Ben Reid
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ben-r.bsky.social
Ben Reid
@ben-r.bsky.social
780 followers 220 following 99 posts
Human+AI holobiont at the edge of the world 🧠📈🌌 Upgrading the future @memia.bsky.social 🌱/acc 📚Author ⏩🇳🇿Fast Forward Aotearoa https://ffwd.nz 🌐🌏Location: post-meta-Ōtautahi, Aotearoa
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Reposted by Ben Reid
rahaeli.bsky.social
Mandatory age verification to "protect children" is not to protect children. It is to deanonymize every adult speaker and consumer of speech online so the government can retaliate against speakers and speech they don't approve of. For instance: apnews.com/article/trum...
US revokes visas for 6 foreigners over Charlie Kirk-related speech
The Trump administration has revoked the visas of six foreigners deemed by U.S. officials to have made derisive comments or made light of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last m...
apnews.com
October 15, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Reposted by Ben Reid
dreddieclark.bsky.social
It also seems to have been lost that Hipkins has committed to repealing promptly if elected. ACT's overreach here in clear very right wing rather than technocratic principles mean it has a pretty short expiry date. & meanwhile this govt will legislate consistently with it because it wants to anyway!
June 13, 2025 at 10:10 PM
ben-r.bsky.social
Orr in the running for next PM I wonder...? #aonzpol #nzpol
June 13, 2025 at 9:47 PM
ben-r.bsky.social
Replybots get to vote? 🫣
June 13, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Reposted by Ben Reid
olimnz.bsky.social
There's more....!!!!!!
#nzpol
30. This bill is a product of a highly centralised political system, where the tiny number of people who have (or have had) political and administrative power inside the Executive bubble think that not only do they know best, but that the country’s future wellbeing and progress will be served by it remaining that way. Aotearoa’s declining civil liberties, privacy, social cohesion, media, environment, public health, education, local government and civil service would beg to differ.
April 16, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Reposted by Ben Reid
olimnz.bsky.social
Andrew gave them both barrels!!!!!!!!! 😁👍

For everyone else, there's more - do please read the NZCCL submission as it's very digestible.
#nzpol
The Council opposes this bill as successive governments and parliaments have not earned the privilege of being trusted by the public with longer terms. Far more democratic safeguards and institutional strengthening need to be put in place and bedded-in before the public can trust a government with a four-year term. (Source: Submission: Term of Parliament (Enabling 4-year Term) Legislation Amendment Bill, 16 April 2025 by New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties) The proposal set out in the bill is fatally flawed. It results from shoddy and secretive policy development. It might lead to a four-year term, but it might not. This uncertainty is constitutionally careless, unacceptable and dangerous. (Source: Submission: Term of Parliament (Enabling 4-year Term) Legislation Amendment Bill, 16 April 2025 by New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties)
April 16, 2025 at 8:07 AM
ben-r.bsky.social
Actually recorded Xmas Eve 2024...only just posted to YouTube
February 22, 2025 at 6:06 AM