Two paths diverged

16 comments on “Two paths diverged ”

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1. IrishBill 1

   10 October 2012 at 7:45 am

   We know what’s going to happen because we’ve seen it before. The savaging of social capital and public wealth in the eighties and nineties set us up for a generation of inequity, crime, and ill-health while reducing the government’s power to change anything substantially. Only it’ll be worse this time round.

   Back in 2008 Nicky Hager described National’s agenda as picking up where they left off in ’99. I’ve seen nothing so far that would refute that. I’d also note that having a managerial fifth labour government rather than a transformative one* meant it’s been easy for National to do so. That’s something we can’t afford to have happen again.

   *Unlike some on the left I don’t hold a grudge against Labour for this – many forget just how tired, mistrustful, and intolerant of “big-idea” restructuring and transformation the electorate were after fifteen years of right-wing revolution.
   • karol 1.1

     10 October 2012 at 7:51 am

     IB: *Unlike some on the left I don’t hold a grudge against Labour for this – many forget just how tired, mistrustful, and intolerant of “big-idea” restructuring and transformation the electorate were after fifteen years of right-wing revolution.
      
     I have some sympathies for both sides on this.  I do remember that once ‘neoliberalism’ became the dominant discourse in politics, the media and elsewhere, it was very difficult for any party with a strong left wing agenda to get elected – the MSM would have led the way in demolishing them.
2. Tom Gould 2

   10 October 2012 at 8:21 am

   The right worked out some time back that there would not be enough to keep everyone comfortable so they invented trick down, which was actually trickle up. And they have been very successful at it.
   • karol 2.1

     10 October 2012 at 4:18 pm

     TG, I suppose it depends what you mean by comfortable.  I’m not an economist, but I understood there  was enough resources for everyone to live at a reasonable standard – so long as we keep the global population under control.
      
     But the trickle-up brigade are just greedy, and want more than is necessary for a reasonably comfortable life.  They want EXCESS!
   • Draco T Bastard 2.2

     10 October 2012 at 5:35 pm

     There’s plenty to keep everyone comfortable – if the wealth wasn’t given to the few, if population was under control and that we lived within the hard physical limits set by the real world.

     EDIT: Oh, and we stop trying to have people working for 40+ hour weeks. When everyone has to work all the time is when those hard physical limits get ignored.
3. Roy 3

   10 October 2012 at 10:19 am

   On a side issue, why the aversion to toilets anyway? Those of us who have ever had to use a long-drop have a quiet appreciation of how nice it is to have a clean flush toilet when we need one. Is Jonkey afraid that someone will shove his head in a toilet and flush?
   • brybry 3.1

     10 October 2012 at 3:00 pm

     Nah. If your first name is also a name for the crapper then they must be abolished from your planet. That’s the rule.
4. Wairua 4

   10 October 2012 at 2:02 pm

   Has James reverted to his toilet obsession ?
   • Lightly 4.1

     10 October 2012 at 2:56 pm

     you mean John?
   • bbfloyd 4.2

     10 October 2012 at 4:36 pm

     Struck a chord it seems little wai….. I don’t think we need any more expositions of your mindset thanks…. Too much information already…
5. JonL 5

   10 October 2012 at 2:52 pm

   Perhaps we will see job growth – like the USA – where all the “growth” in jobs has been low paid menial jobs like waitressing, fast food chains and low paid age care.workers.
   No production – that’s all gone to China.
   Also, we’re taking after the USA in the Student Loan debacle, which is impoverishing a generation or two of Americans, just like in NZ…….here, it’s in the billions, there it’s in the Trillions! Another generation of debt slaves amongst the young, which, without the jobs to repay, will dog them to the grave!
   Well done!!!!
6. karol 6

   10 October 2012 at 4:22 pm

   Just to throw this into the mix of possible policies for the future.  There was a press release from Mana today, in response to the Greens proposed policies on quantitative easing.  They say that they will see your QE, and raise it by a financial transaction tax.
    

   MANA welcomes the Green Party announcement of three specific proposals to begin tackling the high New Zealand dollar.

   Along with changes to the Reserve Bank Act and measures to curb another housing bubble, the Green Party are suggesting “quantatitive easing” as a way to reduce our over-valued dollar.

   “We are prepared to look at these proposals and given they have been attacked so vociferously by Economic Development Minister Stephen Joyce, then they must have real merit” says MANA Vice President John Minto.

   “The glaring omission from the Green Party proposals however is a Financial Transaction Tax which would address the high dollar directly without the problems of other proposals. MANA’s Hone Heke Financial Transaction Tax would target speculative buying and selling of the New Zealand dollar which is the main reason for its high value”.

    
    
    
7. Fisiani 7

   10 October 2012 at 9:41 pm

   •Asset sales/privatisation – so more of NZ will be foreign-owned, sending profits offshore

   care to show some proof of this ridiculous claim. Apparently you have to do so on this blog.

   Such a ludicrous claim will surely join the hysterical ‘wall of shame’ of employers exploiting the 90 day rule.
   The non existent wall and the non existent foreign buyers.
   • tracey 7.1

     11 October 2012 at 5:59 am

     treasury stated in ten years the shares could be in foreign hans which is profit going overseas.
8. RedLogix 8

   10 October 2012 at 10:49 pm

   the non existent foreign buyers.

   “A yearly survey by Goldman Sachs & Partners shows foreign ownership of the stock market in the June quarter was 35.9%, compared to 36.1% in the same period last year.”

   http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/new-zealand-sharemarket-36-foreign-owned-nk-100102

   And just who do you think is getting the roughly $12b a year in ‘negative investment income’ that flows out of our economy every year?

   And who owns our our biggest four bank fisi?
9. Fisiani 9

   11 October 2012 at 9:54 am

   When the first mixed ownership flotation is snapped up by New Zealanders you will look rather silly

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