Written By:
the sprout - Date published:
11:40 am, February 18th, 2010 - 35 comments
Categories: helen clark, International, Media -
Tags: Kathryn Ryan, RNZ, undp
Have a listen to today’s interview of Helen Clark by RNZ’s Kathryn Ryan on the UNDP and aid strategies during times of international recession.
Such a pleasure to hear a PM who’s clearly completely on top of their game, who speaks with credibility, a solid grasp of English and the diction of an educated adult.
The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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I hope some of those swing voters with short memories hear this and contemplate what they’ve done.
It was really unusual hearing someone who is really competent, sees and understands all the big issues and is working out how to make things better talk unprompted and obviously without notes or PR advice.
I have not felt like this since 2008 …
Heard a few snippets while in and out of the car this morning but wholeheartedly agree with The Sprout’s summary and felix’s comments.
But who wants someone who “talks down” to us? Clark and her fancy book-reading…
I’m sure I read that somewhere (kb, wobh??)
Heh. I imagine the average kb or wobh reader probably feels talked-down-to all day every day.
I certainly attempt to point out the inherent stupidity of most (but not all) of the people who comment at the sewer. Don’t bother with Camerons long-drop.
Which says a lot about their intelligence doesn’t!
why do the right have such a problem with having an educated PM???
I suppose its because their current leader and front bench are rich in dollers….but poor in the old grey matter….diddims!!
One thing is for certain…..things were a whole lot better when we had someone who knew what they were doing running the show!
Smile john….smile….cause thats all you are capable of!
Both English and Brash come across as more educated than Key, but neither won the elections.
True, but neither of them came across as more politically capable than Clark.
But yeah… then there’s Key
What one person may think as capable, others may consider raving mad with bad cases of name calling and breathtaking dishonesty… but hey!
yeah, the contrast with grinning idiot John “I’m sexy” Key was stark
The odd thing is, one of the sales pitches for Key was that he was “not really a politician” like the others. In what other profession would this idea float? A doctor being better because of not really being a doctor, for example?
“Such a pleasure to hear a PM”
That should be ex-pm sprout. Remember she got voted out of office a couple of years ago.
Just what Phil-in needs at the moment – the power crazy control freak who still rates ahead of him with swathes of dim-witted labour supporters back in the country to confuse them all again..
Sorry Mike, I meant a real PM
Mike she is still the PM of the last Labour Party, just not of the current ruling party – they still call Bush Snr, Clinton, WJ etc.. Mr. President.
Captcha – former (real PM)
“Remember she got voted out of office a couple of years ago.”
It was actually only 15 months, but I understand it does feel like an absolute bloody lifetime with our current Do Nothing PM.
I prefer her much more now that she’s no longer PM. I expect to feel exactly the same about Key in the future.
problem is the folk who voted for the clown and his circus act are still reading granny hearld going…anyday now she’ll be right…ooh look a financial hub to save us….yah…..you rock JK we knew you had it sussed……this gov’t’s running a classic reagan/hitler style Progoganda machine 21sty century styles.
Are you retarded or just being a bombastic cockhole ?
“I suppose its because their current leader and front bench are rich in dollers .but poor in the old grey matter .diddims!!”
I don’t think Key would be as cultured in terms of being well read as someone like Clark, but in terms of ‘grey matter’ or intelligence he would be as smart as anyone (probably more in a numbers sense, than verbal ability). You wouldn’t rise to the position he had in a place like Merrill Lynch without being intelligent.
I’m inclined to agree although there’s been too many people in very senior positions in both the public and private sector who have proven to be staggeringly stupid upon scratching the surface.
Key is clearly smart in his own way, though I doubt very much he has the collection of skills and intelligences necessary to be a comptent political leader.
Success in the corporate world is not, however, a sufficient condition to demonstrate significant intelligence. Corporate success often comes simply from being sociopathic, from being willing to do what decent people would never do. It’s just the same in the criminal world.
Shrewd, rather.
Cunning.
So voters were stupid for voting aunty helen out. Way to win them back, guys! Good one Felix, try and make people feel guilty for voting National. Democracy sucks when it doesn’t get the result you want, huh?
You’re an idiot Pete. Read a book.
Democracy sucks when it doesn’t get the result you want, huh?
That’s what I’d be thinking if I voted for a “north of $50 pw tax cut” and an end to the nanny state.
Sucks alright. Big time.
oh the sentimentalness
PK Merril Lynch are defunct , down the gurgler, broke , owing billions. John Thain their CEO spent 35 million dollars on his office bathroom when he moved to the Bank Of America. Merril Lynch’s $60 billion dollar debt was absorbed by the BOA and without a federal government bailout would have sent the BOA broke as well.(Merril Lynch lied about the size of their debt before BOA agreed to buy them)John Key made his dosh by buying and selling short and currency trading with the infamous Andrew Kruzenier (spelling??)they had the NZ Treasury ringing New York to find out WTF was happening to our currency in 1988 the trading was so intenseand sending the country bankrupt. He left Bankers Trust just before they were sued by Procter and Gamble and then went broke.John Key also worked as a broker with Elders IXL in oz and they went broke just after he left and had to merge with another finance house.
Still haven’t learnt to hyperlink but this info is all available online,most of it in the New York Times.
These people are lying thieving scum !so I guess that takes a certain kind of intelligence but is utterly devoid of intellect and ethics.
There is without doubt a stark difference between Key and Clark.
There sure is vto, give me Clark any time.
About silly voices, Todd McClays performance in Wednesday debates was dreadful because, really, does he always speak like a low rent Boris Johnston or is the diction a Kings College attempt at posh
capcha: kill, and I really would have liked to have been able to reach in to the idiot box and throttle the pretentious wee tory prick. .
Imagine if this was Key doing the interview…
“So how do you feel about the situation on Haiti?”
“Well, I’m pretty relaxed about it really…”
“Relaxed about the widespread devistation?”
“Look I don’t wish to comment on it at this stage”
“How can you not comment?”
“Calm down, no need to blow a fu fu valve! Look we believe that strong economic policies are the way to steer countries through the tough times, such as the ones we’re implementing right here in Nu Zillund”
“And they are?”
“That in times of an economic crisis, the best solution is to build a cycle track that spans the length of the country. It’s a pretty bad economic crisis, so we want to make sure that all ordinary Nu Zillinders, providing they have skills in road construction, will feel safe in their jobs”
“So Haiti should build a cycle track?”
“Absolutley.”
😆
Spooky, it’s like it’s actually him