Brian Tamaki - Arsehole of the Week

You may find it somewhat amusing to see Brian Tamaki arrested again for organising another Destiny Church protest. After all, his largely nonsensical argument against the Government’s Covid restrictions is one thing, but those tattooed on eyebrows are really something else.

However it’s no laughing matter. The self-proclaimed messiah is in fact endangering people’s lives by organising mass rallies right when the more deadly Delta strain is spreading throughout Auckland.

The Tamaki’s are essentially trying to convince people to become exposed to a deadly virus by telling their followers that the power of the lord will save them, which is incredibly wrong on many different levels, not least of all theologically.

On Wednesday, RNZ reported:

Brian Tamaki denies breaching level 3 rules at Auckland event

Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki has pleaded not guilty to breaching bail and lockdown rules governing mass gatherings

It is Mr Tamaki's second court appearance in relation to mass gatherings.

He was granted bail to appear before the Auckland District Court next year.

Judge Josephine Bouchier warned him if he was charged again, he "was in peril" of being remanded in custody.

Why Brian Tamaki was given another chance to breach his bail conditions is anyone’s guess, particularly because Hannah Tamaki spent the time her husband was in jail organising another protest outside the Police station.

The Tamaki’s even promoted it on social media showing that they clearly have no intention of adhering to the judge’s bail conditions.

In my opinion the judiciary really needs to start playing hardball with these cult leaders to ensure the publics safety.

There's no question that the Destiny Church protests are politically motivated. In fact some among the right-wing see the virus spreading as a way to undermine Jacinda Arderns popularity.

Brian and Hannah Tamaki are after all friends with Judith Collins, and much like Destiny Church's campaigning, the National Party leader has spent most of her time arguing against the Government’s worthwhile Covid restrictions.

It is somewhat ironic that these restrictions would have reduced cases, saved lives and allowed the economy to open up earlier if people, particularly those who listen to Judith Collins and the Tamaki’s, had actually adhered to them.

Brian Tamaki’s protests have assuredly caused the deadly virus to spread, which is why the deluded church leader wins this week’s Arsehole Award. His followers assaulting a peaceful protester outside of the Police station Brian was being held at was also uncalled for.

‘Freedom of speech’…Tamaki’s Blackshirt Gang violently attack & destroy sign they didn’t like yesterday at Henderson Police Station.
[for the record, it says “F**K Brian Tamaki, his prosperity, his doctrines and his creepy fake eyebrows. Let him rot in the cells!”] pic.twitter.com/eYjhYrWVCd

— DaveMac (@davemacpherson7) October 20, 2021

Now what is it that the Bible says about hurting others?

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

National's failed firearms bill cost over $390,000

We all know that New Zealand has a very large conservative voter base. That’s why the tough on crime campaigning of the past has worked well to get right wing political parties elected. 

However there’s a limit to how far right wing politicians can push the envelope when it comes to their us versus them rhetoric.

A perfect example of this was on display when NZ First leader Winston Peters made false accusations about Mongrel Mob advisor Harry Tam, who he claimed had illegally travelled across boarders with an associate who was Covid-19 positive.

Yesterday, Stuff reported:

Winston Peters apologises for alleging Harry Tam link with Northland Covid-19 case

Former deputy prime minister Winston Peters has apologised for comments he made on national television alleging former Mongrel Mob member Harry Tam helped a Covid-positive case breach the Auckland border.

On Friday, Tam, a former senior civil servant who now works with gangs, sent the former deputy prime minister and NZ First leader a legal letter, calling for a public retraction and apology by 5pm on Tuesday.

The letter called on Peters to “account for your false comments and the harm those comments have caused him and the community...to avoid any further action being required”.

Five minutes before Tam’s deadline, Peters issued a statement apologising for naming Tam as the Mongrel Mob affiliate who entered Northland.

Whether Peters simply had a senior moment, was straight out lying or had received incorrect intel from his police mates is anyone’s guess? But whatever the reason for the former deputy PM making false accusations concerning Harry Tam, he has assuredly made a huge fool of himself.

But he’s not the only right wing politician to get egg on their face recently. National Party MP Simeon Brown also had a monumental cognitive and legislative failure yesterday when Parliament decided that his Firearms Amendment Bill was a really stupid idea.

Here’s the National Party’s press release:

Government Shoots Down Bill To Take Guns Off Gangs

The Government’s decision to vote down National’s Firearms Prohibition Orders Bill shows how out of touch the Government is when it comes to gangs, says National’s Police spokesperson Simeon Brown.

“This is the second time the Government has shot down legislation which will make it harder for gangs to get access to firearms and make it easier for Police to take firearms off gang members.

Here’s the guts of Simeon Browns’ Bill:

Clause 5(1) and (2) of the bill provides that a firearms licence must not be issued to a person who in the opinion of a commissioned officer of Police is a gang member or a person who is subject to a FPO.

However the Police can already decline a gang member a Firearms Licence. In fact the Police will always decline a gang member the legal right to own a firearm because they view them as not being fit and proper to do so.

Here’s the Police directive:

Some of the criteria that Police may take into account when determining if someone is fit and proper to possess firearms or airguns include whether (s24A):

The person is a member of, or has close affiliations with a gang or organised criminal group.

So Simeon’s Bill is a complete waste of Parliaments time, which is also therefore a complete waste of taxpayer’s money.

It costs well over $300 to run Parliament on a per minute basis, which means that every time a fool like Simeon Brown opens his mouth in the House of Representatives to grandstand about gangs the taxpayer gets penalised.

Brown and his idiotic colleagues have taken roughly three days of Parliaments time (21 hours) to waffle on about gun crime…propaganda to enact a law that already exists.

That’s a cost of well over $390,000 to the taxpayer just so the National Party can pontificate about being tough on crime, and in my book that’s a complete waste of taxpayers money.

David Seymour - Arsehole of the Week

There is no question that the ACT Party of New Zealand is a racist organisation. From calls to introduce a policy to ‘shoot the natives’ during Don Brash’s annual conference speech in 2011 to Rodney Hide openly stating that the party faithful hated Maori people and Jamie Whyte claiming Maori are somehow legally privileged, the common theme running through all of the far-right group’s politicking is one of racism!

Even now, in the 21st century no less, the current leader of the ACT Party has been dog-whistling for support by expressing similar bigoted views, racist views that have clearly hindered efforts to encourage Maori to get vaccinated against the deadly Covid-19 virus. 

On Monday, RNZ reported:

Māori vaccine equity scheme criticism blows back on Seymour

Seymour this morning released a written statement with an attached image displaying the priority access codes, which allow Māori and Pacific people to receive the vaccine at Whānau Ora locations without needing to book ahead.

"The virus doesn't discriminate on race, so neither should the rollout," the statement said. "Access to vaccination has been the same for people of all ethnic backgrounds. If fewer Māori are vaccinated it can't be a problem with access, but this move by the government insinuates that Māori have trouble making a booking."

Obviously David Seymour is entirely wrong! Not everyone has the same access to vaccination centres, particularly Maori who often live in more remote areas. This makes travelling to be vaccinated more difficult and is likely the main reason we’re seeing lower vaccination rates amongst indigenous populations in Aotearoa.

Another issue is that Maori are often mistreated by the health system, which has created a large amount of distrust. You only have to look at the Bay of Plenty DHB’s offensive pamphlet likening the virus to Maori and their wrongful request of passports from Pasifika people before they’re allowed the vaccine to see that racism is alive and well within our health institutions.

However, the virus does discriminate. The New Zealand Medical Journal has found that after controlling for age and underlying conditions Māori and Pacific people have 2.5x and 3.06x higher odds of being hospitalised for contracting Covid-19 than other ethnicities.

Researchers estimated risk of death for Māori from Covid-19 was at least 50 percent higher than European New Zealanders and infection rates are also significantly higher while vaccination rates have languished.

So you can see why certain sectors of our community should be prioritised. In fact making sure there’s a high uptake of vaccines amongst Maori is one of the best ways to ensure the Covid-19 elimination strategy is a success. But despite this best practice, the ACT Party is again playing the race-baiting card, which has effectively inhibited many Maori from accessing the vaccine.

Yesterday, RNZ reported:

Vaccination clinics prioritising Māori 'swamped by Pākehā’

The national strategy of vaccinating against Covid-19 through general and mass events is not working for Māori, with even clinics that prioritise Māori and Pasifika being "swamped" by Pākehā, a Covid-19 researcher says.

Earlier this week, Act Party leader David Seymour tweeted out a vaccine code reserved for Māori, encouraging his supporters to use the code themselves.

The code was sent by Māori health provider Te Whānau o Waipareira via confidential email to its clients as part of a push to lift Māori vaccination rates that are less than two thirds of the non-Māori rate.

Te Whānau o Waipareira CEO John Tamihere said Seymour was trying to sabotage attempts to make the rollout more equitable. He said his clinics had vaccinated five times as many Pākehā as Māori and Pasifika.

Independent writer, researcher and advisor Rāwiri Taonui, who focuses on Covid-19 in Māori communities, said the story was similar around the country and different strategies were now needed to turn around low vaccine uptake by Māori.

Combine this latest display of racism with Seymour’s previous acceptance of donations from White Supremacist backers and his dishonest claims about white privilege being taught in New Zealand primary schools, and it’s easy to see that the ACT Party is still wearing the same old racist stripes. In fact it’s the same out-dated party that has been proactively inhibiting Maori progress since its first inception in 1993.

However the main reason David Seymour wins this weeks much anticipated Arsehole Award is that he failed to say anything about the Government prioritising vaccines for the elderly, who are also a high-risk demographic that could be disproportionately affected by Covid-19. This blatant contradiction clearly shows that the ACT Party’s objection to Maori being prioritised for vaccination is entirely racially motivated, making ACT New Zealand under the leadership of David Seymour still a terribly racist and divisive party that is undeserving of public support.

Now is not the time to overreact

ISIS Terrorist - Ahamed Aathill Mohamed Samsudeen

We all agree that the attack on innocent people at LynnMall on Friday was a cowardly and despicable act. Six people were seriously injured, with three still remaining in a critical condition at Auckland City Hospital.

However, this is not the time for a knee jerk reaction by the public or Government. This is not the time to blame ethnic minorities or religious beliefs, because they played no role in the radicalisation of the now deceased terrorist. Likewise, this is not the time to close our borders to refugees or those looking for a safe place to raise their families.

This is also not the time to propose laws that would remove citizenship, or the time to give the Police or judiciary more powers to surveil or convict individuals, other than the Counter-Terrorism Legislation amendments that have already been proposed.

Here is one of the amendments that may have prevented this atrocious crime:

5A Carrying out and facilitating terrorist acts

Carrying out includes preparations, credible threats, and attempts

(1) For the purposes of this Act, a terrorist act is carried out if any 1 or more of the following occurs:

(a) planning or other preparations to carry out the act, whether it is actually carried out or not:

(b) a credible threat to carry out the act, whether it is actually carried out or not:

(c) an attempt to carry out the act:

(d) the carrying out of the act.

 

Being that these amendments are currently before the House of Representatives, perhaps if the National Party wasn’t always trying to ‘gum up the works’ of Parliament, the Government may have amended the legislation in time to have prevented this despicable attack. Maybe if Judith Collins had got the legislation right in 2013, we wouldn’t be in this situation either. Possibly, if instead of trying to rehabilitate this deluded individual, the judge had sentenced Ahamed Aathill Mohamed Samsudeen in July to more jail time, the outcome might have been different. Maybe if the Police had used the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act to have him properly assessed and treated; he wouldn’t have felt compelled to try and kill innocent people.

Hindsight is indeed a great thing, and in this regard the PM should feel vindicated for her legislative changes following the Christchurch mosque shootings. In my opinion, this is where the semi-automatic and assault rifle ban has been proven effective. Imagine what would have occurred at LynnMall had this lone wolf had access to military style weapons. However this is also not the time to ban over the counter knife or scissor sales. Clearly somebody who has become radicalised to this extent won’t be deterred by such pointless measures.

The problem isn’t only a failure of our current systems. The problem is that no matter how well we prepare or work to counter terrorism, certain people will continue to become radicalised by online disinformation.

The key therefore is to further develop systems that firstly inhibit people’s access to objectionable terrorism inducing material, and secondly ensure that people are educated enough to be able to determine fact from fiction.

New Zealand doesn’t need to respond by inhibiting access to everyday items or further limiting people’s privacy or freedoms. Instead, Aotearoa would be better served by trying to de-radicalise those who’ve become mislead by hateful online material. We would be better served by making sure that individuals aren’t isolated to an extent whereby exposure to terrorist propaganda can take root in the first place. 

The best response is therefore one of inclusiveness. In this regard the Government should increase the refugee quota to help those trying to escape situations that are the breeding ground for terrorism, situations that New Zealand, like many other western countries, has to a degree been complicit in creating. This would go some way to deescalating terrorism by reducing the reasons some people hold for hating Westerners. Although this isn't politically convenient at the moment, the benefits to this long-term approach far exceed any risks, which are currently painfully apparent.

However, despite the rawness of the situation, this is not the time to allow segregationists to seize the narrative. Instead, we should look to increase and enhance the broadcasting of our multicultural and diverse communities. Because without inclusiveness, it is far more likely that more individuals will feel isolated and thus be more prone to radicalisation…consequently making it more likely that similar terrorist attacks will occur again in New Zealand.

Chris Bishop swallows a dead rat

You’ve got to wonder why Chris Bishop decided for a career in politics? It’s obviously not because of some sort of altruistic belief system. After all the former tobacco lobbyist clearly doesn’t give a damn about helping other people to better their lives. Instead, according to his own statements, Bishop is in Parliament to make it more difficult for the current Labour led Government to govern.

Often touted as being an integral member of the National Party's liberal wing, Bishop's most notable transgression was when he got caught using Snapchat to send inappropriate messages to teenage girls. At the time Bishop said he was simply campaigning on behalf of the National Party. But it's doubtful the parents of the numerous girls he contacted would have complained if that were truly the case.

However despite many questions going unanswered during that controversy, it appears Bishop’s position within the blue "team" has in recent weeks become even more tenuous, mainly because he inadvertently undermined the authority of his own ignominious leader, Judith Collins.

Apparently Crusher became furious during a recent meeting because leaked messages revealed Bishop's lack of support for her caucus decision to blanket vote against a bill banning gay conversion therapy...legislation that passed its first reading despite National's chaotic opposition to it. The National Party clearly lost the moral high ground as well as the debate, and Crusher was not pleased that the party's disunity had played out so tragically in the public domain.

On Thursday, the NZ Herald reported:

Knives out in National, as caucus struggles to show unity despite obvious division

Collins was unhappy with the way some MPs had publicly suggested they were less than supportive of the caucus' decision to vote against a ban on conversion therapy.

Collins allegedly unloaded on one of the most high-profile detractors, Covid-19 spokesman Chris Bishop.

Bishop, along with Nicola Willis and Erica Stanford, is considered a standard-bearer of the caucus' liberal wing.

One source told the Herald that Collins "completely lost it" at Bishop. Another source described her tirade as "f***ing ballistic".

…

Following the conference, Collins wanted to remind her caucus that becoming a member of Cabinet means swallowing a lot of dead rats. A minister won't always get it their own way, but they have to sell the Cabinet line all the same.

Bishop's great sin on the conversion therapy issue vote was a leaked exchange between himself and a woman, where he revealed he was unhappy with the way the party voted on conversion therapy.

The Herald was told Collins was furious about the way the party's conversion therapy spat had spilled out into the public domain – and one source said it would not be surprising if disciplinary action followed it.

 

Of course Bishop shouldn’t be considered admirable for his views on gay conversion therapy, because he didn’t actually intend for his lack of conviction to be leaked to the public. Instead, Bishop was happy for voters to believe that his silence showed support for his party’s repressive and thoughtless political direction concerning LGBT matters.

Collins set a low bar for taking disciplinary action against her caucus. Former leader Todd Muller was forced to announce his retirement after being outed for briefing the media.

But unlike Muller, who had already retreated from frontline politics, Bishop is one of National's top performers, and, as Covid-19 spokesperson has done a good job at rebuilding National's tarnished reputation on the most significant political issue of the day.

The problem with Thomas Coughlan’s argument here is that Bishop hasn’t really performed very well at all. In fact he was the ringleader in National’s recent disastrous Twitter misinformation campaign concerning an alleged lack of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots.

Over the last few weeks, National and their propagandists have incorrectly argued ad nauseam that the booster shots weren’t the same Pfizer vaccine formula that’s currently being administered throughout New Zealand and the world, which is entirely wrong and made National look like a bunch of ignorant and unread fools!

Excess vaccine stock are not boosters. Boosters are intended to prevent a drop off in efficacy by covering subsequent strains. The US intends to make boosters available in September.

— NZ National Party (@NZNationalParty) August 23, 2021

On Wednesday, Newshub reported:

Coronavirus: Scientists correct National Party tweet accused of spreading 'misinformation' about COVID-19 vaccines

Alison Campbell, honorary fellow and biological sciences lecturer at the University of Waikato said boosters were a "nudge to remind the immune system about what it's already learned".

"It's an additional dose of an existing vaccine. The pertussis booster I had a couple of years ago would be an example, as is a third dose of the existing Pfizer vaccine. Something that's been reworked to cover additional variants is not."

Newshub has contacted the National Party for a response. At the time of writing on Wednesday morning, the tweet hadn't been removed or corrected. Several Twitter users accused the party of spreading "misinformation". 

Although Bishop's gay conversion therapy debacle was bad, it’s the numerous factually incorrect statements by right-wing politicians and their media lackeys that is likely losing National support at the moment.

The opposition’s failure, along with an effective Covid-19 strategy, has effectively provided Jacinda Ardern with 85% public support for her Government's scientifically based response to the pandemic. This success makes National’s idiotic blunder concerning the 10 million doses of Pfizer vaccine already ordered (including around 3.6 million potential booster shots) even more damaging to Bishop's credibility on all things Covid-19.

This also begs the question, why exactly should the voting public take the National Party seriously when their campaigning is such a complete shambles? I mean how exactly is the National Party going to hold the Government to account when they cannot even get the basic facts about Covid-19 vaccines right?

Despite this incredibly embarrassing brain fart by Chris Bishop, he surprisingly hasn't lost his position as National’s Covid-19 spokesperson. Instead, Crusher took away his portfolio as Shadow Leader of the House, apparently because Michael Woodhouse of all people can do a better job.

Talk about Chris Bishop swallowing a very large dead rat.

It's supposedly not a demotion either, because according to Crusher Collins, her reprimanded MP apparently needs to spend more time on National's Covid-19 campaign, which is clearly thus far only helped to bolster support for the Government's elimination strategy.

Yesterday, Stuff reported:

National Party reshuffle: Judith Collins strips Chris Bishop of key portfolio

Most notably Chris Bishop has lost his Shadow Leader of the House portfolio, a key role that saw him involved in much of the party’s Parliamentary strategy.

…

Bishop is understood to have pushed for a conscience vote on the gay conversion therapy bill, which National opposed on-bloc at first reading. A private message to a member of the public where Bishop made clear his distaste for this vote was subsequently leaked.

Unfortunately for Bishop, that wasn't the only leak he's had to worry about lately.

Chris Bishop says he wants to make the country ungovernable during a pandemic
WOW! pic.twitter.com/yhPSdwIG6g

— Aotearoa Aotearoa (@rugbyintel) August 25, 2021

If Bishop truly believes that his time is best spent trying to “gum up the works” to stop “the Government from governing” properly during a pandemic, then it’s clear that he’s wasting Parliament’s time as well as his own.

In fact trying to cause administrative problems during a deadly virus outbreak essentially shows that Bishop has absolutely no concern for public safety whatsoever. He is therefore not fit to represent the people of Aotearoa as a Member of our Parliament.

Because making it more difficult for the Government to govern is the exact opposite of what any duly elected official should be doing, particularly during a pandemic that, despite the best efforts of the National Party, New Zealand still has a decent chance of beating.

The US doesn’t need opium from Afghanistan anymore

We should all know by now that Operation Enduring Freedom, which later turned into Operation Freedom's Sentinel, whereby the United States and its misguided allies invaded and occupied Afghanistan for two very long decades, has been a complete failure!

Not only has the US-led invasion of Afghanistan caused the deaths of over 171,000 people, including more than 47,000 civilians, the cost of this unjustified war has also meant a far greater number of innocent people have been displaced or lost their lives through increased disease and starvation. Despite these numbers, the true cost of the United States' unwarranted war on Afghanistan will likely never be fully quantified.

Of course these aren’t things that the current President of the United States dares to mention. Like most Western leaders, Joe Biden has been caught asleep at the wheel and is now scrambling to safeguard his reputation. In effect he has to clean up after former President George W. Bush, who actively lied to facilitate a so-called war on terror, and Donald Trump, who failed to properly negotiate and plan for the safe withdrawal of US and other coalition troops deployed in Afghanistan.

So what has the coalition of the willing actually achieved through this prolonged and bloody conflict? Well firstly much of Afghanistan has been bombed back into the dark ages, which aligns perfectly with the Pentagon's primary objective of stopping Middle Eastern and other Asian continent countries from unifying under Islamic rule.

The US also captured and secured Afghanistan’s opium production for twenty years, which under the occupation once again became the world’s largest supplier. Prior to the 2001 invasion, the Taliban had all but halted Afghani farmers from growing poppies, because they believe opium is un-Islamic.

Of course the propaganda campaign to protect the United States and other coalition countries has never ended. Even now the news reports are rife with claims that only the Taliban are involved in and profiting from the drug trade in Afghanistan.

Yesterday, Reuters reported:

Profits and poppy: Afghanistan's illegal drug trade a boon for Taliban

The United States spent more than $8 billion over 15 years on efforts to deprive the Taliban of their profits from Afghanistan's opium and heroin trade, from poppy eradication to airstrikes and raids on suspected labs.

That strategy failed.

Of course it failed, because it wasn’t the United States’ objective.

The Taliban banned poppy growing in 2000 as they sought international legitimacy, but faced a popular backlash and later mostly changed their stance, according to experts.

Why was a steady supply of opium important to the United States you might ask? Well it’s used to make the highly addictive and deadly drug heroin, which was first introduced into America by the CIA as a way to repress black communities. Then in the 70’s it was extensively used to decimate the anti-war and other resistance movements, which allowed the United States’ war machine to continue destabilising smaller resource rich countries around the world largely unencumbered.

More people now die in the United States from opioid overdoses (69,710 in 2020) than by homicide, which is really saying something when you realise that carrying a gun is a constitutional right in most of their states.

However a new drug has now taken over from heroin as the most deadly. Illicit fentanyl addiction has over the last few years meant that heroin use in the US is declining. Fentanyl is a completely synthetic drug with the ingredients manufactured in China, just like the precursors for methamphetamine.

It’s therefore no coincidence that the US is withdrawing from Afghanistan at the very same time that demand for heroin declines. They simply don’t need Afghanistan's opium anymore, because Fentanyl is proving to be a far more effective drug in their campaign to subdue the masses.