Top Scoops: Comment & Opinion Digest Dec. 2-7

Thursday, 7 December 2006, 11:37 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

SCOOP COMMENT & OPINION:
Sludge Report: Will Bollard Get Mean On Pre-Christmas Spenders?
The Hollow Men: Nicky Hager Responds to Don Brash
Tonga: Disturbing Report Exposes Tonga Military/Police Abuses
Demographics: Tze Ming Mok Considers The Census
MOTORNET: Karl Ferguson Takes A Lexus For A Spin In The Rain
Iraq: America Reconsiders Its War And Its War Leadership
American Coup: A Survey Of Evidence of 2006 Election Fraud
Israel/Occupied Palestine: Perspectives On Middle East War & Peace
MORE SCOOP COMMENT AND OPINION:

Sludge Report: Will Bollard Get Mean On Pre-Christmas Spenders?

Scoop's CD Sludge reports on the Monetary Policy Statement - This morning's MPS is in fact fairly encouraging for kiwi battlers - householders and consumers - and even to its farmers and exporters. Interest rates are not up yet; the inflation outlook is mildly encouraging; and – most importantly for homeowners – the Reserve Bank is no longer picking a fall in house prices in the coming year. See... Sludge Report #173: Meanwhile Down At t'Bank [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00120.htm

The Hollow Men: Nicky Hager Responds to Don Brash

- Yesterday Don Brash circulated a long rebuttal of my book The Hollow Men. In the interests of accuracy I should respond to his substantial points. Out of a 350 page book, with nearly 1000 detailed references, Don Brash has found two minor inaccuracies. I am happy to take his word about both of them. But neither detracts from the book. See... Nicky Hager Reply to Don Brash [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00123.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00108.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0611/S00405.htm

Tonga: Disturbing Report Exposes Tonga Military/Police Abuses

- No Right Turn writes that last month, the New Zealand government sent soldiers and police to Tonga "to help maintain law and order". At the time I was deeply uneasy about this move, as it smacked of propping up a corrupt feudal regime against its own people. But I didn't know quite how bad it was. The National Centre for Women and Children has been interviewing those detained by the police in the wake of the riots, and produced a most disturbing report. See... No Right Turn: Tonga - What We Supported [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00114.htm

Demographics: Tze Ming Mok Considers The Census

- They're taking over. The 'New Zealanders' I mean. As you can see, they're actively killing off the white-folk, looting their homes and renaming their children. Once this demographer realises that we 350,000 'Asians' aren't actually one ethnic group, she may choose instead to worry about the 'New Zealanders' threatening to outnumber Maori to become the minority with the most leverage. See... Public Address 07/12/06 - The Identity Game [1] . For more Public Address see also… Public Address 06/12/06 - Where You Heard It First [2] , Public Address 05/12/06 - Doing The Rounds [3] & Public Address 04/12/06 - How To Smoke An MP [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00131.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00115.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00102.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00088.htm

MOTORNET: Karl Ferguson Takes A Lexus For A Spin In The Rain

- “You know, that really is a good looking car,” my boss said rather wistfully as he stared out my office window at the car-park five floors below. “In fact, it’s probably the first Lexus I would seriously consider buying.” See... MOTORNET: Sexy Lexy? – Lexus IS250 [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00130.htm

Iraq: America Reconsiders Its War And Its War Leadership

- For most Americans, as the recent midterm elections made clear, the issue is how do we get our young men and women out of Iraq as quickly and safely as possible. For the Administration, it would appear that the issue is how to avoid blame for the catastrophe of Bush's war and occupation. See... Bernard Weiner: Who Brought Us to the Iraq Abyss? [1] MORE:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00111.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00125.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00126.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00085.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00081.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00077.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00076.htm

American Coup: A Survey Of Evidence of 2006 Election Fraud

- Though Democrats, the American people, and the world won a great victory last month, we must not let that lull us into a false sense of security about our election system. Democrats took over the U.S. House and Senate because of a popular mandate so large that Republicans couldn’t steal enough seats to maintain control of either chamber. But before anyone conclude that the 2006 mid-term election results provide reason to be unconcerned or less concerned about the threat of election fraud, let’s consider some of the evidence… See... Time For Change: Evidence of 2006 Election Fraud [1] MORE:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00112.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00084.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00127.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00101.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00071.htm

Israel/Occupied Palestine: Perspectives On Middle East War & Peace

- A FRIEND of mine, who was brought up in Egypt, took part in the interrogation of Egyptian officers captured in the 1956 Sinai war. An Egyptian lieutenant-colonel told him: "Every time David Ben-Gurion gave a speech declaring that he was holding out his hand for peace, we put our forces on alert." See… Uri Avnery: A Sparkling Bubble [1] MORE:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00074.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00075.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00094.htm

MORE SCOOP COMMENT AND OPINION:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00128.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00113.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00106.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00110.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00109.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00108.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00107.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00105.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00104.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00079.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00072.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00103.htm
[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00100.htm
[14] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00087.htm
[15] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00086.htm
[16] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00083.htm
[17] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00082.htm
[18] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00080.htm
[19] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00078.htm
[20] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00073.htm

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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