17 Comments
Nov 19, 2023Liked by Nick Rockel

I find the whole mis- and disinformation people just plain scary. During the pandemic I wrote about 30 pieces re Covid for work - the information out there was unbelievable!

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Nov 19, 2023·edited Nov 19, 2023Liked by Nick Rockel

Melisa Derby apears to be about 30 yrs old, born in the 1990s. What the heck happened in the upbringing of millenials that they turned out so bizarrely blinkered to history!

As a female Melissa could not have even held the role she now does without the equity policy in place before her birth, that ultimately put her there.

The same can be said of Ani O'Brien, who displays the 'thinking of nazism' in a deliberately inflammatory statement.

They choose to use their positions, from which they can reach young minds, to attempt to spread dangerous propoganda.

I'm a little shocked to learn of the composition of these cells of anti-democratic agitators, and of the level of money being poured into sustaining the hatred, and racism, built on fear.

These public attacks by RightWing outliers are what the Labour Party and the Greens Party are up against.

It's very concerning.

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Nov 19, 2023Liked by Nick Rockel

Another excellent piece, thank you Nick.

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Nov 19, 2023Liked by Nick Rockel

Thank you Nick,

For your bravery at delving deep into the dark & dangerous.

You are very respectful of, freedom of speech, and to me, morally obligated to see & say how you see it.

Thank you.

Because of your posts, you have encouraged a love of learning & research.

I too, dislike bullshit, either don't read past the click bait title or do further reading or investigate the topic.

So, age old question ?

How do we humans, Learn to think for Themselves ?

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Thanks very much Rose. It's good to hear that the posts are encouraging learning 🙂

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Thanks Nick for this excellent piece. I was really surprised and disappointed to read about Chris Trotter’s change (or loss) of heart.

I’m not yet blocked from Luxon’s FB page and had a look the other day to check out his spin on coalition discussions. I was very alarmed to discover the haters have now shifted their focus to demanding a treaty referendum, and all the bigotry that goes with that. For me the most alarming thing was that Luxon has made no attempt whatsoever to shut down their vile comments with any kind of balanced response, let alone delete any of the vitriol. There’s free speech and there’s unbridled racism. I’m gutted for NZ after all the progress we seemed to be making.

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Nov 19, 2023·edited Nov 19, 2023Author

Yes, a loss of heart I think, he seems quite disillusioned. It is a great shame, he was a real hero of mine a couple of decades ago.

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Likewise. He was a voice of reason.

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Nov 19, 2023Liked by Nick Rockel

........and, thanks for raising this issue Nick!!!!

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Excellent, Nick! Much needed names and exposures. It's difficult to remember all the sources of mis-/disinformation for me. Sharing.

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Nov 19, 2023Liked by Nick Rockel

Great stuff Nick! All that background information gathered together in one article is very useful - and interesting. And terrifying.

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Thanks for shining the light on this issue Nick. It seems we have been voted a disfunctional threesome due to the buying of parties through donations and also because of the quite deliberate bias from our MSM and others as you have noted. I find it interesting that the gloss from the MSM is coming off he who will be our worst ever PM as Winston and Seymour endeavour to split the country apart.

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A very challenging Kōrero Nick. As with most intransigent narratives the real harm is not so much the belief itself, but rather the inability of individuals or groups to have a constructive dialogue where opposing views can be considered in a climate of safety.

A persons true nature or intent can often be gleaned from how they conduct themselves in private as well as in the public domain. A man who speaks of women, war veterans and the disabled in demeaning terms can hardly be a person to be applauded. Equally another who has sired eleven children with three different women would offer very little regarding concepts of fidelity or commitment. These two ‘alpha’ males represent a narrative that should be so far removed from anyone with an ounce of common decency and yet one appears to be on the threshold of re-election to the most powerful position on the planet, whilst the other crusades for quasi world dominance.

An observation that concerns me is that questioning any new orthodoxy levels one to be branded as revisionist or ignorant, when in many cases there are genuine concerns for individuals caught in the middle of a changing paradigm. The issue of trans athletes in women’s sport offers the most obvious area of conflict.

Challenging the concept of equity is very much an extremist white right-wing trope that seeks to rubbish the concept of evening out the playing field not so we will all end up as winners, rather that those who experience setbacks of whatever nature are at least allowed a place on the starting line.

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Nov 20, 2023Liked by Nick Rockel

Stephen Frank’s is a great friend of The Panel on RNZ. Same as Peter Dunne. Always bloody on. Wallace is short of talent I think. Chris trotter, well he went troppo some time back.

Yours is a seriously good, thoughtful take on the issue, thanks Nick

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I love the David Slack days!!

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I have recently, reluctantly, ceased my subscription to MTAF. Times are tough and on Super I’ve had to decide where the $$ go. I was up to $40 pm which seems nothing but it really is for many.

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After You - Nick- asked for readers' recommended reading I subscribed to Climate Club. It's about climate action and offers a thorough review of useful doable and joinable actions being taken around NZ. Very positive and inspiring. I recommend you all check it out. It will make you feel good.

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