Roadman

Its okay people...read the article...theres no iminent risk...a bigly American says so.

54 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

I will edit my response:

These appeared to be protesters, NOT looters or rioters.

People was urging their fellow demonstrators to "move along" where was the rioting and looting here?

Rioting....did the privately owned gate to the privately owned property get munted by the garden fairies. 

4 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

1. Nowhere in the OP article does it say the ethnicity of the victims, nor anything about the ethnicity or background of the shooter(s).

 

Although, the Seattle Times report today includes a reference that appears to indicate at least one of the two victims, presumably the fatality, was black.

 

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/after-early-morning-shooting-in-chop-occupied-area-returns-to-its-new-normal/

 

2. Washington State is hardly some kind of left-wing refuge. Eastern Washington has a major problem with white supremacist and nationalist groups that has been well publicized.

 

 

A bit early in the going to draw any firm conclusions about just what happened here.

 

Except for the fact that if fewer white police officers around the country had spent the past decades abusing blacks, minorities, immigrants, etc., they might find themselves getting a better reception when they try to deal with crimes in those communities.

 

Or likewise if blacks, minorities, immigrants etc, didn’t come at cops aggressively then they might find themselves getting a better reception from cops. 

4 hours ago, sirineou said:

What is a Englishman with reduced Fishing rights,but a shell of a man!

Diminished to sit along at the pubs, in sorrow and with no nautical tales to share with his fellow seafaring Scalawags

Not a world I want to live in  Arrr!!

Must be a bloody long line from that bar in Thailand.

14 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

No, I’ve got the point. 
 

There is no threat to democracy. 
 

It’s great to see all statues celebrating slavers and their ilk come down, now that the airbrushed history surrounding them is brought into the light. 
 

That is the issue. 

I will take it a step further for you in relation to NZ seeing that is the country in the heading.

I sit in full agreement that there is a major problem in the US police force when you watch the way that cop murdered that dude. The US police force needs a major overhaul but that does not include all of the stupidity that is coming out everywhere on the back of that. 

Today in NZ we have more BLM marchs in our cities on the back of the same about two weeks ago. What I find appalling here is a photo from that last march showing the crowd being mostly Maori and one person in particular holding a placard along the lines of some person who would have been such and such an age today. Three weeks ago and right before all this stupidity started we had yet another little girl Sofia, one year old, killed, joining a long list of like kiddies in this country killed by their families. Its New Zealands appalling record. Three weeks after Sofia was killed their is still no arrest as the whole family, as per now becoming the norm in this country in Maori ranks, all hide behind each other. That is a shocking double standard. If I turned up at one of those BLM marchs here in NZ with a all black lives matter placard with remember Sofia and all other Maori children killed in this country I gaurantee you I wouldnt last seconds before being assaulted. And that is the double standard being rudely applied here. 

In the last few months under Covid we have seen Maori at all ranks doing what they like (IWI acting like police and road blocking towns, Maori Gangs taking over city streets for funerals) and police and a weak kneed Labour government backing down everywhere. 

Its fine for statues and such to be removed if justified. But that is done through consultation with equal input from all parties. Not from a select small group with media blowup creating an impression that this is what the majority agree with. 

13 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

Damn. Not only do the Kiwis beat us at rugby but are already having people travel all over the islands and going to sport events. What is the world coming to.

Be thankful you didnt have your economy trashed to the extent if has been here in NZ. The harsh reality of the over kill from our inept NZ government is going to hit home when the free money from Cindy's magic money trees is going to run out and people start having to deal with the reality that not only their job is gone but also the handouts. The reality of the overkill with all out hospitals closed to deal with the imagined tens of thousands of covid cases and deaths is already starting to bite home with cancer suffers now backlogged. 

10 hours ago, robblok said:

Problems is that often people who are qualified and of an different color or group of friends don't get the job. When i worked at a stock trader firm you would often see that friends (who were of course qualified would get jobs) but others without the connection who were qualified too would not get the jobs. So if the original group was white it often meant that they would hire white friends. 

 

Not sure that its always racism because besides qualifications someone has to fit in the group too. Otherwise its creates a bad work environment. However it does shut people out. 

Correct. And if that one slight adjustment was made then it is another slight move to inclusiveness which over time will break down barriers. Interesting that a lot of it is driven by events in the US where the bad guy person is white. Interestingly here in NZ you see it in the service sector especially in service/petrol stations and pizza shops where a recent Kiwi greater Asian immigrant will get into the management position and then within short time because of the high turnover in those fields the entire staff is of the same ethnicity. We all have a long way to go.
And putting aside the negative comments as an American corporate citizen who received the new corporate direction email this week I don’t see any issues with it. I have been with this corporate for 25 years and seen it from then being a total white and male dominate operational and female dominate office structures move dramatically to a very mixed and diverse business on the basis of inclusiveness. I love lunch times in the corporate office where the aroma of foods from all corners of the world mingle.  And we have moved from a struggling sector of our business years ago to now to be the dominate and leader in our sector not only here in NZ but in the last few years into the Asian Pacific region. And that reflects on our ever increasing share value on the NYSE and the ever increasing returns our shareholders receive. 

The rebound of employment will be correct. 

One only has to follow the Chinese economy (first in and first out) or smaller countries to see what is happening. The rebound is real with a sudden pick up in activity for the bussiness sector. But that is for those sectors that have immediate trade availability. There are many that have not. Tourism for example is flattened world wide for some time. Its obvious that the barista on the corner cafe is back at work but the check in operator at the international airlines counter is not and will not be for some time.

Following the Chinese economy, its industrial sectors demand for raw materials was immediate and raised confidence in suppliers. That has now dropped as a lot of Chinese industry has leveled out at only two thirds of pre Covid production. 

The employment and bussiness activity pick up is expected but it is a short spike. It will flatten out to a gradual improvement but there is a long way to go to get back to pre Covid. 

3 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

liberals hate statistics, waste of time using them to back up an argument

Putting aside that I am equally liberal and conservative I actually found the stats graph in post 50 interesting. The Afro Americans, Hispanics, whites and others deaths by percentage. Easy guess to work out the bulk of the others would be Asian. All around the world where they have immigrated to western countries and put up with endless racist and less than welcoming undertone they continually show up as the more compliant to, and respect of the law. Not surprising that they easily beat whites in the negative outcome stakes. Gotta love stats. So what does that suggest of the poorer preforming Hispanics and even worse compliant Afro Americans? 

The smaller national airlines will survive and come back strong and with support from the individual country lawmakers should stay clear of any global proposal. The airlines to regrow internationally while the individual country lawmakers keep global brands out. Likes of AirNZ has a strong and mostly sole operator domestic market to get back on its feet again, and being half government owned and a strong balance sheet for both the airline and country prior to Covid 19, they can take the hit for a couple of years while their international bussiness rebuilds. With several countries (a lot of the island nations...Aussie, Japan, NZ  to name a few) being able to show better leadership than the moronic so called world super powers, and get on top of Covid 19 there is opportunity for those countries to open international flights between each other earlier. Keep some strong standards and controls in place and it can be achieved. And international is not only people but perishable produce for export earnings. 

For years have always held the view that if I was being bullied then I would have the US as the mate to deal to the bully. But if I needed wise learned diplomacy then I would consult with the Brits, the new western countries (Aussies, Kiwis and Canucks) and the Scandinavians. In the last three years more so the higher level of intelligence whereabouts is becoming even more obvious. 

10 hours ago, pegman said:

Trump will be demanding China buy beef from his base cattle ranchers to replace boycotted Australian meat. If the American consumer hasn't shunned Chinese goods till now why in hell will they start now? Walmart didn't become what it is today by being  patriotic. Same can be said for Apple and their Chinese supply chain.  Australia is on its own.  Recovery will be long and hard without China buying its exports. 

You are missing one major point. The Aussies are asking fairly for an investigation into the coronavirus origins and spreads. Somewhat a hell of a lot more palatable than the accusations coming from the idiot in the White House swamp.  

Jeez isn’t a year a major swing in reality. In one country you get a leader who is leading their country with economic strength through a crisis with the people getting on with it, while in an an identical country you get a leader who missed her hijab photo show trashing the country economy while the citizens hide fearfully in their homes. 
 

1 hour ago, samran said:

Got a good leader at the moment guiding them through this. 

A good communicator, not leader. She’s got it right in the later part after her and her MPs started listening to the experienced advice of our medical professionals, Treasury, Reserve Bank and our private sector coming out of lockdown, which for the past two years they have failed to do and trashed our economy. But hey she gives great hugs and looks great in a hijab for the guilible. But complete couk up going in to lockdown where her Hijab one year ceremony party, among many stuff ups including being embarrassed into locking down the country, was more important to get her profile built when all other mass gatherings were already closed down. 
Interestingly early on when it was looking like Scotmo was stuffing up early the lefties here were quick to climb in about how great she was, as the comparison was of two equal islands miles from everywhere, but now that Aussie is doing better without trashing their economy like Cindy has done the lefties are justifying us against Ireland. Don’t believe all the Women’s Weekly leftie garbage coming out of this country media.

7 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

What a show...Trump tooting his own horn using suspect data...Biden attempting to complete a coherent sentence...the Dem VP candidate trying to cover for Biden's senior moments and Mike Pense repeating how wonderful Trump is with a face that says: " Please do not believe me!"...????

It’s the best good ole Yankee p1ss taking comedy show ever. And it’s not even Hollywood but real Yankee comedy...haha. 

8 hours ago, champers said:

Good luck to all of them. My money would be on the Brits. Those Oxford boffins know their stuff. Trial started on St Georges day; good omen.

Agree...leave the Yanks with their Trumpee disinfectant into the human body....suggest Jeyes Fluid trial on the Neanderthal POTUS. 
 

4 hours ago, Slip said:

Does he not realise how pathetic this makes a great nation seem?

Great nation...lol...the US has been going down the dunnie for the past few years...

8 minutes ago, johng said:

When they keep saying "don't panic don't panic"  but you must stay indoors and not goto work/put your whole life on hold to stop a "deadly" virus .. its understandable that  people panic.

 

However those idiots targetting NHS workers and even "bin men" ( dustmen) are very sick individuals and need a good 

"kick up the bum"  there are always some idiots unfortunately. ☹️

Stocking up to avoid going to one of the highest risk areas of supermarkets in not panic buying but bloody common sense. Here in NZ the idiot supermarket owners have only just started sanitising trolley handles in the last day or so, in spite of us having been in lockdown for a week.  

3 hours ago, Kiwiken said:

He will get the maximum available under New Zealand Law. That will be life on for all murder convictions and 3-7 years on each of the attempted Murder charges. Most Murder convictions have been handed down as concurrent. But current law allows for consecutive Sentencing. One would Hope that given the immense gravity of his crimes he gets 51 consecutive life sentences which is at least 663 years. And even if this was not the case He will maybe be given Preventative detention which has no time limit. Some here ask for him to be deported. perhaps his withered old Corpse may be sent back to Australia in 40-50 years

Don’t want him deported or face corporal punishment. Happy to pay my three cents a year share for the cost to keep him confined for the rest of his life and then to bury him. 

59 minutes ago, Katipo said:

What ever one might think of Jacinda, she is excellent in a crisis. Strong, compassionate, and decisive. She also listens to the experts, explains the decisions she is making, and why they need to be made. Putting herself front and centre, where a leader needs to be in times like these. Good on her.

Absolute twaddle. The decision was forced by our senior health professionals who were coming out in the media as early as late last week to say we should be going to immediate lockdown as it has the potential to get beyond the country's medical resources to cope with it. That they were having to use the media to get the coalition of clowns to finally act this week says it all. Plus we have had people wandering into this country from the worst infected areas of the world with a boys scout promise that they would self isolate. I can recall even about 8 weeks ago a Kiwi straight from Wuhan saying NZ immigration has no interest in him even when he told them where he was from. Strong and decisive my left ball. 

But no worries as she reflects the "she'll be right" attitude of most Kiwis. Having visited both an Asian and a western supermarket in Auckland yesterday it was no suprise to see which group with their face masks (okay a bit overboard) gloves and hand sanitizers in their cars to clean down versus absolutely nothing had the seriousness of the virus figured out.