An emerging theme of the last few years that could also apply to David Seymour’s State of the Nation speech tomorrow is that reporting talking points verbatim without context, critique or challenge, is more aligned with propaganda than journalism - and the choice to pursue either also tells a story.

“I believe we’re seeing in economy across economy around the world, including the United States, that extreme levels of income inequality lead to social instability and drives in the sense in authoritarianism, rightwing populism and very dangerous domestic internal politics.” Also including NZ.

More than 70,000 tamariki Māori are living in material hardship as systemic inequities continue to widen New Zealand’s social gap.

Likely-historic photo by NBC News of all the Epstein victims asked to raise their hands if they've not yet been asked to meet with the DOJ as Bondi testifies in foreground

Wait, do we have to pay more for power after this ridiculous deal? This year I’ll have to move into/heat one room of my house during winter to afford power bills - what will this do to the thousands of New Zealanders at or below the poverty line? (I know they don’t care but media should be asking.)

The US is looking for new markets for its liquified natural gas. Fancy that. www.reuters.com/markets/comm...

I know this is about the press conference that Labour held, but also funny to read this with the firm belief that Labour being more progressive instead of centrist at best will be the only thing that wins them the election - and the hint of fear in the headline may indicate others believe that, too.

I have started reading The Last American Road Trip by Sarah Kendzior, and am struck by the parallels to New Zealand politics. Different history and different contexts, but the same blueprint - and the same destination.

“In terms of why this is bad policy, we need to understand the general principle on which New Zealand elections operate. Voting generally is considered to be “A Good Thing” which ought to be made as easy and accessible as possible.” Not anymore🫠 Revisiting this Electoral Amendment Bill explainer👇

Peter Thiel thinks democracy has failed & women/the poor shouldn’t vote - funnily enough echoed in the NZ government’s current term spent undermining democracy & disenfranchising voters, particularly Māori, Asian & Pacific people, young people, renters & low income voters (disproportionately women).

i've said it before and i'll say it again: rates rising are a result of underfunding and limited revenue streams for councils, not overspending and bureaucratic fat. a rates cap is worse than solving nothing - it legitimately is the worst thing they could do

“The delivery of critical services and infrastructure - like public transport and flood protection - will be compromised in the Wellington Region unless the Government reconsiders its proposed rates capping model, Greater Wellington says.” We need much more reporting on these guaranteed impacts.

“The world’s two biggest credit rating agencies have both put big New Zealand councils on notice: they say the Government’s proposed rates cap could impact on the local authorities’ finances and drive up their interest rates.” Seeing very little media interrogation of this proposal. From Newsroom👇

1. It was not an accident. 2. It was not a staffer. 3. While the president may have dementia his racism is not due to dementia. 4. He isn’t sorry. He means every racist thought he shares. 5. His base agrees with him. 6. He will do it again. 7. No one in power will hold him accountable.

Stuff, you can report on the racism without showing the screenshot on your front page FFS.

I wrote about how the women Epstein and co victimized have been minimized and ignored as individuals even in popular discourse about the very abuse they endured—and how the legal system has punished them and other women, not helped them, for daring to come forward. spitfirenews.com/p/even-the-m...

Another way to say "not all men". Because in a society that collectively oppresses women with lower pay, sexual harassment, rape, domestic violence, etc, the real sexism is when people make men feel bad. Nb4 anyone comes in to say men can be victims of those crimes. Yeah. Mostly caused by other men.

Someone uploaded a full video on IG (hat tip @toddfishernz) of Chappell Roan talking about feeling happy to see Pride stuff in AoNZ and the shit going down in the US. #thehorrors adjacent.

So the COC has completely defunded health & Brown is sending a stern letter to Health NZ to meet waiting list targets because it's unacceptable. Could the media please ask him if they are going to fund health properly and let hospitals hire? Nope just going to let him blame hospitals instead. OMG

I’m especially furious at the cultural norm of treating women and girls like objects this week because someone I love is navigating her daughter being assaulted by a boy at school. We have to change the narrative from “boys will be boys” to “boys and men will be held accountable for their actions.”

'"Well you only have to look at New Zealand as a success story. Even the poorest people in New Zealand today are living like kings and queens compared with most places and most times in history,”' (David Seymour, Atlas Foundation numpty, 2026) Let's analyse that, shall we?

NZ Citizen Peter Thiel, everybody.

Seems the desire to punish the poor and oppress and abuse women goes hand in hand with other antisocial behaviour. Who woulda thought.

Reflecting on why no one is being held accountable despite files, sworn testimony etc, and on the two separate articles I read last week portraying Lolita as being about “seducing” a 12 year old girl without noting in either that Lolita is about child rape, & remembered normalisation erodes outrage.

It is really infuriating to see how misogyny really does unite men across the sociop[atholog]ical spectrum.

It is really infuriating to see how misogyny really does unite men across the sociopolitical spectrum. And, in so far as the Epstein files go, they sort women into two categories: fuckable or irrelevant. When they near a hint of accountability they complain about not being able to make women prey.

NZ media: we simply won't interrogate this 🥰👍

It’s not being said loudly enough that the behaviour exhibited in the Epstein files is not exclusive to the Epstein files - the targeting, dismissal, control, abuse, inequity is demonstrable in every sphere of life, backed up by statistics and protected in policy. It’s culture, led by wealthy men.

My theory is similar in that many men view women/girls as objects to fear, possess and control; the only people they see as human are other men, which explains the dehumanising, active targeting of women and consistent protection of the relationship with the man at the centre of the files, Epstein.

As we’ve seen in #nzpol, women and non-binary politicians are forced out of politics, men’s unacceptable behaviour is rewarded, and media are complicit in both by actively participating in one and deliberately staying silent on the other.

It’s so normalised that my DiL heard it at the preschool our moko attended when 4 year old boys knock over younger children ‘boys will be boys’ no endeavour to address the behaviour. It gets a free pass. When she raises the issue she gets side eye and negative comments.

“How about the biggest and grimmest question of all: what it means for women and girls to be able to clearly see that we live in a world where so many of the richest and most powerful men alive are just not bothered enough by their exploitation. Or worse.” A question not being asked enough.

As someone on a pretty decent salary who is still cut off from ever owning a home in Aotearoa because I don’t subscribe to the patriarchal norm of having to be married/partnered to afford property/I don’t have the generational wealth privileged people access, tiny homes seem like a win, Opposition 🤔

INBOX: Washington Post Ukraine Correspondent Lizzie Johnson announces that she has been laid off in the middle of a below-freezing war zone without power, heat, or running water.

Please remember also all the public servants who have lost their jobs (like me) who can't get the unemployment benefit (cos my hubby earns 'too much' as a teacher) will not bee 'seen' in this data

This

This behaviour should be spoken about more often, as it’s so insidious that it falls into “boys will be boys” when it’s actually “Men acting in accordance with a culture that teaches them to routinely target women in every sphere of life.”

“A huge amount of women have the means to be self sufficient in a way prior generations were not, so they don’t have to endure relationships that are deeply inequitable in order to survive… should men take a good, hard look at the culture they are inculcated to that makes them think women owe them?”

There's no question in my mind that the need we are seeing in our community, and the desperation of people's circumstances is greater than we've ever seen before." #Homelessness #NZpol Move on orders just shift the problem. This is not back on track it is callously pushing people out of trains.

"Nearby, a six-year-old wondered if the unicorn she saw marching earlier was ok. "

Your thread made me think about the promotion of the vile bloke - Ray Chung - to a position of authority and Andrew Little deciding not to be the Lifeguard but rather one of the enablers. By promoting him he said the behaviour was okay no matter how he justified it. Men do it all the time.

A dude deliberately dive bombed on top of me at the pool yesterday, and I’m still thinking about it as an entry for my thesis: the only people men see as human are other men, & those presenting as women are viewed as objects. This is such a regular occurrence that it’s not the first time this year.

Insurers will not wait for governments to act, whether it's accurate or not. Welcome to unregulated climate risk.

A few things that are interesting to read and reflect on, particularly why Newsroom appear to be giving Pinker a pass.

so they're covering the nz couple who ran facilities... still no Pinker or Thiel in ANY stories though... Pinker is speaking TONIGHT on invitation of the FSU (wonder how many ACT folks et al will be in attendance) but it seems like more prominent associates of Epstein are a protected species in NZ

CBS censored Billie Eilish saying “Fuck ICE” at the Grammys. Here’s the uncensored version:

This guy (Pinker) is the speaker for a Free Speech Union event tomorrow in Takapuna. h/t @kyledchurch.bsky.social

An important *impending* example, that might be *more* important to cover, is that Steven Pinker was an associate of Epstein which has been reported on since at least 2019, AND in the latest tranche Pinker is speaking in Takapuna TOMORROW having been brought here by the Free Speech Union

Fixed it for you, Steve.

🤢 So many men out there casually outing themselves as predatory.