As
New Zealand moves towards a globalist police state...
I
have always been of a liberal frame-of-mind, although a social critic. However, I can hardly recognise the changes that are not creeping, but being foisted onto this country with breathtaking swiftness.
I have always been somewhat "left" all my life and all of a sudden I find that I can't even talk to former friends and am seeing as "aiding -and abetting the "Far Right". I have not even spoken to some people since before March 15 and strongly suspect I am "persona non grata"
I have not changed very much but the world around me has.
Back in the 90's we used to make common ground about globalisation and corporatisation. I am still against this (more commonly referred to 'globalism', which is seen as a "right-wing" phenomenon) but now, in the name of liberal ideology all that my erstwhile friends seem to have abandoned these ideas for all the memes that are being foisted on us by the BBC and the New Zealand media.
New Zealand is becoming even more of a fractured and divided society than ever it was and people spit hatred against the so-called "perpetrators of hate speech". This has its irony because while I am quite willing to have a friendly debate the enemies of "hate speech": storm out of cafes.
We hear about "hate speech" but little about free speech, let alone tolerance.
One liberal saying I quite liked (it was often directed at me) was:
"I disagree with you (even strongly) but I will defend your right to say it to the death"
I wonder what ever happened to that in this globalist, NWO, Orwellian world.
I strongly suspect that changes since the election of Trump and that a lot of people are waking up (even though their thinking may be unsophisticated and more than a little woolly) since the US election in 2016 and with the recent EU elections might have something to do with that.
Certain people have lost their sense of perspective (and humour) and when push comes to shove, the belief in democracy and what it entails was only ever skin deep.
Consider the following.
The
Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch terror attacks will
keep secret the submissions of several state agencies, including spy
agencies, because of risks to public safety and national security.
The
inquiry, chaired by Sir William Young, released a monthly update
today and included the minutes of previous meetings that outlined
what information was to be kept confidential.
It
will keep secret all submissions from:
•
the
NZ Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS)
•
the
Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB)
•
Police
•
the
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
•
Customs
•
Department
of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
•
Ministry
of Justice
•
Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and Trade
•
The
Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security
It
will also ban publication of the names of current or former employees
of the NZSIS and the GCSB, as well as partner foreign intelligence
agencies, or anyone connected to such people.
The
heads of the agencies are exempted, and initial meetings have already
taken place with NZSIS boss and Rebecca Kitteridge and GCSB boss
Andrew Hampton.
The
commission's terms of reference state that information must be kept
confidential if its release would jeopardise a fair trial or endanger
public safety, including for security or defence reasons.
That
includes sensitive information received from other countries.
A
blanket ban has been put in place because it is not practicable to
separate material in advance that could be released without
detrimental consequences.
The
inquiry may have public hearings, where appropriate.
It
is investigating the alleged gunman's activities before the attacks,
including his travel in New Zealand and around the world, how he
obtained firearms, his use of social media, and what relevant state
sector agencies knew about him before the attacks.
It
is also looking at what actions state agencies took, what more they
could have down, and whether some of them, such as intelligence
agencies, were too busy looking at Islamic fundamentalism at the
expense of the threat of white nationalism.
The
monthly update said the inquiry has offered to meet with affected
families on their terms.
It
also said that initial meetings had been held with the heads of
several departments including Police Commissioner Mike Bush, as well
as Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel, Privacy Commissioner John
Edwards, and Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Cheryl
Gwyn.
Work
to form a Muslim Community Reference Group, which will help Muslim
communities take part in the inquiry, was ongoing.
The
commission is due to report back by December 10.
And this...
23 May, 2019
Police
with armed back-up are continuing to door-knock people who are
posting what is regarded as anti-Muslim material online.
A
former probation officer was visited by police who said he had posted
anti-Muslim and anti-Government messages online, and asked if he had
firearms.
Peter
Daly said they left his Rangiora home after about 10 minutes.
“They
were standing at the gate. We argued like hell and I said: ‘You’re
not coming in here, you’re accusing me’. . . two of them could
have come here and spoken to me nicely. All my neighbourhood is
wondering what the hell is going on,” he said.
Mr
Daly said he was unable to apply for a firearms licence because he
has a criminal record, and is questioning why he was targeted by
police.
He
asked police for evidence he was posting anti-Muslim and
anti-Government material. He said police were unable to produce any.
Mr
Daly’s Facebook page has postings about Islam and Muslims.
“I
have mentioned a few things on Facebook in regard to Muslims
overseas. Nothing in regard to the Al Noor Mosque, like the way they
burn people and the way they stone their women on assumptions of
adultery and so forth,” he told The Star.
Police
would not discuss the visit to Mr Daly.
Deputy
Commissioner Mike Clement said as part of an ongoing response to the
March 15 terror attacks, police are conducting visits to some
firearms owners and individuals about concerning behaviour.
“These
visits are carried out as a result of police receiving information
about concerning behaviour. Many of these are from members of the
public who are being vigilant as we have asked them to be and have
rightly passed their concerns on to police,” said Deputy
Commissioner Clement.
Some
visits result in police being satisfied that there is no risk to the
public and that is the end of the matter.
“Some
may require further interventions, such as seizing firearms or
arrests. This is normal policing and what the public rightly expects.
“The
police presence during these visits is based on a risk assessment and
the fact that those being visited have access to firearms. As such,
police must respond in a manner that protects officers and the public
as enquiries are undertaken.”
Deputy
Commissioner Clement said police are confident the visits have been
conducted in a professional and appropriate manner.
Mr
Daly is asking the police under the Official Information Act request
to find out the reason for the visit.
“It’s
not as if I have gone round to Al Moor Mosque with a pig’s head or
a weapon. It was just over the top.”
Mr
Daly previously worked as a probation officer for the Department of
Corrections for eight years and has a periodic detention assistant
warden for 10 years.
New
Zealand Council for Civil Liberties chairman Thomas Beagle said it is
always concerned when police are used to investigate people for their
political views.
“As
the impact of an investigation has a detrimental effect on key civil
liberties such as freedom of expression and freedom of association.”
But
he said police have a duty to investigate crime and credible threats
of violence.
***
Before the events of March 15 and the hurried law changes that seemed to have been already waiting in the wings I would not have challenged the idea that having semiautomatic guns was an extremely bad idea.
That was before I learned that there are 1.5 million guns in this country and learned something about how they came to be here.
Now I am far more sympathetic to the views ezpressed here.