Open mike 31/05/2011

39 comments on “Open mike 31/05/2011 ”

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1. Bored 1

   31 May 2011 at 7:00 am

   National in the guise of Simon Power have again shown their disdain of fairness and principle in the face of money. Money matters more than fair access to health, money matters more than fair access to welfare, money matters more than fair access to education. Now its justice.

   The Editor of the Dom now joins in the chorus of those who put a preference to money over justice. “Who cares”, he is in effect saying, “so long as we can cut the cost of delivery”? Always thought the Dom was a RWNJ wrag.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/5076027/Editorial-Power-is-right-to-shake-up-legal-aid
   • ZeeBop 1.1

     31 May 2011 at 10:24 am

     Justice reform is essentially big government invading the private sphere of private contractors who provide legal aid services. And telling customers that they have no choice in the service provider yet they sill have to pay the fees. So I count consumer rights, anti-free market, and bureaucracy, and likely extra costs.

     National, save the rich, the rich who should pay no tax, and make the majority work harder, despite the world wanting NZ dollars and NZ export commodities with a huge trade surplus!
     How could NZ work any harder at supporting the debt held by farmers and home owners?

     The simple fact is NZ is a wealthy nation and NZ gets to improvise itself to stop it having the
     shame of the fact becoming better recognized, any chance the people of NZ get to grow the trade-able added value parts of the economy the government steps in and sells yet more of NZ to increase the profits flowing out the door and stymie any advance.

     And don’t NZ love it, well half of them do, they want to work harder because they would have no sense of self worth unless they were being whipped into yet more work. And their lordships in the elite, who invariable now live on the shores of Sydney Harbor and happy to keep the myth up that NZ has to clobber itself to make ends meet like it was hard up.

     I was astonished a few month back when a cheese maker when to the wall, they couldn’t keep up with the primary industries pumping out commodities, that’s the effect of the risk premium on borrowing, its harms NZ to have farms and homes so much in debt! And while everyone is now rushing to lower debt, the government is try very hard to make sure citizens don’t.
     GST hike was inflationary, the third round of changes in kiwisaver and tax have left middle and lower NZ carrying a far greater burden of taxation. Kiwisaver has don’t 1% in contributions and the government have halved the top up, so savers have to pay on percent more of their income!!!! into the lock up saving scheme.

     Anyone who votes National in November wants to be screwed over.
     • Bored 1.1.1

       31 May 2011 at 12:47 pm

       Great summary: I too puzzle at self inflicted harm / injury caused by voting for some bugger who is very obviously going to fuck you over.
2. PeteG 2

   31 May 2011 at 7:28 am

   We need more people standing up and acting like Cherie:

   “The hui sent a loud and clear message that there is plenty of support for Cherie and speaking out.”

   You can support her Facebook page: STOP death by abuse of our children

   Cherie spoke well on TV last night, is brave to step up amongst the silence, and might actually get something positive going to address the terrible problem of child abuse in this country.
   • millsy 2.1

     31 May 2011 at 7:54 am

     Too bad people are going to use her as a stooge to push their own agenda, ie one of the tightening of social control, as in sterilisation of single mothers, abolishing no-fault divorce, the same old same old.

     Our child abuse record is being used to stir up hatred and resentment towards brown single mothers, by the likes of McVicar, McCroskie and Rankin.
     • Olwyn 2.1.1

       31 May 2011 at 10:22 am

       This worries me too Millsy. we need to decide whether we actually want to protect children, or use their abuse and neglect as a reason for punishing and vilifying the poor. Plunkett came into force last century because too many children were dying, and their approach was one of support and information, not punishment. The fact is, humans are not naturals at childcare, and if these practices are lost to our community, or we ourselves are severed from it, we tend to be pretty hopeless at it. I for one, was inclined to accept Dr Wojcik’s diagnosis of Barlow’s disease where the Kahui twins were concerned, simply on the grounds of plausibility: a semi-literate young man looking after bottle-fed premature children. He may not have fully understood the instructions on the formula, and perhaps even more importantly, that babies who are starving stop crying. Normally when a baby does not cry we assume that it is content, while a starving baby lacks the energy to cry. Understanding these things is learned, it does not come to us naturally, as it does to cats.

       So I would rather see mothers given longer stays in hospitals, and non-punitive expertise to which to turn, rather than upping the anti on punishment and imagining that this will show them.
       • Vicky32 2.1.1.1

         31 May 2011 at 6:45 pm

         So I would rather see mothers given longer stays in hospitals, and non-punitive expertise to which to turn, rather than upping the anti on punishment and imagining that this will show them.

         Definitely! When I had my first son at 18 in 1972, the hospital stay was 2 weeks, cos that’s how it was done then.. That was too long. The second in 1976, a week, which IMO was fine, it enabled me to re-learn babycare (the first baby having been adopted out, don’t blame me..) In 1987, 3rd baby, it would have been a couple of days, but the baby’s medical condition intervened. I believe it’s fewer than 24 hours these days, and I am worried for first-time mothers sent home with babies, in a panic, because they don’t have advice, their own mothers being not available perhaps because they are working… That’s where Plunket is really needed (I availed myself of their advice in 1987, but IMO they are under-funded now, and couldn’t do what they did then – coming out to me to check on my hysteria!)
   • Deadly_NZ 2.2

     31 May 2011 at 10:14 am

     I would support her but, I have to join farcebook and I am not that much of a masochist yet, hell I am still getting over Kiwiblog and whaleshit.
3. Robert Atack 3

   31 May 2011 at 8:53 am

   Coming to a protest near you

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kof0h_ojD6w
   Welcome to the New World Order
   http://www.alternet.org/story/151128/shocking_video%3A_americans_arrested_violently_at_the_jefferson_memorial_–_for_dancing_?akid=7032.202899.VFOMJG&rd=1&t=15

   Shocking Video: Americans Arrested Violently at the Jefferson Memorial — for Dancing – video
   So now the Jefferson Memorial is a “protected area” per the Patriot Act?
   Watch what happened today at the Jefferson Memorial in DC. CodePinker
   Medea Benjamin and others were arrested for “dancing,” and others
   were body slammed for the crime of movement!
   Since Congress reauthorized the Patriot Act, more acts of self
   expression may be deemed “protesting in a restricted area.”
4. William Joyce 4

   31 May 2011 at 9:32 am

   Wouldn’t it be some tragic irony that the pixie-dust created projection of a 4% growth in the economy (that the budget so vitally depends on and that National needs to win an election), gets wiped out as the return to farmers etc is destroyed by a high NZ dollar.
   Currency speculation puts an end to John Key’s promised economic growth.
   Ironic? Sad for the poor schmucks at the bottom of the food chain.
   At least John wont have to pay so much NZ$ to get his lawns mowed in Hawaii.
    
5. ak 5

   31 May 2011 at 9:50 am

   Curiouser and curiouser……why is the Right rolling out its big guns so early?

   First Brash’s racist poison, then a massively over-egged and rehearsed budget speech, now the bennie-bash from none other than the Keyster, and a highly-publicised public meeting in marginal New Plymouth.

   Six months out? Have they forgotten the premature political ejaculation of 2004? Was the Horizon poll close to their own, perhaps?

   Or do they know something. Something big and just round the corner. Turning six months into two, or even one. Red alert, brothers and sisters.
   • Anne 5.1

     31 May 2011 at 10:43 am

     They are turning NZ into an aristocrat/peasant country.. See prism below.
     The irony of that comment is: those who consider themselves the aristocrats are actually the peasants starting with our diction-challenged prime-minister.

     My own view ak is that their own polling is also showing a slow but steady closing of the gap between Left and Right. If it continues unabated for the next six months – and barring some idiot bloomer on the Left it should continue – then it’s all on for Nov. 26th. Add to that the populace is going to be preoccupied with the ‘rubber wool cup’ for two of those months, it makes sense to roll out the contentious stuff now in the (added) hope the voters will have developed a benign attitude towards them by the end of the year.
   • Tiger Mountain 5.2

     31 May 2011 at 10:52 am

     Well the dirty filthy bennies were meant to get their initial slippering right around the time of the second quake, so perhaps just a delay there. Though a serious attack on the welfare state was always in the mix for this election.

     As for the rest, the campaign has begun, get a few shots in before the thugby, keep the narrative rolling. Andrew Little has a reasonable chance in New Plymouth, local EPMU oil rig members raised their wages to Aussie levels,-Natz don’t like that. Labour Party to hike minimum wage to $15, natz don’t like that.

     Agree with Anne about the polling.
   • Lanthanide 5.3

     31 May 2011 at 10:54 am

     I think it’s much simpler than some conspiracy theory. They feel completely unthreatened by Labour and Phil Goff, and so don’t mind rolling out the sorts of policies that normally the left would have a field day with.
6. prism 6

   31 May 2011 at 10:05 am

   All the exhortations from government to work harder and smarter and more – if we did paid work for 15 hours a day we wouldn’t get out of our current a/c imbalance because of the way that this and past governments have opened our little economy to tsunami-like world financial finangling.
   It is good to have investment money, well used by business and able to be paid back. It is bad if people investing in our currency push out our terms of trade unfavourably to us.

   The Manufacturers and Exporters group spokesperson this morning on Radionz spoke critically about our present financial system. One comment made by an exporter was that they had hedging for much of their product but not enough for a price of 82c on our $. Our $ is being mined like gold, when conditions are right the price goes up. Gold was $300 a measure a little while ago, now it is about near $1000 for the same amount. Our economy can’t stand these price pressures from investors/speculators.

   What will NACT do? After all they have a frontman who understands The Market, (genuflect, genuflect). Nothing of note where it is needed within their supposed area of expertise, business, high finance and the macroeconomy. Instead they concentrate on the microeconomy. Basher Bennett has gone to an overseas welfare attack training camp and now has the firepower to mow down those benes at the same time talking airily about getting into jobs.

   Matching people with jobs paying a living wage is a worthy ongoing task, if people are prepared and underpinned by training to achieve better than entry-level minimum wage existence. What does NACT do? Cut education, keep it for the wealthy. They are turning NZ into an aristocrat/peasant country. The tinder must be there in the country, can Labour get our home fires burning by presenting thoughtful initiatives that light and warm up the gloomy citizens?
7. Tiger Mountain 7

   31 May 2011 at 10:41 am

   John Key lies again…
   http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2011/05/31/gordon-campbell-on-john-key’s-assault-on-the-welfare-system/
   • Bored 7.1

     31 May 2011 at 12:49 pm

     It started for me with his lies about the Cycleway. Lying cheating bastard.
     • marsman 7.1.1

       31 May 2011 at 2:33 pm

       A lying PM , a thieving Finance Minister, corrupt Ministers. Out damn spots!
     • Brett Dale 7.1.2

       31 May 2011 at 2:34 pm

       I say aagin, if Labour had of came up with the idea of a cycleway, it will be cheered by all on the left.
       • NickS 7.1.2.1

         31 May 2011 at 2:48 pm

         And I say you’re full of shit, as Labour or the Greens would have only had it as minor part of job creation, rather than the pinnacle Key made it out to be and they would have been slagged off if it hadn’t worked out.
       • lprent 7.1.2.2

         31 May 2011 at 4:07 pm

         It is hard to envisage Labour coming up with anything quite so stupid claiming results that are so at variance with reality. Probably Lange or Douglas? Anyway it is from a style of politics that should be dead in NZ
   • Vicky32 7.2

     31 May 2011 at 7:04 pm

     Thanks Tiger Mountain, that’s brilliant as always…
8. ianmac 8

   31 May 2011 at 12:26 pm

   There were always some damn good interviews on Maori TV. But to replay was very difficult because of the strange labelling. I wrote to MT and received this reply from Bea Ashby:
   “We have re-titled the video clips to have the air date instead of the series and episode number, hope this is less confusing. The episode with Tariana Turia is ‘Native 16 May 11’.”
9. Samuel Hill 9

   31 May 2011 at 2:18 pm

   New Zealanders are being deceived by the government about Youth joblessness.

   http://tinyurl.com/4536gjp
10. NickS 10

    31 May 2011 at 2:27 pm

    So, does anyone still trust Joyce?:
    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/auckland-rail-link-benefits-don-t-stack-up-report-4200671

    Because this MoT report stinks of ye olde hypocrisy given that the economic cases for Joyce’s pet projects are far more dismal in the light of peak oil even if we take the MoT report on Auckland’s proposed rail work as correct…

    And having skimmed the report + appendices I’m left wondering why the fuck there’s no references to peer-reviewed literature on modelling transport and the economic cases, or to the data sets used. Which makes me sceptical, as external literature/data set references give anyone with teh motivation and brains the chance to dig into an analysis and try and understand why assumptions etc have been made and the validity of them.

    Anyhow, I leave this to the Auckland Transport Blog since I’m a biologist by training *cough*
    • marsman 10.1

      31 May 2011 at 2:39 pm

      Joyce’s decisions have nothing to do with realities, he’s simply sneakily doing his puppet-masters’ bidding… ‘ More roads, more roads, private education’.
11. randal 11

    31 May 2011 at 2:32 pm

    e-coliwood anyone?
    • uke 11.1

      31 May 2011 at 6:43 pm

      Nice.
12. Cin77 12

    31 May 2011 at 5:13 pm

    So if I want to watch news on TV, whats my best bet? I usually watch TV3 but I just cant stomach it anymore.
    • Pascal's bookie 12.1

      31 May 2011 at 5:30 pm

      So if I want to watch news on TV, whats my best bet?

      Vodka, and plenty of it.
    • Draco T Bastard 12.2

      31 May 2011 at 5:37 pm

      Don’t watch news on TV would be your best bet.
      • Cin77 12.2.1

        31 May 2011 at 5:50 pm

        Righty-o then. Skip the news, now wheres the vodka? I take it that means Prime is out too?
        • Pascal's bookie 12.2.1.1

          31 May 2011 at 8:08 pm

          Prime is actually better, quite possibly because it’s shorter and only has the one desk jockey.
13. John D 13

    31 May 2011 at 7:39 pm

    It’s kicking off in Euroland

    http://roarmag.org/2011/05/protesters-take-to-the-streets-of-100-european-cities/
14. Bored 14

    31 May 2011 at 8:23 pm

    Just today been talkin to a Policeman and a Navy lad. They told similar stories of cut backs and lack of money. Limited numbers on dangerous late shifts on the beat for lack of funding. Best fleet ever tied up in port for lack of funds whilst the economic zone goes unpoliced.

    Lack of funds whilst tax cuts for the rich are funded by borrowing? National, who tout and parade themselves as paragons of “law’n’order” and “defense”. Lying theiving pillocks. Putting our brave boys at risk whilst funding those who dont need it. Scum.
15. Robert Atack 15

    31 May 2011 at 8:27 pm

    Spin cycle: Should politicians be punished for misleading the people not just the parliament?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-CY_TPwGLU&feature=related

    Filmed as part of the 2011 Ideas Festival, Brisbane.

    If the time should come to take action against dishonest politicians it would not be difficult to mount a case. In the world of business, deceptive and misleading conduct is prohibited by law. In personal dealings, honesty is held in the highest regard. Yet, politicians, the elected representatives of the public who are paid to represent public interests, are not held accountable to these same standards. Julian Burnside asks the question: should the courts decide whether a politician should be jailed for misleading the public?
16. todd 16

    1 June 2011 at 12:42 am

    Asshole of the Week Award – Muriel Newman

    http://thejackalman.blogspot.com/2011/06/asshole-of-week-award-muriel-newman.html

    Muriel Newman is a sad example of the privileged being completely disassociated from reality. Her divisive preaching attempts to further subjugate the already impoverished. There’s nothing so contemptuous as those with wealth arguing that those with nothing should have even less. Her vexation towards Maori is particularly sickening, not so much in that it’s blatant racism, but in that she effectively utilizes many common misconceptions to further her racially divisive argument.
    • M 16.1

      1 June 2011 at 2:29 am

      todd, the only thing that would ever satisfy her would be for each Maori person, sickness, invalid, unemployment and domestic purpose beneficiary to swallow a couple of cyanide tablets, but shit, who would clean her toilet?
      • jackal 16.1.1

        1 June 2011 at 9:01 pm

        Good point M. Although I don’t think the reprehensible members of Act would be happy in a quick death for those they wish to destroy. They would far prefer a lingering and tortuous death that inflicts the most pain… Sort of like the effect you get when trying to read their racist and bigoted ramblings.

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