If you thought the news on Friday about the lifting of mandates for NZDF and Police was amazing, we now have some more exciting news!
United We Stand, the group of Defence and Police staff that successfully challenged the government on the legality of their vaccine mandates, are now challenging the government on the mandatory use of COVID Vaccination Certificates (CVC or vaccine passports) right across the board for all Kiwis.
Their core arguments include the fundamental argument that CVCs do not prevent or limit the risk of outbreak or spread of covid.
United We Stand are represented by Frontline Law that are asking that the Covid Public Health Response (Protection Framework) Order 2021 is either revoked or amended to remove the CVC requirement by the 4th of March 2022 or they will apply for judicial review of the Order.
As a group of Defence and Police staff, United We Stand have said that they feel it is their duty to fight for New Zealanders and their freedoms. The vaccine passport system is divisive and a huge breach of fundamental rights that isn’t justified by the increasingly questionable benefit in stopping covid spread. A promise of removing it soon is not good enough. It needs to go now!
Although a Democrat, she often distances herself from the hardline, doctrinaire and unreal stances of that Party. As a result she is in turn often denounced by the party’s more extreme elements.
The Globalists don’t want you to know the other side of the story; ‘our side is all you’re getting’
by Caitlin Johnstone
“I’m concerned about Russian disinformation spreading online, so today I wrote to the CEOs of major tech companies to ask them to restrict the spread of Russian propaganda,” US Senator Mark Warner tweeted on Friday.
Since then YouTube has announced that it has suppressed videos by Russian state media channels so that they’ll be seen by fewer people in accordance with its openly acknowledged policy of algorithmically censoring unauthorized content, as well as de-monetizing all such videos on the platform. Google and Facebook/Instagram parent company Meta both banned Russian state media from running ads and monetizing on their platforms in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Twitter announced a pause on ads in both Russia and Ukraine.
“Glad to see action from tech companies to reign in Russian propaganda and disinformation after my letter to their CEOs yesterday,” Warner tweeted on Saturday. “These are important first steps, but I’ll keep pushing for more.”
For years US lawmakers have been using threats of profit-destroying consequences to pressure Silicon Valley companies into limiting online speech in a way that aligns with the interests of Washington, effectively creating a system of government censorship by proxy. It would appear that we’re seeing a new expansion of this phenomenon today.
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“I’m concerned about Russian disinformation spreading online, so today I wrote to the CEOs of major tech companies to ask them to restrict the spread of Russian propaganda,” US Senator Mark Warner tweeted on Friday.
Since then YouTube has announced that it has suppressed videos by Russian state media channels so that they’ll be seen by fewer people in accordance with its openly acknowledged policy of algorithmically censoring unauthorized content, as well as de-monetizing all such videos on the platform. Google and Facebook/Instagram parent company Meta both banned Russian state media from running ads and monetizing on their platforms in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Twitter announced a pause on ads in both Russia and Ukraine.
“Glad to see action from tech companies to reign in Russian propaganda and disinformation after my letter to their CEOs yesterday,” Warner tweeted on Saturday. “These are important first steps, but I’ll keep pushing for more.”
For years US lawmakers have been using threats of profit-destroying consequences to pressure Silicon Valley companies into limiting online speech in a way that aligns with the interests of Washington, effectively creating a system of government censorship by proxy. It would appear that we’re seeing a new expansion of this phenomenon today.
This is what happens when a bunch of ragged hyenas, jackals and tiny rodents poke The Bear: a new geopolitical order is born in breathtaking speed.
From a dramatic meeting of the Russian Security Council to a history lesson delivered by President Putin and the subsequent birth of the Baby Twins – the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk – all the way to their appeal to President Putin to intervene militarily to expel the NATO-backed Ukrainian bombing-and-shelling forces from Donbass, it was a seamless process.
The (nuclear) straw that (nearly) broke the Bear’s back – and forced its paws to pounce – was Zelensky the Comedian, back from the Russophobia-drenched Munich Security Conference where he was hailed like a Messiah, saying that the 1994 Budapest memorandum should be revised and Ukraine should be nuclear-rearmed.
That would be the equivalent of a nuclear Mexico south of the Hegemon.
Putin immediately turned Responsibility to Protect (R2P) upside down: an American concept invented to launch wars in MENA (remember Libya?) was retrofitted to stop a slow-motion genocide in Donbass.
First came the recognition of the Baby Twins – Putin’s most important foreign policy decision since going to Syria in 2015. That was the preamble for the next game-changer: a “special military operation (…) aimed at demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine”, as Putin defined it.
Up to the last minute, the Kremlin was trying to rely on diplomacy, explaining to Kiev the necessary imperatives to prevent heavy metal thunder: recognition of Crimea as Russian; abandon any plans to join NATO; negotiate directly with the Baby Twins – an anathema for the Americans since 2015; finally, demilitarize and declare Ukraine as neutral.
Kiev’s handlers, predictably, would never accept the package – as they didn’t accept the Master Package that really matters: the Russian demand for “indivisible security”.
The sequence, then, became inevitable. In a flash, all Ukrainian forces between the so-called line of contact and the original borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts were boxed in as the occupying force of territories of two Russian allies that Moscow had just sworn to protect.
So it was Get Out – Or Else. “Or else” came as rolling thunder: the Kremlin and the Russian Ministry of Defense were not bluffing. Timed to the end of Putin’s speech announcing the operation, the Russians decapitated with precision missiles everything that mattered in terms of the Ukrainian military in just one hour: Air Force, Navy, airfields, bridges, command and control centers, the whole Turkish Bayraktar drone fleet.
And it was not only Russian raw power. It was the artillery of one of the Baby Twins, the DPR, that hit the HQ of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbass, which actually housed the entire Ukrainian military command. This means that the Ukrainian General Staff instantly lost control of all its troops.
This was Shock and Awe against Iraq, 19 years ago, in reverse: not for conquest, not as a prelude for an invasion and occupation. The political-military leadership in Kiev did not even have time to declare war. They froze. Demoralized troops started deserting. Total defeat – in one hour.
The water supply to Crimea was instantly re-established. Humanitarian corridors were set up for the deserters. “Remnants” now include mostly surviving Azov battalion Nazis, mercenaries trained by the usual Blackwater/Academi suspects, and a bunch of Salafi-jihadis.
Predictably, Western corporate media has already gone totally berserk branding it as the much-awaited Russian “invasion”. A reminder: when Israel routinely bombs Syria and when the House of One Saudi routinely bombs Yemeni civilians, there is never any peep in NATOstan media.
As it stands, realpolitik spells out a possible endgame (see Donetsk’s head, Denis Pushilin: “The special operation in Donbass will soon be over and all the cities will be liberated.”)
We could soon witness the birth of an independent Novorossiya – east of the Dnieper, south along Sea of Azov/Black Sea, the way it was when attached to Ukraine by Lenin in 1922. But now totally aligned with Russia, and providing a land bridge to Transnistria.
Ukraine, of course, would lose any access to the Black Sea. History loves playing tricks: what was a “gift” to Ukraine in 1922 may become a parting gift a hundred years later.
The two North Island Super Rugby teams were playing indoors in the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin in front of a covid-restricted crowd of about 100. Such a pity, as 20,000 spectators would have loved the match as it was one of the most exciting game in the history of Super Rugby.
The Blues dominated for 70 minutes and led 32-14. The commentator wondered what the Hurricanes could do in the last 10 minutes as they needed to score three tries and convert two of them. The odds of this happening? – not a chance. However in a “never say die” team effort they did just that, and a wobbly conversion from right in front secured an incredibly unlikely win – 33-32 – for the Wellington-based franchise.
A dominant Blues performance most of the time
There was huge interest in how former rugby league Warriors star, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, would go in his first rugby match for the Blues. It was thought that he might be eased in with a place on the wing, but coach Leon McDonald opted to put him in mid-field. It was master stroke as Tuivasa-Sheck played superbly notably in the first 20 minutes when the Auckland-based team was all over the Hurricanes. In the tradition of earlier rugby convert Sonny Bill Williams, the new man showed his great skill in off-loading and nearly put his fellow centre Reiko Ioane in for a try under the posts. Furthermore … he showed his pace and playmaking ability during a fabulous opening 20 minute period that had everyone excited his future in New Zealand rugby. (Fox Sport)
Unfortunately, Tuivasa-Sheck only mistake was a crucial missed tackle in the movement that led to the Hurricanes winning try.
The Blues were all over their opponents in the first half and they attacked relentlessly, with half back Christie clearing the ball quickly, slick passing in the backs and hard running with ball in hand. It was only determined tackling by the Hurricanes which kept them out. Ironically the Hurricanes took the lead against the run of play when speedster left winger Salesi Rayasi scored an intercept try in the fifteenth minute.
In the second quarter the Blues forward drives from lineouts let to two tries by hooker Kurt Eklund, and Caleb Clarke, back on the Blues right wing, bagged another in the 30th minute. On a rare sortie into the Blues half, right winger Wes Goosen gathered in a kick through to make the score 24-14 at half time. The Hurricanes would not score again until the 71st minute.
The last 10 minutes
Substitute Sam Darry scored the Blues fourth try in the 69th minute to seemingly give his team a certain victory. Up 32-14 with only 10 minute to go what could go wrong? Coach Leon McDonald looked confident, but could not have anticipated the great Hurricanes come back. From the kick–off after Darry’s try they swarmed on to the attack with the reserves on the field providing fresh legs and enthusiasm. Three tries were needed to win the match.
71st minute – Rayasi went over unopposed on the right after an excellent passing movement close to the line. Reuben Love converted to make it 21-32.
78th minute – Rayasi went over again after some inter-passing down the touchline and scored with a spectacular dive against the corner post. The conversion attempt came back off the post so it was now 26-32.
The Blues were tiring and perhaps felt they had done enough with just a minute or so to go. The Hurricanes had other ideas, and with the momentum their way they quickly went on to the attack again. An excellent break on the left hand side by Bailyn Sullivan led to a pass to Ardie Savea 30 metres out from the line. The skipper raced down the touch line kicked off two would-be tackles and scored behind the posts. With time up, Love added the conversion for a very unlikely win.
Blues Coach Leon McDonald tossed aside his earphone aside in frustration and knew that this was the game that got away. Meanwhile the Wellington coaching staff celebrated in disbelief. There was clear message in the result for the Blues – you must play the full 80 minutes and not lose your focus.
A fair number of knowledgeable people warned that NATO expansion would end in disaster when it reached Russia’s doorstep, reaching back to the legendary George Kennan in 1998. From Caitlin Johnstone at caitlinjohnstone.com: Chris Hedges introduces his latest article for Scheer Post, titled “Chronicle of a War Foretold“, with the following: “After the fall of the […]
