhips is 'at home' where minimal information biased to heteronorming is 'best' conveyed. The reality is it is seldom overtly discussed even in minimal ways.
Speaking as an ex-Canadian Kiwi I have been more and more convinced over the years that National has taken all its political direction and policies directly and almost to the letter from the most recent expositions of the Republican White Yankees of America...this includes of course, the insane lurch to the Right of the Christians.
Can you imagine the confused word salad dear Luxflakes would use to give sex advice to his children?
He couldn’t if he tried. Left that to Mandy.
Oh dear.....Winston Peters is becoming more and more like the elderly relative who keeps wandering down to the dairy in just their vest and has to be brought home by embarrassed police officers.
I'd like to share with you a reply that I got a week or two ago from a supporter of his who seemed to be even more far gone than Winston himself. The Spinoff had run a story on the old boy making a fool of himself over the water fluoridation issue.
So I said;
'Peters made his choice to actually engage with the 'Freedumb' crowd, back when they were rolling about in their own bodily waste outside parliament. I've no doubt that he saw them as the useless narcissists they unquestionably are, but decided to take a punt on winning a few votes from people who are normally not politically engaged.
Probably an astute move on his part since that entire movement is unlikely to have any serious traction in future elections.
Still, he has to pander to them for now.
But you can tell that he's not ready INTERESTED in this whiny nonsense, he's just going through the motions.'
A week or so later, one of the cookers noticed my comment and made the following reply;
'@AlanKnight Hahaha what's your Back Ground ? Can you Weld or Fix a Motor, Drive a Steam Engine ! Real People can't get into Represent The PEOPLE of New Zealand because our Political System is So Corrupt! Can you please tell us about the Executive Council within the New Zealand Government?
I was there for 23 Days I know exactly how the Waste was Handled on our Side of the Fence it's The WASTE on YOUR SIDE you Really NEED to be LOOKING into! Watch out you DON'T FULL into the Through????'
So there you have it. The eloquent expression of a chap who got a new box of crayons and a bag of meth for his birthday. I have absolutely NO IDEA what this numpty was trying to say, but then again if they were capable of rational thought they wouldn't be cookers in the first place.
(For the record, I actually DO know how to do welding. Though what this has do do with my distaste for Freedumbers is a mystery.)
What is a cooker??? Oh, and I think "Watch out you DON'T FULL into the Through" actually was trying to write "don't fall into the trough"... I really like Freedumbers" eh!!
I don't know where the term 'cookers' originated. But it's become a useful term for describing the people who lost the plot during the pandemic and threw themselves into political activism despite being entirely clueless as to how politics works.
Thanks Alan.
I heard it came from Aussie from around the northern NSW coast, derived from meth cookers.
🎯🎯🎯
Honestly, how many people are going to be hiding from Erica Stanford now? Are there going to be more meetings that run over time because neither Seymour nor Winston have time to meet her? How does the fact that two ministers totally ignore her damage her chances of rolling Luxon? I can't wait for the next episode in, Hiding the Minister.
Nick you killed me. Can’t shake the images of Andrew Tate as a sex educator and our two arbiters of Aotearoa’s society, one driven by the gaps in his synapses and the other by Atlas ideology. We’re so screwed. Might stay in bed today.
Sorry Anna 😢 Ir is a lovely day, and we will win in the end. 🙂
"I do believe" bring on 26!! 18? months to go!!!
It’s okay Nick. Just writer’s hyperbole! Already into the lovely day we’re having down here too.
The voice that Winston projects covers two overlapping groups I think.
There are conservative patriarchal christians who have always said 'parents do thi s best.' But the truth is they don't do it. They are likely to want to control the behaviour of particularly their daughters. In the 70's at 22 I was teaching general science in a high school and the curriculum contained human reproduction . I used this forum to enable the young people to ask questions about birth control, and other biological aspects of relationships. Most had little information from elsewhere. The teens were grateful and in my case it didn't become an issue.
I have been pleased that the conversations in other areas of the curriculum enabled broader discussion about relationships and particularly consent.
The new group are the TERFs who seem to think there is a plot to convince young people to 'transition' and have some very odd ideas. This group of course includes general 'whackos' and bigots like Apostle Brian. However i've been surprised at those who have fallen down the TERF rabbit hole. Now just from logic what teen would want to turn off their hormones and contemplate exclusion from family etc unless they were in the pschological pain caused by gender dysphoria or confusion?
I think some of Winnies people come from both of these groups (conservatives and antitrans) and in his dotage he seems to willing to act as their advocate. Young people need quality information to be able to navigate the mineffeild of 'adult' sexual relationships. The drive of hormones and feelings is strong. So I am deeply disppointed that he advocates taking away the only place that some teens can have honest open conversations.
TERF stands for Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist. My brain is slightly fried by trying to fit Tamaki (either of them) into that definition.
I was sure I replied to this the other day. Of course you are right Brian is an antifeminist however there are also some unexpected folk with anti trans attitudes.
Winston is an angry, sad old man (think Simpsons) shouting not at the clouds but at the polls - the winter election is coming (Game of Moans latest season). Billy Bragg - he knows stuff!
I think "he knows stuff" is a great description. 🙂
A bit off piste but relevant to a government without a clue. After inviting business people from all over the world, representatives of any number of companies, I’ve just that Luxo has buggered off to India in the hope of getting a trade deal with them. What are the guests in Auckland going to think of the host who’s left his own party!?? Not very much I imagine.
Below is something I sent to the Herald earlier this morning, before I read about Luxo heading off, which I think confirms his lack of any real leadership or interest in his country.
“New Zealand is open for business”. Really? The Foreign Investment Summit looks to me to be little more than a tactic admission by our Coalition that it’s run out of answers on how to drag us out of the economic and social ditch they’ve created over the last 18 months. It would be more honest to advertise “New Zealand is for sale! Some renovations required as current landlords are vacating any responsibility for upkeep. A recently redundant, cheap workforce can start immediately, no issues with union disputes, health care, (as none is currently available), no need for “woke” sensitivities regarding cultural or conservation of threatened species or resources. It comes as a “where is, as is” package, ready for you to dig it up, chop it down, drill it full of holes. You won’t find a better deal anywhere! All offers considered. Please contact Luxon & Co Real Estate for more information.
Still nor sure why you are, albeit reluctantly 😆, a promoter of Stanford Nick? She's really just Simeon Brown in heels and has been totally inept in her dealings with Seymour, and another incompetent member of the 'meritocracy' 🙄 Who woulda thunk a reality TV producer would know NOTHING about education or disrespect the expertise and evidence of those who do. And now we get to watch Drunkle Winston drive all over her.
I’m by no means a supporter, I just get the impression she is a bit more open minded than Winston or Luxon. She is showing signs of sticking up to Seymour and that’s more than I can say about the rest of them. But no, she definitely shouldn’t be the Mijister of Education. I would like to see Jan Tinneti back.
Day after day after day.... more of this moronic retrograde garbage from these fools. And media passes over it nightly like it's an offbeat cat up a tree story. They really are taking a Trumpian leaf out of the book and flooding the zone. Daily. Until we're immune to the rubbish they spout and we switch off. But that's the plan. Creating an anaesthetised populace who find it too ridiculous to even comment any more. And it's fkn exhausting. And our gutless non leader Luxon just polishes his empty head, brushes his big white expensive teeth and looks for the next photo op. Never mind the school kids or the marmite, he thinks we can all have a shit sandwhich.. and like it.
What annoys me even more than Winston's antics is the way people immediately stop everything to wait and see what the government wants e.g. pausing sexuality education, reading recovery. They should have stood up to the funding changes to school lunches to protect their communities. If something works schools need to keep doing it under the radar and make a stand. But teachers at the coalface have little choice but to buckle when their principals don't make a stand. Why aren't teachers and schools organising protests around the country about everything that is being inflicted on them? School lunch debacle, rushed literacy and math's changes, changes to te reo.
Totally agree Bronwyn. As well why aren't parents making a stand about these issues? Too busy paying the rent and mortgage and trying to make ends meet?
🤷Too busy chasing late/non delivery of school lunches⁉️ Too busy scrambling for lunch alternatives for hungry kids⁉️ Priincipals & teachers have their unions to organise pushback (IF Ministers will actually deign to meet with them?) so I think it's the parents & all of society that need to get organised, like with the hikoi (it affects us all no matter our age if we have a disaffected rebellious younger population 😱) Problem is, so many things to fight back against & many people dealing with overwhelming situations already - some caused by this govt and some made worse and/or not helped by this govt 🤬
"National could care less" ? Couldn't?
Or is this that American usage which means couldn't but does it efficiently by leaving out the n't?
Yeah, that - sorry I didn't even think about it. But yeah, I guess it is American the use of the opposite meaning.
Trump uses opposite meanings a lot.
Surely not “opposite” Catherine? He has access to unlimited preconceived “alternative” facts for any occasion. He doesn’t need “opposite”. That would imply the need for rational thought way beyond his IQ level.
I think Trump is clever and crafty with an inflated ego which makes him more dangerous. He appears to ignore all regular rules, and he is unpredictable and plays people off against each other, as he did in "The Apprentice" where he made all the decisions. Gaming the political system to make wins, he is using people and countries like counters on a board. IMHO he is a megalomaniac of the highest order.
My thoughts exactly Patricia. Being guided by the weasel Musk makes him even more dangerous.
It’s a growing trend which, as an editor, makes my teeth curl 😬
Oh Nick....I just despair! Apart from like.....everything.....the point you make about where are the Liberal Nats is right on! How can Erica Stanford allow this? I would hope for a thorough grilling from the mainstream media but...well, y'know.
I remember when my daughter was doing Health in the late 90s in Year 10. Part of a lesson was how to put on a condom. The teacher announced that someone had stolen all the wooden penises and they'd have to use bananas. She told me when she got home and we thought it was hilarious.
One of my crimes at one of my schools was selling condoms I’d pinched from a pharmacy I worked for after school, to senior pupils for 10 cents each. I think I was about 14 at the time. It was a very Winstonian private school where any reference to sex wasn’t heard at all. I was hauled before the Headmaster for my sins and when he asked why I was doing what I was, I replied “surely it’s preferable to having pregnant schoolgirls running around sir”. He had to agree but I still got 6 of the best. That was in the mid 60’s, apparently where Winston still feels the most comfortable and relevant.
How entrepreneurial of you! Well done
Thanks Leonie😀 apparently you and I are the only ones who think so😂