gracefool

I have written so much about the occupation of Parliament grounds, and not published it. Things moved so fast. But it was better to be involved than just write. I don't expect opposition to listen to any of this, so great is the ideological divide. Most refuse to read anything I write on the subject (and many unfollowed me before the protest began). This divide is the result of people doing exactly that: refusing to listen. The other side of the story is like water off a duck's back, not to be indulged for an instant. Camp Freedom, as many called it, was a safe, beautiful, and inspiring place. If you saw no evidence of that it is most likely because you weren't offered any and didn't care to investigate for yourself. Or because you don't believe such a thing is possible. If there is anyone apart from obvious mainstream media who actually visited in person and still thought it was a place filled with by abusive or filthy people, or white supremacists, as said by our

After tomorrow our government splits New Zealand in two along political, religious, and marginalised lines. And the conditions of that split have already escalated out of control. Two months ago  experts said domestic vaccine passports were unlikely; now they're practically everywhere, far beyond government orders, let alone the law. If this were the last blog post I ever made, it would be enough. Though I have so much to say about all this, I've said little, because I've been so discouraged since the first lockdown. I thought New Zealand believed in equality and non-discrimination. Turns out it was — in the vast majority of Kiwis — nothing but lip-service. I know most people don't understand why strict limits on power are necessary. What's happening now may make some realise - but most aren't even aware of what's happening now, which is what this post is for. Going by historical precedents, most still won't understand until it's far too late. But w

Last week official sources confirmed two of the main things I've said about the COVID-19 pandemic since we entered level 4 lockdown in March: 1. COVID-19 has a similar fatality rate to influenza: The World Health Organization (indirectly, putting their own numbers together - see note for sources and discussion) 2. The effect of lockdowns will be disastrous for increasing inequality: The World Bank . The other main thing I said, but that the WHO and governments who enacted lockdowns have every incentive to never admit, is that lockdowns were always out of place. They were out of place from the perspective of the actual deadliness of the disease (as opposed to the media hype), and out of place from the perspective of healthcare economics. In other words, that lockdowns were a policy born of fear (and political calculation) more than proceeding from healthcare calculation. Governments had essentially already determined an acceptable level of risk regarding flu, as well as other illnes

The photo above shows the marketing campaign for plastic bag alternatives that confronted me, directly inside the doors at my local Countdown supermarket. It raises an obvious question: if these bags are being replaced for free, do they really have less environmental impact than plastic ones? Common sense reasons that since they’re selling for a dollar with a low profit margin, as opposed to given away free, the cost is far higher - at least a hundred times higher. Indeed common sense based on prices is supported by the experts. Using less plastic looks good, like you're doing something helpful - but you're probably not. Usually, contrary to the common belief, going out of your way to use less plastic bags is bad for the environment: 1. Plastic pollution is not a significant problem in countries with good waste disposal. 2. A UK government study showed that in order for one of those cotton carry bags to have less environmental impact than plastic bags, it has to be used 131

A summary of spying in New Zealand, 2007-2014 Peter Dunne recently asked on his Facebook: Do you think there is freedom of speech in New Zealand? I said no, thanks to you (by the crimes of the GCSB and your vote to reward them with more power). Someone replied saying "I have no doubt that the GCSB has not the slightest interest in what I say unless my saying it poses a threat to my fellow citizens." This is a very common response, unfortunately it’s also very ignorant. This is understandable: surveillance is a complex issue that has to my knowledge never been covered in the NZ media in overview, let alone anything approaching a summary that could make sense of years of news on the topic. So here's my attempt. 1. Privacy To be unconcerned about the GCSB recording you, is to misunderstand privacy. Privacy is not about hiding bad things; rather it's essential to being human , and fundamental to democracy . If every time you picked up the phone, you had to listen to a pr