Phil Armstrong

'Chaos Unleashed: When "Irrational" Makes Perfect Sense' A fascinating insight into the dynamics that this author sees, and to me explains a lot of the personal/social/political/geopolitical chaos and un-reality around us. charleshughsmith.blogspot.com/2026/05/chaos-…

@Being_Kara @chrisluxonmp A lot of similarities to Keir Starmer??

Dear Christopher Luxon, @chrisluxonmp This morning on NewstalkZB you were asked about Nigel Farage’s surge in the UK and the clear anti-mass-immigration backlash that just delivered a political earthquake in Australia. Your response? “That’s just a grumpy few… people are playing politics with immigrants.” As a lifelong National voter, I have rarely heard a more tone-deaf dismissal of legitimate public concern. Because the grumpy few you wave away are not fringe agitators on social media. They are the silent majority of Kiwis who have watched their country change at breakneck speed while being lectured that any unease makes them right-wing or racist. You and your colleagues have spent years telling us how “highly skilled” the new arrivals are and how lazy and unambitious Kiwis have become. Yet your own government’s figures, and the brand-new India–New Zealand FTA, now classify Domino’s pizza workers, yoga instructors, chefs, and AYUSH practitioners as “skilled” migrants eligible for dedicated visa pathways. Net migration is still running at tens of thousands a year, with India one of the largest sources. Housing, hospitals, schools and roads are groaning under the weight. Wages in retail, hospitality and trades are being undercut. And when Kiwis point this out, the official line is that we’re just not trying hard enough. That’s not evidence-based policy. That is propaganda dressed up as economic necessity. Worse, it is selective. You and your MPs have been photographed wearing turbans and paying respects at temples and gurdwaras in search of ethnic bloc votes. That’s not “celebrating diversity.” That is ethnic vote-bank politics of the kind you accuse others of. When a junior National backbencher last week screamed “foreign political interference” because he was merely quote-tweeted by an overseas account, the absurdity was complete. The only foreign interference National seems to worry about is the kind that doesn’t deliver you donations or diaspora ballots. Meanwhile, you lecture us about the dangers of social media while your government rushes through under-16 bans modelled on the EU’s Digital Services Act - conveniently timed before the election. Elon Musk’s purchase of X has been one of the most significant pro-democracy acts of the past decade precisely because it broke the stranglehold of legacy media and government-aligned censors. Yet your instinct is to regulate and restrict rather than trust New Zealanders to think for themselves. That tells us everything about where your priorities lie. The latest Poll of Polls gives the current coalition an extremely high probability of surviving November. That is not because of any great love for National. It is because enough Kiwis still fear a return to the Ardern-era madness. But loyalty has limits. A great many of us who have voted National our entire adult lives have reached them. We will not reward a party that sneers at our justified concerns about rapid, unmanaged immigration from one particular country while simultaneously courting that same community for electoral gain. We will not vote for leaders who dismiss the very real pressures on housing, wages, infrastructure and social cohesion as the whingeing of a “grumpy few.” So here is the practical reality, Prime Minister. Kiwis with a functioning brain will party vote NZ First - the only party in your coalition that has consistently treated immigration numbers as a serious policy lever rather than a virtue signal. In the electorates many of us will still hold our noses and give National the local vote to keep the left out. But the party vote is no longer yours by default. You have mistaken quiet frustration for automatic loyalty. That era is over. The “grumpy few” you mock are the backbone of the National Party’s historic support. Keep dismissing us and you’ll discover exactly how quickly a safe coalition majority can evaporate. Yours, in genuine disappointment, A former National voter

@JamesAHogg2 What amazing memories they both have for all those names!!

This Two Ronnies sketch was never televised originally (it appeared many years later), but I’ve no idea why. It was written by Ronnie Barker, under the pseudonym Gerald Wiley, and for my money it gives Four Candles a run for it’s money. Seriously, if I’d written something this good I’d just retire immediately. What a talent! Good morning.

@Ducnghia16 Still THE GREATEST cover version of Stairway to Heaven.👍

John and Jimmy are enjoying themselves. But Robert, you can see how this truly touched his soul. Those eyes say it all. Watching Robert Plant trying to hold back his tears is whole another level of feels man. Dare I say that this might be one of the best live performances of all time.

@MaryKostakidis Chaos follows for all, inside and outside the asylum, when the inmates are in charge. There is a very big 'one' currently flying over the cuckoo's nest.

Unhinged. Bad faith negotiations. Determination to control oil flow has no limits for the US.

@bobmccoskrienz And like aspects of the public service of old, the more you expand your empire and take on more work, the more you can justify budget increases and more personal remuneration. I wonder if this, besides power, influences the BSA's reach into the internet etc.

The BSA (Broadcasting Standards Authority) are now targeting online podcasts, livestreams etc. Like what Family First produce. The BSA has given themselves enormous powers and greatly broadened their scope, so that they could potentially come down heavy-handed on internet shows from Family First and others. This seems like an authoritarian tactic to muzzle free speech? Should the BSA have such enormous powers and reach, or should they be completely shutdown? Bob and Simon have some insights and views on this.

@TheRedbaiter The wheel turns full circle! John Campbell was a great Morning Report host years ago when I was an eager listener.

"we need to ask why they're saying that and what their agendas are, who they are." John Campbell starts as a presenter on Radio NZ's Morning Report this Monday. The response above followed a question from fellow Radio NZ presenter (Jesse Mulligan) asking how public perceptions of Campbell as a far left activist would affect the show's ratings. That Mr Campbell chose to deflect to some crazy conspiracy theory rather than face reality tells you such fears as expressed by Mr Mulligan are well grounded. Mr Campbell says he sees fairness as important to his job. Maybe so, but the most important requirement is to hold the powerful to account. In my observations John has to the contrary constantly shown himself to be a devoted disciple of the globally influential green left lobby. A combine led by the UN and or the WEF and backed up by some of the most cashed up corporations in the world (example Blackrock). Mr Campbell finished by saying he intends to allow a "plurality of world views". John has never done this and he never will. As Henry Ford said of his Model T Car. "You can have it in any colour you want as long as its black". With Mr Campbell its somewhat the same. You can have any opinion you like, as long as its left wing.

@MaryKostakidis This seems a welcome release from the conflict, but as Glenn Greenwald says, the neocons etc will not stop, just change their approach. For Iran to survive long term, to me Russia and China need to be less timid in their support and make meaningful military alliances.

Agree. Iran had to make a choice between massive civilian casualties and widespread destruction, and a ceasefire it vowed it would not have. But a total capitulation by the US was not going to happen either. What an impasse. The world tends to muddle along rather than force a resolution, which could happen if Russia and China engaged more seriously in the resolution of West Asia.

@gaye_ess Yes, they wouldn't even recognize them as the same party. Like the modern variant of the older Maori Party.

@gizzypj It's very sad. I didn't vote for them but I respected what they stood for. Rod and Jeannette would be devastated.

It is great to see the Greens down in the latest poll. Finally their voters are seeing that they are not remotely Green. They haven't mentioned the environment for years. Just an unhinged group of ideolgially-driven misfits. Not to mention mentally ill in many cases. The Maori Party will be lucky to make 5%. National and ACT have dropped numbers. So I hope many of you will see that we must get the numbers up for NZ First. It is amazing that they have climbed to over 13%. Onward and upward from here. Let's give them the greatest share of power next time. If you support them but have not joined, consider becoming a member.: nzfirst.nz/join And the annual Convention is coming up in July. I will post the link to register soon. Here is some info: nzfirst.nz/2026_convention #nzpol #nzfirst

@carlworker Plus, many of the mega rich have built or planning to build their bolt holes here if the toast gets hotter in the Northern Hemisphere.

Interesting to hear from our foreign minister talking with Ryan Bridge that he had been summoned (“invited”) to Washington. Unusual. Perhaps they have a gift for him of a photo op with POTUS? They sent Vance all the way to Budapest to support Orban, so not impossible that they could think it worth providing 10 minutes of POTUS’ time to boost a small MAGA battler in the South Pacific. Watch this space. Maybe he will be allowed to be present to witness the pressing of the annihilation button. Normally, our irrelevance keeps us safe, but they are very short of friends right now and know they can count on him.

@JamesWebb_16 Well said. I heard you on Judging Freedom, and the US could do with politicians with your sentiments at the helm. We are well and truly in an era of gunboat diplomacy, though it's not even diplomacy. Ironic that the countries currently demonised the most are the most diplomatic.

Here is an important reminder of how the rest of the World views US demands for capitulation. A primary reference comes from Gaddafi’s renunciation of Libya’s own self-defense capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief and what he assumed was acceptance into the West..much like the calls today.. A few years later, rather than being accepted by the West, Gaddafi’s regime, now vulnerable, was toppled by a US-backed coalition, which resulted in his brutal murder at the hands of a US-backed mob, including him being sodomized with a bayonet. Libya fell into civil war and chaos to the extent that open-air slave markets appeared. Blowback was immediate. By 2006, North Korea conducted its first nuclear test, with Kim Jong Un openly stating that the “Gaddafi Model” was his impetus for completing a weapon. They saw how the West turned on Libya, wrecked the country, and sent its people into the abyss, with Kim going so far as to state that his program was “Life Insurance” to avoid the fate of not only Gaddafi, but also Saddam Hussein (still looking for those WMDs, btw). Flash forward to today - prior to this war, Iran’s nuclear capabilities had either been destroyed (just ask the President in June), were taboo via fatwah (via the Ayatollah whom we assassinated on day 1 of operations), and had further agreed this year via negotiations (which were ongoing as the first bombs fell). Our actions over the last month have not produced “Jeffersonian Democracy,” and to think that further actions will is pure delusion. If anything, we have solidified the position of hard-line anti-American leaders inside of Iran, and galvanized Iranian society to face the threat, which is us. The answer from Washington was to change the goalposts: give up your sovereign right to self-defense and bow to our designs for what your society should look like. Or Else. This is not diplomacy nor is it “4D chess.” It is a delusion that all problems can be solved with violence. Punishing an entire society, which, by all accounts, posed no military threat to the US homeland, for standing firm and resisting the inevitable chaos and societal collapse that such a capitulation would bring is hubris and morally wrong. The evidence of such an inevitable collapse is all over our interventions over the last 20+ years. If we had leadership, they would be pushing for an end to the conflict and guiding the world back to calmer waters. Rest assured, that the nation that chooses to guide the world back to peace will emerge from this conflict as the global leader. Domestic politicians who push for this path will be strengthened by the will of the people. Conversely, if the President follows through on his stated promise to escalate this war, the blowback and the stain on our national honor will take generations to overcome. For starters, our treaty allies across the Pacific rely on oil and gas passing through the Strait of Hormuz. If one is at all worried about our “pacing threat/challenge” in the Pacific, then crippling their economies via further escalation in a War of Choice is the opposite move. It’s only logical to assume they will start exploring other and more stable partnerships. My family has been in and fought for America for hundreds of years. Each time we have stepped forward it has been with the idea that our actions were to protect this nation. Now, I hope there are enough in uniform and government to stop what appears to be an inevitable, and perhaps nationally fatal, self-inflicted wound.

@CraigMurrayOrg Keep up the good work.

I have blocked over 400 zionist accounts trolling me today. Of which 7 - yes 7 - were actual identifiable human beings.

@PeterCronau And so 'The Empire' strikes back! Par for the course for any government wanting to sanitize their image after very controversial actions. Vietnam and Afghanistan revisited.

🚨 NEWS ALERT 🚨 The US Embassy in Canberra has been ordered by Washington to recruit Australian opinion leaders to work for them, alongside the US military’s Psychological Operations unit, to strongly increase US propaganda efforts in Australia. ▪️“The United States has directed every American embassy and consulate across the world to launch coordinated campaigns against foreign propaganda. ▪️“The cable, signed by the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on Monday, also suggests the embassies and consulates work alongside the US military’s Psychological Operations unit to address the problem of rampant disinformation. ▪️ “Embassies are told to recruit local influencers, academics and community leaders abroad to carry counter-propaganda messaging — an approach designed to make American-funded narratives feel locally organic rather than centrally directed. ▪️”The State Department said it…had made countering foreign “anti-American” propaganda “a top priority” — and the department would take “an assertive stance on this pernicious issue” by “fully harnessing every tool in our diplomatic toolkit”.” Details -> theguardian.com/us-news/2026/m…

@CitizenBomber Ok. As someone who doesn't know much about her journalism skills, why must she resign and who do you think should replace her?

MEDIAWATCH: Maiki Sherman must resign as TVNZ Political Editor immediately Maiki Sherman must resign as TVNZ Political Editor immediately or be sacked! #nzpol LINK BELOW ⬇️⬇️⬇️

@Partisangirl Yes can see your post.

The new algorithm is suppressing me. Comment if you see this.

@JamesWebb_16 @AXChristoforou @AMercouris I just listened to your session with the two Alexanders. Oh, that your current govt had rational, sensible and realistic thinkers like yourself. I've had years of following The Duran, in print before video, who always have high quality guests.👍👍

It's always a pleasure to join @AXChristoforou and @AMercouris on The Duran. Had the treat of being brought on to talk a little more on the technical side about the current war. I hope you'll give it a listen.

@FoundationDads The cycles of empires and nations conforms to our cyclic universe.. birth, growth, peak activity and expression, then decline to death, just like a leaf on a tree.

Sir John Glubb, a British Lieutenant General, spent 36 years commanding armies in the Middle East. He studied every major empire in recorded history and found something he didn't expect. Every single empire (Assyria, Persia, Rome, the Arabs, the Ottomans, Spain, Britain) lasted about the same length of time. 250 years. And they all died the same way. (thread) 🧵

@TNTgrupa My favourite track from the album👍

@gizzypj x.com/TNTgrupa/statu…

They call it Stormy Monday… but Tuesday’s just as bad. The Allman Brothers Band live at the Fillmore East, 1971. Duane’s crying guitar, Gregg’s soulful vocals, and that unbreakable southern groove. One of the greatest live performances ever. Pure magic. 🎸

@jamiemcintyre21 Many of your solutions could equally apply to New Zealand!! In view of the catastrophic economic/political/ social/energy consequences to come from the Iran US/Israel conflict to many, this might seem like pie in the sky, as living standards begin to drop.

JAMIE McINTYRE: CANCELLED, TARGETED… AND STILL STANDING The Man Who Says Australia Has Been Hijacked—and How to Take It Back In 2013, while most Australians were still trusting the system, Jamie McIntyre stepped outside it—and paid the price. Founder of the Australian National Review and the 21st Century Australia Party, McIntyre didn’t just launch a media platform… he launched a challenge to the entire establishment. A real newspaper. Distributed nationally. A political movement. Drawing thousands. A message. That Australia was losing control of its own destiny. What followed, he says, was no coincidence. ⸻ “THEY CAME FOR EVERYTHING” McIntyre claims that almost immediately after launching his party and independent media network, he became a target. •A speaking empire shut down •Multiple companies dismantled •Over 100 jobs wiped out •Tens of millions in annual revenue destroyed •More than six land projects seized or halted At the centre of it all, he points to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). McIntyre’s view is blunt: This wasn’t regulation. This was retaliation. ⸻ A POLITICAL RUN—BLOCKED BEFORE IT BEGAN? At the height of his momentum, McIntyre was drawing crowds of over 3,000 people to rallies across Australia. His 21st Century Australia Party wasn’t left. It wasn’t right. It was designed to unify. But he says the system had other ideas. According to McIntyre, actions by regulators prevented his party from formally contesting the 2013 federal election—forcing him to run as an independent against Barnaby Joyce in New England. A grassroots movement… cut off at the knees. ⸻ THE SYSTEM HE SAYS IS BROKEN McIntyre argues that Australia isn’t just mismanaged—it’s structurally compromised. And his solution? Tear out the foundations and rebuild. ⸻ 1. ABOLISH INCOME TAX McIntyre says taxing Australians on their income is one of the greatest economic distortions ever imposed. He points to the global banking system, including institutions like the Federal Reserve, as part of what he believes is a system of debt-based control. His position is simple: Australians should not be taxed for working. ⸻ 2. TAX THE RESOURCES—NOT THE PEOPLE Australia is one of the most resource-rich nations on Earth. So why, McIntyre asks, are citizens taxed heavily while resources are exported offshore? His model mirrors Norway: •Tax resource exports properly •Build a sovereign wealth fund •Pay dividends back to Australians In his vision, Australians wouldn’t just avoid income tax—they’d receive income from their country. ⸻ 3. END THE HOUSING CRISIS—BY DESIGN McIntyre says Australia’s housing crisis is not accidental. It’s engineered through: •Excessive taxes •Artificial supply constraints •Policy failure His solution: •Remove property taxes •Roll out large-scale affordable housing •Use modular construction to slash costs “A rich country should never have homeless citizens,” he argues. ⸻ 4. CHEAP ENERGY FOR AUSTRALIANS Australia exports energy to the world… yet locals pay premium prices. McIntyre calls it absurd. Comparing Australia to Indonesia, where fuel is subsidised, he says Australians are effectively subsidising their own government through fuel taxes. His stance: •Scrap fuel taxes •Deliver low-cost energy domestically •Let Australians benefit from what their country produces ⸻ 5. END THE LEFT VS RIGHT DIVIDE McIntyre’s political philosophy rejects the traditional spectrum entirely. He argues: •Division is manufactured •Australians are being played against each other •Leadership is increasingly influenced by external interests His alternative? A nationalist model focused on: •Unity over division •Sovereignty over global influence •Accountability to Australians—not outsiders ⸻ A FIGURE THEY COULDN’T SILENCE Love him or hate him, one thing is undeniable: Jamie McIntyre didn’t disappear.