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corruption in high places
I am looking forward to receiving my copy of the book, which sold out within hours of its release.
Basically, Hager was provided with leaked emails hacked from the computer of notorious political scandal monger and blogger, Cameron Slater of Whale Oil, which showed that he was fed incriminating material on members of the Opposition, such as then leader Phil Goff by a member of the PM's staff (who had an office two doors away from the PM).
Approximately 300 people gathered at Unity Books in Wellington two evenings ago for the launch of Nicky Hager’s new book Dirty Politics: How attack politics is poisoning New Zealand’s political environment.
Here are some of the speeches and descriptions of the book
Having heard him speak let's call a spade a spade.
Key is an inveterate liar and it does not seem to matter how bad the lie or how often it is repeated he is rarely challenged by the presstitutes of the corporate media that from the newspapers to televisions news and, in recent years, the state-run broadcaster Radio New Zealand, seeks to manufacture consent for everything this government does; whether it be the sale of the country's assets, the opening up of the country to deep-sea oil drilling, mining or fracking; or the not-so-gradual erosion of democracy.
Perhaps I can illustrate this with this list of lies told by John Key during his tenure as prime minister of New Zealand since 2008 compiled by the Standard.
270. the UN officials visiting down south are focussing on sustainable agriculture
271. I would apologise to the woman if I knew who she was
272. My government has led the charge on the transperancy of MPs’ spending
273. Only 1 percent of New Zealand farm land is in foreign ownership
274. Internet Mana put together the video depicting a burning effigy of me.
275. Under National Ltd™ the prison population has gone down.
276. National Ltd™ has been nowwhere near the Labour party computer system
277. The OIA request to the SIS about Phil Goff’s briefing on the Isreali spies had nothing to do with my office.
278. National Ltd™ talks to the MSM exactly the same way we talk to the MSM
279. The allegations in Nicky Hager’s book are all wrong.
280. Nicky Hager has got nothing to prove any of the allegations.
281. All this stuff in “Dirty Politics” is coming from the left.
282. National Ltd™ is not using blogs as attack sites any more than anyone would do
283. The release of “Dirty Politics” is part of a coordinated attack from the left because it is unable to win the discussion on the issues that matter.
284. Very little of the book “Dirty Politics” is about me.
The right-wing response to the book are available HERE and HERE
Of course any of you from anywhere in the world will recognise that there is nothing special in any of this. The John Key story and the destruction of politics as we have known it over the last twelve years (but especially in the last six) has to be seen in its international context.
Whether we are looking at the unelected leaders of the European Union or the openly fascistic regime of Barack Obama in the US; or the prime ministers of the other Anglophone countries ( Cameron, Abbott or Harper)- or anywhere else you can throw a stick in these times of political, economic, financial and social collapse.
Amongst the Anglophone countries at least, the modus operandi is similar.
It is a mistake to see these events as something separate from the rapid changes that are continuing apace to pull the wool over the 99%, to control the masses while waging war in one way or another to secure and redivide the last remaining
sources of energy while at the same time as accelerating the insane rush towards the self-destruction of the human species and the destruction of the Living Planet and its delicate eco-structure.
However, we have to see the peculiarities of where we live and respond appropriately.
In this part of the world we have a by-and-large, (but decreasingly) fair-minded (but totally gullible) population and a political and legal history of political democracy.
It is no longer possible to introduce fascism in the sense that we generally understand it - with openly dictatorial powers centred around a single person and at the point of a gun with suppression of liberty and the marching- off of dissenters to concentration camps.
That has not proven necessary in this era.
Make no mistake.
We are living under fascism with all the pretence of democracy and veneer of elections and democratic processes - but all eroded to such an extent that any concept of "the Greater Good", of democratic control of Executive Power - becomes a farce.
In what ways is Executive Powers of the government (let alone the actions of national and international corporations) held to account?
You tell me,
This is best summed up by Chris Hedges when he talks of corporate fascism in most of his public presentations these days.
John Key not only landed in New Zealand from Wall Street,as it were, and directly represents their interests,but the whole system in New Zealand (as elsewhere) is fully in the hands of corporations and is represented by the government here as well as by the United States government and other governments - and propped up by what used to be called the Fourth Estate, which practises a form of social engineering to encourage passive acceptance of whatever is forced on us.
I realise that what I am saying is full of generalisations, but these generalisations are the result of analysis of what is happening and the joining-of-dots.
The invaluable contribution of whistleblowers (like the disillusioned members of the National Party who freely made available materials) and of truthtellers like Nicky Hager, Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning is that they provide the concrete information that we need to confirm (and prove) what so many of us have known or suspected for a long time - but couldn't prove.
I have an argument with those who take refuge in purely parochial politics. They tend to say that if we just vote out the present government and bring in a centre-left government that things will improve.
This is not borne out by historical fact.
The whole process of corporatisation, globalisation and erosion of democracy and national autonomy has continued uninterrupted no matter what government was in power.
You just have to recall that the most egregious civil rights violation in recent history in New Zealand, the 2007 Urewera "terrorist" raids at the behest of the United States government occured under a Labour government under PM Helen Clark
The only difference is that with this government the process has taken a quantum leap and accelerated - as, indeed, it has in any country that I can think of.
It is hard for me to imagine that if you take into consideration the continued meltdown of economies (only kept going through the rape of the planet), geopolitics and the drift into war, the accelerating depletion of resources and the inescapable reality that we are in a process of runaway and catastrophic global warming that can only lead sooner or later to near-term extinction.....
Nafeez Ahmed in a Guardian article earlier this year provides incontrovertible evidence that the Pentagon (as well as other governments) are readying themselves for mass civil breakdown as a result of energy collapse and climate chaos.
No matter how peaceful New Zealand appears to be at present, I see no reason to assume that this country is going to be immune from international developments of this sort in any way.
This is underlined by the egregious actions of the present government (for whom no lies are big enough) and the levels of denial that are rife in politics, media -and society as a whole.
Having said that, I will freely accept (as Nicky Hager points out in an interview) that it doesn't all go the way of the Powers-That-Be. We can see that since the revelations by Edward Snowden in particular.
So long as we have brave whistleblowers who are willing to leak documents proving the actions of governments and people who distill and make public this information the unimpeded move towards Tyranny can be slowed down.
As Guy McPherson points out "if there is a choice between acting and not acting, then act!"
So long as we have the ability to act then we should do so, in whatever way we can - not out of consideration of the outcome, but because it is the right thing to do.
On the other hand, I would say to those who are addicted to action that spiritual reflection is absolutely essential and highly desirable to bear witness and to allow the incessant movement of mind and attachment to intellectualising and trying to "work things out" to come to a halt.
This allows for clear seeing and encourages what I see as essential in the circumstances we find ourselves in - the uncompromising seeing of things as they are, without denial or rationalisation.
Put slightly differently it is the quality of looking at the truth squarely in the eyes without flinching.
Out of that pure action can arise that stands in direct opposition to the prevailing paradigm, action that is values - based and free of attachment to a particular desired outcome.
Another point - and I cannot emphasise this enough - is that really an alternative awards system should be set up that recognises the contribution of the many people who have risked their health and liberty to sometimes cross the line of the law (written admittedly to protect the interests of the 1%) in the interests of the Greater Good (how often do we hear about THAT, along with other old-fashioned virtues, such as common sense?).
These people range from people who are speaking up about violations in their own field, or their own district - examples where democratic principles of public participation and protest are trampled on, where the decision process is loaded in favour of the rich and powerful; to the great examples of the whistleblowers that have completely changed the battle lines in the war against evil.
Several names and examples come immediately to mind.
Firstly, the great example of Chelsea (Bradley) Manning who "stole" millions of documents that revealed American malfeasance in every aspect of life throughout the world and made this available to Julian Assange and Wikileaks. How important this is demonstrated by the fact that one of the major sources for Nicky Hager has been the Wikileaks cables from the US Embassy in Wellington)
Edward Snowden's leaks on NSA and American spying that reaches into every corner of the world including your communications and this blog and the role of journalists such as Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras,Jeremy Scahill and others comes to mind.
Snowden was not the first. He was proceeded by many whistleblowers - many of whom come to mind others, others I have forgotten or am not aware of, who revealed details of malfeasance by the NSA, FBI, CIA etc.
All of these people have paid the price in some way, great or small, for their courage and patriotism. They have been attacked, ridiculed, sacked from their jobs, arrested and sometimes sent to jail for their efforts. Some, like Chelsea Manning for a long period of time.
In addition there are examples where people have clearly paid with their lives - whether or not the trigger was pulled directly by the people in power or not.
In our own country we have our own Glenn Greenwald, our own Julian Assange. I would particularly like to pay respects to Nicky Hager for his role in speaking Truth to Power over many years and revealing the darker areas of life and politics in New Zealand.
I salute whoever it was in the National Party that saw what was being done in their name and placed the interests of the Greater Good higher than the narrower interests of a political party that has become corrupted
Also the others that have blown the whistle on a wide range of abuses of power in the sphere of national as well as local politics.
I saw a film a week ago in the New Zealand Film festival Notes to Eternity which examined the background to the situation in Gaza.
In it Noam Chomsky made the comment that there are many people who gather Intelligence from sources that are open to everyone. There is a network of people around the world who collect, share and intelligently analyse this information.
These people are doing exactly what the security agencies are doing with the distinction that they are motivated by a sense of Truth and Justice whereas the people in security services are NOT, and are often stupid to boot.
This is what is going on here.
There is a numerically small network of people whose names will largely remain unsung who are, every day collecting this information and making sense of this.
Even though we are to large extent powerless to turn things around or to influence the powerful, venal and corrupt we have moral power and have determined that, do what they may, collectively we will not work in the dark.
Truth is a powerful weapon.
Speaking from my own corner my own physical power is declining and as I write this I am aware of the truism that "ultimately we are all dead". I have clearly been punished by the Powers -That - Be (or should I say the Powers-that-were?) for the arrogance of taking publicly-available information, collecting and disseminating this in a way that is not advantageous to TBPB in the information war.
They have attacked my instrument, which is my computer and my access to information that I depend on, so I have no direct access to any news source.
They make the job more difficult, not impossible.
To these scumbags I will point out that if somebody dropped a treasure trove of evidence, whether it is leaked ('stolen') emails or whatever I would not hesitate for a single moment to share this with the wider world.
Not in the interests of destroying the reputations of people I don't like, but in the interest of shining a light on the dark and tawdry world of the Few that seek to dominate the Many.
I have little doubt that the attack on my ability to gather information will one day be extended to my ability to communicate with others.
I doubt,at this stage in this pseudo-democracy of ours that it will go further than that, but who knows what lies in the future.
The past no longer provides a clue to the future, except in the sense that the range of options for the powerful and ignorant (with their attempt to consign history to the dustbin) is very limited.
In that sense, outright Tyranny seems a given in proportion to the worsening of conditions for the elite and when it becomes clearer and clearer that they are totally powerless to maintain their own power and privilege for one reason, and one reason only.
I am just one soldier in this information war and the time may come (perhaps sooner than later) that I have to put down the burden.
This does not mean defeat. It simply signifies the passing of the baton to the next runner.
One thing that I insist on in every aspect of my life is personal sovereignty.
This does not in the slightest negate my position and responsibility in community with other humans and living beings.
In this regard, as I write this, I think of my friend Michael Ruppert.
Whatever he went through (and none of us can ever really see into the soul of another - the most we can ever do is to practicse empathy and compassion where we can) Mike insisted on his own personal sovereignty and his right to decide that he had achieved everything that he could in this incarnation and to lay down (at least in his mind), the whole burden by consciously ending his life.
The horror of his vision, derived from a life of examining the darkest aspects of the human soul, and reinforced by his last trip to Seattle, overwhelmed his animal instinct of self-preservation.
Some of those who refuse to delve as far as I did will simply put Mike's death into the pigeonhole of "depression" (whatever that is!)
Is the life and death of Mike Ruppert to be compared with the tragedy of a depressed teenager who ends his (or her) life because they've been betrayed in their first love relationship?
I also think of the action of the actor Robin Williams who, as I understand (deprived of news as I am), died by his own hand because he did want to see his Parkinson's through to its end. From the little I know of him, and the stories I have heard, he obviously stood head and shoulders (in a moral sense) above the average amongst the Hollywood celebrity set.
Like the human mind (and the endless stream of consciousness and mental babble) I could go on (and on) - but I will leave it there.
.....
In conclusion I would like to an extended interview from a couple of years ago with Nicky Hager that illustrates his appraoch and his work on uncovering the secret war in Afghanistan.
The loquacious and enthusiastic Vinny Eastwood provides a great counterweight to the more considered and fully fact-based Hager.
In addition to this, Wellington accountant Graham McCreedy has done great work in uncovering the workings of the Key government by successfully bringing a private prosecution against government minister and ACT party leader, John Banks for corruption.
Here is an interview with another whisleblower, Russell Malcolm who has suffered for his efforts to expose corruption in the Rodney District at the time of the amalgamation and formation of the Auckland "super-council"
Please note that I do not accept for a single minute their talk about "Agenda-21" - but that does not detract in the slightest from Vinny and Russell's exposure of government shenannigans.
Is Paul Henry deliberately trying to denigrate and dismiss Graham McCready and the evidence against John Key? Covering up corruption? Fraud?
Paul Henry Interview Of Graham McCready & Media Bias Towards John Key - Russell Malcolm
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After exposing massive corruption at a regional council & major bank a few weeks before an election, Russell became a political prisoner at the order of John Key, his offices and home raided, house taken, deliberate sabotage of phone lines, surveillance by spooky cars, everything you can imagine and worse.
So when Private prosecutor Graham McCready announced he was taking John Key, The Prime Minister, to court, it was a great opportunity to get the mountain of evidence into the public sphere.
Unfortunately because the New Zealand media are so corrupt, Paul Henry offered Mr McCready 5 minutes on his television show and basically dismissed all the evidence!
We give you the reaction of the man who witnessed it all!
---Vinny Eastwood
Nicky
Hager's new book "Dirty Politics" and reflections on the current situation in New Zealand
by Seemorerocks
by Seemorerocks
Definitely the most important event in the politics of New Zealand leading up to a General Election, and part of the process of unmasking the right wing politics and corruption of the present National Party government under PM John Key, has been the launch two days ago of investigative journalist, Nicky Hager's latest book "Dirty Politics"
I am looking forward to receiving my copy of the book, which sold out within hours of its release.
Basically, Hager was provided with leaked emails hacked from the computer of notorious political scandal monger and blogger, Cameron Slater of Whale Oil, which showed that he was fed incriminating material on members of the Opposition, such as then leader Phil Goff by a member of the PM's staff (who had an office two doors away from the PM).
Approximately 300 people gathered at Unity Books in Wellington two evenings ago for the launch of Nicky Hager’s new book Dirty Politics: How attack politics is poisoning New Zealand’s political environment.
Here are some of the speeches and descriptions of the book
And these are some of the highlights of Key's (let's be generous), disingenuous responses
Having heard him speak let's call a spade a spade.
Key is an inveterate liar and it does not seem to matter how bad the lie or how often it is repeated he is rarely challenged by the presstitutes of the corporate media that from the newspapers to televisions news and, in recent years, the state-run broadcaster Radio New Zealand, seeks to manufacture consent for everything this government does; whether it be the sale of the country's assets, the opening up of the country to deep-sea oil drilling, mining or fracking; or the not-so-gradual erosion of democracy.
Perhaps I can illustrate this with this list of lies told by John Key during his tenure as prime minister of New Zealand since 2008 compiled by the Standard.
- we are not going to sack public servants, the attrition rate will reduce costs
- there’s no way one in five New Zealanders will lose their jobs
- we are not going to cut working for families
- I firmly believe in climate change and always have
- We seek a 50% reduction in New Zealand’s carbon-equivalent net emissions, as compared to 1990 levels, by 2050. 50 by 50. We will write the target into law.
- National Ltd™ will provide a consistent incentive for both biofuel and biodiesel by exempting them from excise tax or road user charges
- there is no truth in Nicky Hager’s book “The Hollowmen”
- I didn’t know about The Bretheren election tactics
- If they came to us now with that proposal [re trans-Tasman Therapeutic Goods regime], we will sign it
- I can’t remember my position on the 1981 Springbok Tour
- Tranzrail shares
- I did not mislead the House (1)
- Lord Ashcroft
- National Ltd™ would not have sent troops into Iraq
- Standard & Poors credit downgrade
- the double-down grade doesn’t really matter and its only about private sector debt
- I did not mislead the House (2)
- I didn’t say I want wages to drop
- I can’t remember why I voted against increasing the minimum wage
- lifting the minimum wage to $15 an hour will increase unemployment
- the real rate of inflation is 3.3 percent.
- the tourism sector has not lost 7,000 jobs
- no I have never heard of Whitechapel
- I won’t raise GST
- people who are on the average wage and have a child are $48 a week better off after the rise in GST
- the purchase of farmland, by overseas buyers will be limited to ten farms per purchase
- the Pike River Mine was consented to under a Labour Government
- no promises were made to get the remains of the miners out of the Pike River mine
- I did not provide a view on the safety of the Pike River coalmine
- I did not mislead the House (3)
- capping, not cutting the public service
- raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour will cost 6000 jobs
- north of $50 a week
- privatisation won’t significantly help the economy
- wave goodbye to higher taxes, not your loved ones
- I never offered Brash a diplomatic job in London
- Tariana Turia is “totally fine” with the Tuhoe Treaty Claim deal
- Kiwisaver
- National Ltd™ is not going to radically reorganise the structure of the public sector
- tax cuts won’t require additional borrowing
- New Zealand does not have a debt problem
- New Zealand troops in Afghanistan will only be involved in training, not fighting
- the wage gap between New Zealand and Australia has closed under my National Ltd™government
- It took 9 years for Labour to make a complete and utter mess of the economy
- National Ltd™ has changed the Overseas Investment Act to include 19 different criteria
- the price of goods and services has risen by 6 percent since the last election, while the after-tax average wage has actually gone up by 16 percent
- no, although its a week ago and here I am being interviewed on television about them, I havn’t seen Gerry Brownlee’s comments regarding demolitions in Christchurch and which caused such outrage, but I can talk all about them
- our SAS soldiers were not involved in the Kabul Hotel gunfight
- the use of the Vela brother’s helicopter was required so I could attend meetings relating to national/international security concerns
- the DPS makes the decision about accompanying the Prime Minister or not, I had no choice but to take them on holiday to Hawaii
- I did not mislead the House (4)
- oh, maybe our SAS soldiers were in the Kabul hotel gun fight but they weren’t wounded by friendly fire
- New Zealand has lost $12 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . oh, it might actually be around $15 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . Blinglish said what?
- 10,000 houses will have to be demolished in Christchurch due to the earthquake
- 14,000 new apprentices will start training over the next five years, over and above the number previously forecast
- our amendments to the ETS ensure we will continue to do our fair share internationally
- we are committed to honouring our Kyoto Protocol obligations
- any changes to the ETS will be fiscally neutral
- New Zealand has grown for eight of the last nine quarters”
- National Ltd™ will tender out the government banking contract
- we will be back in surplus by 2014-15
- Nicky Hager’s book “Other People’s Wars” is a work of fiction
- unemployment is starting to fall
- we have created 60,000 jobs
- we have created 45,000 jobs
- the 2011 Budget will create in the order of 170,000 jobs
- I don’t know if I own a vineyard
- no, I did not mislead the House (5)
- the Isreali spy killed in the Christchurch quake had “only one” passport
- the Police will not need to make savings by losing jobs
- I voted to keep the drinking age at 20
- New Zealand is 100% Pure
- I’ve been prime minister for four years, and it’s really 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year
- baseball in New Zealand is attracting more government support
- the decision to buy brand new BMWs was made by the Department of Internal Affairs without reference either to their minister or to me
- I didn’t have a clue that Ministerial Services, which I am in charge of, was going to buy brand new BMWs
- even though four of my ministers knew all about it, I didn’t have a clue that brand new BMWs were being bought.
- even though my Chief of Staff met with officials to discuss purchase of the the brand new BMWs, I didn’t have a clue
- even though I personally signed papers discussing the matter, I still didn’t have a clue
- Labour forced us into buying the brand new BMWs, its their fault
- ummm, look, sorry about that BMW thing , it was because I was so upset
- I did not describe David Beckam as thick as batshit
- I did not mislead the House (6)
- the public demanded that we change the labour laws for The Hobbit
- “The Hobbit” created 3000 new jobs
- we have delivered 800 extra doctors in the public service
- I did not mislead the House (7)
- I wasn’t working at Elders when the sham foreign exchange deals took place
- I was starting School Certificate exams in 1978
- I don’t know who arrived on the CIA jet to visit the spies I am responsible for
- reducing barriers to property developers will increase the availability of affordable housing
- Labour left the economy in poor shape
- forecasts show unemployment will fall
- we have closed the wage gap with Australia by $27
- Ngati Porou and Whanau Apanui are not opposed to mining
- I have not had any meetings with Media Works
- our [NZ's] terms of trade remain high
- the TPPA is an example of democracy
- the TPPA will still have to be ratified by Parliament
- National Ltd™ will use the proceeds of state asset sales to invest in other public assets, like schools and hospitals
- New Zealand troops will be out of Afghanistan by April 2013
- overseas investment in New Zealand adds to what New Zealanders can invest on their own
- overseas investment in New Zealand creates jobs, boosts incomes, and helps the economy grow
- National Ltd™ will build 2000 houses over the next two years
- there are only 4 New Zealand SAS soldiers in Bamiyan and all working in the area of logistics and planning only
- selling state assets will give cash equity to those companies
- the Sky City deal will provide 1000 construction jobs and 800 casino jobs
- all five bidders for the convention centre were treated equally
- my office has had no correspondence, no discussions, no involvement with the Sky City deal
- I did not mislead the House (8)
- I can’t remember what was discussed at my meeting with the SkyCity Chief Executive on 14 May 2009
- I have no record of the 12 November 2009 email from Treasury advising that the SkyCity deal was dodgy and needed to be referred to the Auditor General
- there was nothing improper about the Sky City deal
- SkyCity will only get “a few more” pokie machines at the margins
- any changes to gambling regulations will be subject to a full public submission process
- Sky City has approached TVNZ about the purchase/use of government-owned land
- I did not mislead the House (9)
- this government has been very transparent about all its dealings with SkyCity
- I did not mislead the House (10)
- the Auditor General has fully vindicated National over the Sky City deal
- I did not mislead the House (11)
- the Deputy Auditor General supports the view that there was nothing inappropriate about the Sky City deal
- I did not mislead the House (12)
- I did not breach the confidentiality of the Auditor General’s Report into the Sky City deal
- the Labour Government did exactly the same sort of deal back in 2001
- Labour has promised to not revoke the Sky City legislation
- there’s a 50/50 chance the Hobbit is going off shore unless we do something
- David Shearer has signed up for the purchase of shares in Mighty River
- Solid Energy asked the government for a $1 billion capital investment
- fracking has been going safely on in Taranaki for the past 30 years without any issues
- no frontline positions will be lost at DOC
- Iain Rennie came to me and recommended Fletcher for the GCSB job
- I told Cabinet that I knew Ian Fletcher
- I forgot that after I scrapped the shortlist for GCSB job I phoned a life-long friend to tell him to apply for the position
- I told Iain Rennie I would contact Fletcher
- I haven’t seen Ian Fletcher in a long time.
- I did not mislead the House (13)
- I have no reason to doubt at this stage that Peter Dunne did not leak the GCSB report
- I called directory service to get Ian Fletcher’s number
- the new legislation narrows the scope of the GCSB
- the GCSB has been prevented from carrying out its functions because of the law governing its functions
- because the opposition is opposed the GCSB law ammendments, parliamentary urgency is required
- the increasing number of cyber intrusions which I can’t detail or discuss prove that the GCSB laws need to be extended to protect prive enterprise
- it was always the intent of the GCSB Act to be able to spy on New Zealanders on behalf of the SIS and police
- National Ltd™ is not explanding the activities of the GCSB with this new law
- cyber terrorists have attempted to gain access to information about weapons of mass destruction held on New Zealand computers
- the law which says the GCSB cannot spy on New Zealanders is not clear
- it totally incorrect that the Government effectively through GCSB will be able to wholesale spy on New Zealanders
- we self identified that there was a problem with the GCSB spying on Kim Dotcom
- the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was an isolated incident
- The advice I have had in 4 years as a Minister is that in no way ever has there been an indication of unlawful spying
- the Ministerial Warrant signed by Bill English did not cover anything up
- I wasn’t briefed about the raid on Kim Dotcom’s home.
- first I heard I heard about Kim Dotcom was on 19 January 2012
- first I heard about the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was in 17 September
- I did not mislead the House (14)
- I won’t be discussing Kim Dotcom during my Hollywood visit.
- The Human Rights Commission couldn’t get its submission on the GCSB legislation in on time.
- it would cost too much to for the police and SIS to carry out the spying on New Zealanders that this new legislation will permit
- critics of the GCSB legislation, including the Law Society, the Human Rights Commission, and the Privacy Commission, are all uninformed
- no, I did not mislead the House (15)
- I do not know how Mr Henry is conducting the Enquiry
- no, I did not mislead the House (16)
- the Henry Enquiry had permission to view Ministers’ emails
- no, I did not mislead the House (??)
- we do not spy on journalists
- the passing of phone records to the Henry Enquiry was an error on the part of a contractor
- I wasn’t aware that my own Chief of Staff was instructing Parliamentary Services to hand over information concerning journalist Andrea Vance
- National Ltd™ has never tried to impinge on the role of the media
- I had nothing to do with information on a journalist being handed over to the inquiry into the leaking of the GCSB report
- the terms of the enquiry made it clear to everyone that it was only the phone records of parliamentary staff and ministers that were to be provided
- I have the utmost respect for the media and the role it plays in New Zealand’s democracy
- the Henry Enquiry did not access a journalist’s building-access records
- the Henry Enquiry did not ask for phone and email records
- no, I did not mislead the House (17)
- the Greens are opposed to the GCSB and the SIS even existing
- the GCSB needs to spy on New Zealanders because there are al-Qaeda terrorists in New Zealand
- John Minto is in the Green Party
- the GCSB needs to spy on New Zealanders because of the terrorist threat, even though official reports released over my signature say there is no risk and the SIS has the matter in hand
- the GCSB Bill does not give the GCSB the power to look at the content of communications as part of its cyber-security functions
- no, I did not mislead the House (18)
- there will be no mining on Conservation land in the Corromendel
- no, I did not say we would follow the US and Australia into a war against North Korea
- New Zealand has an arrangement to have asylum seekers processed in Australian detention camps
- I did not mislead the house (19)
- I paid for that lunch and I’ve got the credit card bill to prove it
- I am honest and upfront
- the only way net new jobs can be created is by private investors putting their money into businesses in New Zealand
- you can’t hide if yuu’re Prime Minister
- an increase in the number of people looking for work indicates that confidence is returning to the economy
- the 10 percent of taxpayers in New Zealand who are the top earners pay 76 percent of all net personal tax.
- I did not mislead the House (20)
- Aaron Gilmour was >a href= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHlarcvmR7U&feature=youtu.be> one of a number of people in a group who were badly behaved
- the substantial wage growth under Labour was eroded by inflation
- National Ltd™’s 2010 tax changes were fiscally neutral
- I did not mislead the House (21)
- the bulk of New Zealanders earn between $45,000 and $75,000 a year
- Pike River Coal did not put profits and its production ahead of the safety and lives of those 29 workers.
- Radio Live had sought advice from the Electoral Commission about my show just before the election
- it is because of National Ltd™’s policies that the price of fresh fruit and vegetables has dropped.
- the length-of-the-country cycleway will create 4000 jobs.
- police training for next year has not been cancelled
- National Ltd™ has only cut back-office jobs in the health service
- The Crown’s dividend stream from the Meridians, the Mighty Rivers of the world is large and there is no motivation to sell assets; actually we’re about creating assets not selling assets.”
- National believes employment law should treat all parties fairly. It should . . . Protect employees and employers.
- I am not trying to tackle such issues in a “fearful” way ahead of the next election
- Wellington City is dying.
- National Ltd™ has been working on a number of things with New Zealand First on a number of things one of which has a financial component but I can’t talk about it
- the best way to get growth in the economy is to reduce public debt
- New Zealand mum and dad investors will be our number one priority in the allocation of Mighty River shares
- we won’t let “cowboy” oil exploration companies operate here in New Zealand
- the Green Party is racist by not allowing Chinese residents in New Zealand to buy a house
- the Labour Party is promising a four-bedroom house in Auckland for $300,000
- the food in schools programme is in the 2013 budget
- the meat exports are being held up in China because of issues in relation to the Chinese looking to trace counterfeit meat
- its notoriously difficult to win three elections in a row
- I am deeply concerned about every child in New Zealand who is in poverty
- there is no manufacturing crisis in New Zealand
- the government’s exposure to MediaWorks’ going into receivership is reasonably limited
- the money from the sale of state assets will not be used to prop up Solid Energy
- I don’t see a place for a Winston Peters-led New Zealand First in a government that I lead. It’s not a matter of political convenience, it’s a matter of political principle.
- The vast majority of the buildings in Christchurch came through the earthquakes in good shape
- the commemoration of New Zealand’s involvement in the Korean War will not be used to bolster trade talks
- third generation Chinese New Zealanders will be required to present their passport before buying a house under the Labour government
- the Labour housing policy is an attempt by David Shearer to save his leadership
- the Labour housing policy is in breach of free trade agreements
- only 2% of the proceeds of the sale of Mighty River will be spent on the sales process
- David Cunliffe is lying to you
- Labour wants to nationalise the super market industry
- The government will engage in no further negotiations with Rio Tinto
- Without a government subsidy of hundreds of millions of dollars Chorus will go broke
- No, I did not mislead the House (??)
- the justice system is already adequate for handling situations involving new evidence
- my Minister Nick Smith was not aware of the content of the leaked draft submission on the Ruataniwha situation until 17 September
- New Zealand First will nationalise a host of industries and businesses
- I have no responsibility for the statements I make
- Mark Mitchell was just gossiping at a cocktail party when he tipped Webster off about Len Brown’s affair
- it was a lack of external analysis and accountability which put Solid Energy into its debt crisis
- the Commerce Commission misinterpreted the law when deciding the price for access to the Chorus copper infrastructure
- no analyist predicted that the cost of access to the copper infrastructure would go down
- there has been only one problem with oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico
- If it was my vote, it would be no pay increases for Mps
- Greenpeace are just scare mongering about any oil leaks off the New Zealand coast
- For every election for the last five elections , we have had royal visitors to New Zealand.
- No decision has been made on the timing of the sale of Air New Zealand shares
- its not true that in New Zealand the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer
- This summer is the most active season ever for oil and gas exploration, with the industry spending up to $750 million. At the same time, the Government is strengthening the regulations that govern drilling, particularly in deep water.
- Labour is trying to mislead people about eligibility for Best Start because they don’t get the payment while they also get paid parental leave.
- A mountain of evidence shows that the quality of teaching – inside the classroom – is the biggest influence on kids’ achievement
- Governor General Jerry Mateparae has been jostled while walking onto Te Tii Marae at Waitangi .
- Cameron Slater, who I speak to regularly and who told me about Winston meeting Kim Dot Com, has got absolutely nothing to do with the National Party.
- Cameron Slater rang me
- What I do know is that when this Government came in, there were predictions that unemployment would rise to over 10 percent.
- The Cabinet Office had cleared Judith Collins of a conflict of interest
- The golf tournament in which I played the chairman of Oravida was for charity.
- The Cabinet Office has cleared Collins of a conflict of interest after it translated comments on Oravida’s website which stated that she had praised its products
- My Justice Minister, Judith Collins, didn’t lie to Parliament, she just didn’t understand the question.
- The [MFAT] paperwork shows right through this that not only did the Minister have a very busy programme, all on judicial and justice issues, but, secondly, all the way through it talks about a private dinner.
- No, I did not mislead parliament. (??)
- No, I did not mislead the House(??)
- The Unions decide the leadership of the Labour Party and picked David Cunliffe
- Unions give the Labour Party millions of dollars a year
- The economic mess inherited by the Abbott government in Australia can be likened to the economic mess inherited by National Ltd™ when it came into office in 2008.
- National Ltd™ inherited an economic mess from Labour
- National Ltd™ inherited an economic mess from Labour in 200
- 266.No, I did not mislead the House(??)
- Twelve percent of New Zealand households pay 76 percent of all net tax in New Zealand
- National Ltd™ ignored the plight of babies living in the poorest famililies because there is other assistance available
270. the UN officials visiting down south are focussing on sustainable agriculture
271. I would apologise to the woman if I knew who she was
272. My government has led the charge on the transperancy of MPs’ spending
273. Only 1 percent of New Zealand farm land is in foreign ownership
274. Internet Mana put together the video depicting a burning effigy of me.
275. Under National Ltd™ the prison population has gone down.
276. National Ltd™ has been nowwhere near the Labour party computer system
277. The OIA request to the SIS about Phil Goff’s briefing on the Isreali spies had nothing to do with my office.
278. National Ltd™ talks to the MSM exactly the same way we talk to the MSM
279. The allegations in Nicky Hager’s book are all wrong.
280. Nicky Hager has got nothing to prove any of the allegations.
281. All this stuff in “Dirty Politics” is coming from the left.
282. National Ltd™ is not using blogs as attack sites any more than anyone would do
283. The release of “Dirty Politics” is part of a coordinated attack from the left because it is unable to win the discussion on the issues that matter.
284. Very little of the book “Dirty Politics” is about me.
The right-wing response to the book are available HERE and HERE
Personal
reflections
Whether we are looking at the unelected leaders of the European Union or the openly fascistic regime of Barack Obama in the US; or the prime ministers of the other Anglophone countries ( Cameron, Abbott or Harper)- or anywhere else you can throw a stick in these times of political, economic, financial and social collapse.
Amongst the Anglophone countries at least, the modus operandi is similar.
It is a mistake to see these events as something separate from the rapid changes that are continuing apace to pull the wool over the 99%, to control the masses while waging war in one way or another to secure and redivide the last remaining
sources of energy while at the same time as accelerating the insane rush towards the self-destruction of the human species and the destruction of the Living Planet and its delicate eco-structure.
However, we have to see the peculiarities of where we live and respond appropriately.
In this part of the world we have a by-and-large, (but decreasingly) fair-minded (but totally gullible) population and a political and legal history of political democracy.
It is no longer possible to introduce fascism in the sense that we generally understand it - with openly dictatorial powers centred around a single person and at the point of a gun with suppression of liberty and the marching- off of dissenters to concentration camps.
That has not proven necessary in this era.
Make no mistake.
We are living under fascism with all the pretence of democracy and veneer of elections and democratic processes - but all eroded to such an extent that any concept of "the Greater Good", of democratic control of Executive Power - becomes a farce.
In what ways is Executive Powers of the government (let alone the actions of national and international corporations) held to account?
You tell me,
This is best summed up by Chris Hedges when he talks of corporate fascism in most of his public presentations these days.
John Key not only landed in New Zealand from Wall Street,as it were, and directly represents their interests,but the whole system in New Zealand (as elsewhere) is fully in the hands of corporations and is represented by the government here as well as by the United States government and other governments - and propped up by what used to be called the Fourth Estate, which practises a form of social engineering to encourage passive acceptance of whatever is forced on us.
I realise that what I am saying is full of generalisations, but these generalisations are the result of analysis of what is happening and the joining-of-dots.
The invaluable contribution of whistleblowers (like the disillusioned members of the National Party who freely made available materials) and of truthtellers like Nicky Hager, Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning is that they provide the concrete information that we need to confirm (and prove) what so many of us have known or suspected for a long time - but couldn't prove.
I have an argument with those who take refuge in purely parochial politics. They tend to say that if we just vote out the present government and bring in a centre-left government that things will improve.
This is not borne out by historical fact.
The whole process of corporatisation, globalisation and erosion of democracy and national autonomy has continued uninterrupted no matter what government was in power.
You just have to recall that the most egregious civil rights violation in recent history in New Zealand, the 2007 Urewera "terrorist" raids at the behest of the United States government occured under a Labour government under PM Helen Clark
The only difference is that with this government the process has taken a quantum leap and accelerated - as, indeed, it has in any country that I can think of.
It is hard for me to imagine that if you take into consideration the continued meltdown of economies (only kept going through the rape of the planet), geopolitics and the drift into war, the accelerating depletion of resources and the inescapable reality that we are in a process of runaway and catastrophic global warming that can only lead sooner or later to near-term extinction.....
Nafeez Ahmed in a Guardian article earlier this year provides incontrovertible evidence that the Pentagon (as well as other governments) are readying themselves for mass civil breakdown as a result of energy collapse and climate chaos.
No matter how peaceful New Zealand appears to be at present, I see no reason to assume that this country is going to be immune from international developments of this sort in any way.
This is underlined by the egregious actions of the present government (for whom no lies are big enough) and the levels of denial that are rife in politics, media -and society as a whole.
Having said that, I will freely accept (as Nicky Hager points out in an interview) that it doesn't all go the way of the Powers-That-Be. We can see that since the revelations by Edward Snowden in particular.
So long as we have brave whistleblowers who are willing to leak documents proving the actions of governments and people who distill and make public this information the unimpeded move towards Tyranny can be slowed down.
As Guy McPherson points out "if there is a choice between acting and not acting, then act!"
So long as we have the ability to act then we should do so, in whatever way we can - not out of consideration of the outcome, but because it is the right thing to do.
On the other hand, I would say to those who are addicted to action that spiritual reflection is absolutely essential and highly desirable to bear witness and to allow the incessant movement of mind and attachment to intellectualising and trying to "work things out" to come to a halt.
This allows for clear seeing and encourages what I see as essential in the circumstances we find ourselves in - the uncompromising seeing of things as they are, without denial or rationalisation.
Put slightly differently it is the quality of looking at the truth squarely in the eyes without flinching.
Out of that pure action can arise that stands in direct opposition to the prevailing paradigm, action that is values - based and free of attachment to a particular desired outcome.
Muzzling
the truth
Another point - and I cannot emphasise this enough - is that really an alternative awards system should be set up that recognises the contribution of the many people who have risked their health and liberty to sometimes cross the line of the law (written admittedly to protect the interests of the 1%) in the interests of the Greater Good (how often do we hear about THAT, along with other old-fashioned virtues, such as common sense?).
These people range from people who are speaking up about violations in their own field, or their own district - examples where democratic principles of public participation and protest are trampled on, where the decision process is loaded in favour of the rich and powerful; to the great examples of the whistleblowers that have completely changed the battle lines in the war against evil.
Several names and examples come immediately to mind.
Firstly, the great example of Chelsea (Bradley) Manning who "stole" millions of documents that revealed American malfeasance in every aspect of life throughout the world and made this available to Julian Assange and Wikileaks. How important this is demonstrated by the fact that one of the major sources for Nicky Hager has been the Wikileaks cables from the US Embassy in Wellington)
Edward Snowden's leaks on NSA and American spying that reaches into every corner of the world including your communications and this blog and the role of journalists such as Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras,Jeremy Scahill and others comes to mind.
Snowden was not the first. He was proceeded by many whistleblowers - many of whom come to mind others, others I have forgotten or am not aware of, who revealed details of malfeasance by the NSA, FBI, CIA etc.
All of these people have paid the price in some way, great or small, for their courage and patriotism. They have been attacked, ridiculed, sacked from their jobs, arrested and sometimes sent to jail for their efforts. Some, like Chelsea Manning for a long period of time.
In addition there are examples where people have clearly paid with their lives - whether or not the trigger was pulled directly by the people in power or not.
In our own country we have our own Glenn Greenwald, our own Julian Assange. I would particularly like to pay respects to Nicky Hager for his role in speaking Truth to Power over many years and revealing the darker areas of life and politics in New Zealand.
I salute whoever it was in the National Party that saw what was being done in their name and placed the interests of the Greater Good higher than the narrower interests of a political party that has become corrupted
Also the others that have blown the whistle on a wide range of abuses of power in the sphere of national as well as local politics.
The
power of truth
I saw a film a week ago in the New Zealand Film festival Notes to Eternity which examined the background to the situation in Gaza.
In it Noam Chomsky made the comment that there are many people who gather Intelligence from sources that are open to everyone. There is a network of people around the world who collect, share and intelligently analyse this information.
These people are doing exactly what the security agencies are doing with the distinction that they are motivated by a sense of Truth and Justice whereas the people in security services are NOT, and are often stupid to boot.
This is what is going on here.
There is a numerically small network of people whose names will largely remain unsung who are, every day collecting this information and making sense of this.
Even though we are to large extent powerless to turn things around or to influence the powerful, venal and corrupt we have moral power and have determined that, do what they may, collectively we will not work in the dark.
Truth is a powerful weapon.
Speaking from my own corner my own physical power is declining and as I write this I am aware of the truism that "ultimately we are all dead". I have clearly been punished by the Powers -That - Be (or should I say the Powers-that-were?) for the arrogance of taking publicly-available information, collecting and disseminating this in a way that is not advantageous to TBPB in the information war.
They have attacked my instrument, which is my computer and my access to information that I depend on, so I have no direct access to any news source.
They make the job more difficult, not impossible.
To these scumbags I will point out that if somebody dropped a treasure trove of evidence, whether it is leaked ('stolen') emails or whatever I would not hesitate for a single moment to share this with the wider world.
Not in the interests of destroying the reputations of people I don't like, but in the interest of shining a light on the dark and tawdry world of the Few that seek to dominate the Many.
I have little doubt that the attack on my ability to gather information will one day be extended to my ability to communicate with others.
I doubt,at this stage in this pseudo-democracy of ours that it will go further than that, but who knows what lies in the future.
The past no longer provides a clue to the future, except in the sense that the range of options for the powerful and ignorant (with their attempt to consign history to the dustbin) is very limited.
In that sense, outright Tyranny seems a given in proportion to the worsening of conditions for the elite and when it becomes clearer and clearer that they are totally powerless to maintain their own power and privilege for one reason, and one reason only.
Nature
bats last.
And
one more thing.....Of personal sovereignty and Mike Ruppert
I am just one soldier in this information war and the time may come (perhaps sooner than later) that I have to put down the burden.
This does not mean defeat. It simply signifies the passing of the baton to the next runner.
One thing that I insist on in every aspect of my life is personal sovereignty.
This does not in the slightest negate my position and responsibility in community with other humans and living beings.
In this regard, as I write this, I think of my friend Michael Ruppert.
Whatever he went through (and none of us can ever really see into the soul of another - the most we can ever do is to practicse empathy and compassion where we can) Mike insisted on his own personal sovereignty and his right to decide that he had achieved everything that he could in this incarnation and to lay down (at least in his mind), the whole burden by consciously ending his life.
The horror of his vision, derived from a life of examining the darkest aspects of the human soul, and reinforced by his last trip to Seattle, overwhelmed his animal instinct of self-preservation.
Some of those who refuse to delve as far as I did will simply put Mike's death into the pigeonhole of "depression" (whatever that is!)
Is the life and death of Mike Ruppert to be compared with the tragedy of a depressed teenager who ends his (or her) life because they've been betrayed in their first love relationship?
I also think of the action of the actor Robin Williams who, as I understand (deprived of news as I am), died by his own hand because he did want to see his Parkinson's through to its end. From the little I know of him, and the stories I have heard, he obviously stood head and shoulders (in a moral sense) above the average amongst the Hollywood celebrity set.
Like the human mind (and the endless stream of consciousness and mental babble) I could go on (and on) - but I will leave it there.
.....
In conclusion I would like to an extended interview from a couple of years ago with Nicky Hager that illustrates his appraoch and his work on uncovering the secret war in Afghanistan.
The loquacious and enthusiastic Vinny Eastwood provides a great counterweight to the more considered and fully fact-based Hager.
NATIONAL
Party EXPOSED - Vinny Eastwood Show -
Oct 31, 2011
In addition to this, Wellington accountant Graham McCreedy has done great work in uncovering the workings of the Key government by successfully bringing a private prosecution against government minister and ACT party leader, John Banks for corruption.
Here is an interview with another whisleblower, Russell Malcolm who has suffered for his efforts to expose corruption in the Rodney District at the time of the amalgamation and formation of the Auckland "super-council"
Please note that I do not accept for a single minute their talk about "Agenda-21" - but that does not detract in the slightest from Vinny and Russell's exposure of government shenannigans.
Vinny Eastwood: Is
John Key Going To Jail Or Will Corrupt Media Protect Him?
Is Paul Henry deliberately trying to denigrate and dismiss Graham McCready and the evidence against John Key? Covering up corruption? Fraud?
Paul Henry Interview Of Graham McCready & Media Bias Towards John Key - Russell Malcolm
.
After exposing massive corruption at a regional council & major bank a few weeks before an election, Russell became a political prisoner at the order of John Key, his offices and home raided, house taken, deliberate sabotage of phone lines, surveillance by spooky cars, everything you can imagine and worse.
So when Private prosecutor Graham McCready announced he was taking John Key, The Prime Minister, to court, it was a great opportunity to get the mountain of evidence into the public sphere.
Unfortunately because the New Zealand media are so corrupt, Paul Henry offered Mr McCready 5 minutes on his television show and basically dismissed all the evidence!
We give you the reaction of the man who witnessed it all!
---Vinny Eastwood
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