Posts by Steve Barnes
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Can't we get an "edit" facility so we can correct our silly mistakes? I missed a "<"
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Going back to Russell's post
After 14 years, North Carolina has legislated a sinking lid -- to zero -- on pokies. The problems there have been such that the state Senate has passed such a measure five times since 2000 -- but each time the House, under the direction of (Democrat) Speaker Jim Black, refused to vote on it. The game was up when it emerged that Black was taking campaign contributions from ... guess which industry?
Once that was cleared up, the House voted 114-1 for the ban
The point " that we should be tolerant of other people's vices " i a little disingenuous seeing as we never saw "we the people" marching on Parliament demanding Casinos and pokie machines it was those with a vested interest wanting these things. If we were to "insist" that our govt. banned all the bad stuff, tobacco, alcashol, gambling etc I doubt that we would have produced the surpluses that have enabled the Govt. to introduce the social benefits that it has. My point? I guess every silver lining must have it's cloud.
P.S. my keyboard just invented a new word "alcashol" might be better with an "E" "Alcashole, a person that cannot hold their liquor"
Things go better with an "E" ;-) -
Over the years the amount you can get out of a pokie machine has gradually increased as has the amount you can put in. The insideousness of this causes the problem, it's like jacking up the dose to get the same high as you get immune to the effects of whatever you are addicted to. I the powers that be were serious about harm reduction they would gradually reduce the ability to feed your habit and wean the victims off.
Hmmm, just saw Russells post after loging on, so we agree ;-)
So anyway. The corelation between poverty and gambling is a spurious one, you could say any buisness is a form of gambling and there are many rich buisness people, it's just that in buisness the harder you work the luckier you get, this principle does not apply to low paying jobs so you chase the luck in other ways so you dont' feel such a loser. -
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.Right from day one Broad was saying the reason they acted when they did was because they "perceived a credible threat" so it would appear that that is the section of the TSA they intended to use. I still think it more than a coincidence that the raids took place just before the second reading of the amendment to the act. however, I still find it hard to fathom the reason. Could it be that the police were trying to embarrass the Govt. for what they were doing to Rickards and Dewar et al? If so then maybe we should send in Mallard to bop Broad on teh snotter.
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I imagine New Zealand's 'anti-terror' activities have a way to go before they come close to parity with the likes of the U.S., Britain or Australia..., if you want to be in the gang you need to learn to behave like the other gang members.
Which is why the TSA amendment bill passed yesterday, 108 for 12 against. Russ had the numbers about right. I, for one, was not happy about this and for once agreed totally with Rodney hide. This IS the "thin end of the wedge" we already have laws that covered all this, if someone is suspected of belonging to a "terrorist organisation" just issue a risk certificate. We now have a law that can freeze the assets of any person or organisation and lock them away without explanation that is deemed by the Prime Minister (of the time) or, for that matter any group designated by the international powers that be, to be a member of the, what shall we call it? "The Axis of Evil" "The Evil Doers" "The Bad Guys" "People that are doing things not regarded as illegal but we don't like it"
But don't worry, you haven't done anything wrong, have you? -
Having followed this thread, and the media coverage, I still stand by my original analysis. This is our government, and I don't care whether it is National or Labour at this point, pandering to foreign influence in the "war on terra"
It is no coincidence that this happened between the first and second reading of the ammendment to the SoTA.
Think about it.
We are considered to be intelligent enough to see through the most blatant abuses of power but when it seems too obvious to be real we don't belive it, we get called paranoid and they get away with stealing what freedoms we actually have left.
Wake up people. The revelution is here. It's just we didnt expect it to come from those that already had the power. -
Stephen Judd
Yes really. I have read the official press release, released on the day of sentencing. Trust me here, there is more to this than meets the eye. Follow the Link -
From this mornings Herald;
"The officers, clad in black uniforms and carrying assault rifles, ordered motorists and passengers to step out of their cars while they conducted searches at a roadblock inside the cordon.They opened boots and bonnets and checked the underside of vehicles and trailers of trucks with mirrors mounted on poles."
How is this a legal search? unless it is under the TSA. And no warrant for the ChCh raid?
Heads will surely roll.
The public perception of the police has taken a serious knock here in light of the failure to find the body in the Xue case with the excuse that they needed a warant before they could open the boot. -
I was going to post this last night but...
Anypoo. This use of the TSA is not the only apparent missuse of state powers. Following the Food Saftey Authorities seemingly over reaction to the A2 milk row we also have Ewan Campbell's prosecution over his Probitas system. Big beurocracy hang in hand with Big Fertiliser.
Following the clues this seems to be directly connected to EU standards for farming and major conflicts of interest with the Farmers Federation. Greenies under attack again. -
I don't know what happened there?? trippple post.......... sorry