Daily review 03/07/2023

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, July 3rd, 2023 - 12 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

12 comments on “Daily review 03/07/2023 ”

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  1. Joe90 1
    3 July 2023 at 5:51 pm

    Trolling level: Expert.

    Merriam-Webster

    @MerriamWebster

    To address extreme levels of language enthusiasm, we've applied the following temporary limits:

    -Writers, Lyricists, and other Professional Wordsmiths: 6000 definition lookups/day

    -Thoughtful Readers and Crossword Puzzlers: 600/day

    -Everyday English Speakers: 300/day

    https://twitter.com/MerriamWebster/status/1675525976896200705

  2. Dennis Frank 2
    3 July 2023 at 6:13 pm

    Dr Reuben Steff is a senior lecturer at the University of Waikato, where he teaches courses on New Zealand foreign policy, international relations and global security.

    Like much of the world, Aotearoa New Zealand seems to be experiencing a slow-motion ‘polycrisis’.

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/clearer-thinking-needed-as-nz-battles-compounding-crises

    • You’re not alone if it seems there are multiple challenges affecting the world simultaneously – it can be summed up by the word ‘polycrisis’.
    • First coined in the 1970s, the word has been popularized by the historian Adam Tooze to describe the coming together of multiple crises.
    • Here, Tooze explains what the concept is about and how it can actually help to name it.

    https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/03/polycrisis-adam-tooze-historian-explains/

    Steff proceeds to his thesis:

    There are glimmers of hope, like the Productivity Commission proposing the creation of a new Parliamentary Commissioner to assist future generations disadvantaged in society, and some researchers suggest we prepare the groundwork to significantly improve our national resiliency.

    There are at least three additional things we could do to advance our way out of our current funk and position ourselves for a brighter and more prosperous future. The first is that a resilient society needs a strong state.

    Whoa! Stop right there! We've had a couple of centuries of that already. Einstein's dictum comes in (can't solve a problem via repetition of ways that don't work – that's insanity). Steff is supposed to be thinking clearly! His headline says so!!

    Ultimately, nations – the sense of belonging to a larger Kiwi national collective – exist in the mind.

    Whew! A nimble recovery, lad! Yes, states are indeed mental models. Of proven utility, even. Durable. Legal entities too. Can't touch 'em but they seem real enough.

    Secondly, New Zealand’s hope of remaining a first-world nation and avoiding becoming a global backwater requires emphasis on the tech and digital sector.

    Emphasis looks suspiciously like an academic weasel word. Go with `development of' that sector. Whizz kids would be good.

    Indeed, as Nasa chief scientist Dennis Bushnell said in 2021, NZ should leverage its status as a beautiful place to become the next Silicon Valley

    Ah, I wouldn't put it in the Hauraki plain. That will be awash anytime soon, at the rate things are going.

    Thirdly, the government needs to improve its forecasting ability and, with it, preparations for a range of global shocks.

    I think govt forecasters may learn from private forecasters (& vice versa), so the ole public/private partnership thing can be wheeled out again to encourage a bit of competitive collaborating, huh?

    The famous economist JK Galbraith said economists were created to make astrologers look good, so best to replace economist forecasters with astrologers asap to up our success rate. Plus we seem to need shock absorbers robust enough in design & construction to serve the national interest. Mental models, tough & resilient.

  3. Dennis Frank 3
    3 July 2023 at 7:15 pm

    Well, I saw the lead story on 3 News, featuring the PM saying he suggested to Kiri that she take a couple of weeks off. Since she told the media she's taking a couple of days off, seems obvious she decided not to accept his suggestion.

    No law against that but not being on the same page ain't a good look, eh? Otoh, she's displaying initiative. Being in control of one's destiny is a good thing. So now we know why the media got confused earlier…

    • Dennis Frank 3.1
      3 July 2023 at 7:40 pm

      Just to confirm that, here's the online report:

      Prime Minister Hipkins said he "suggested" to Kiri that she "take a couple of weeks off" which he told media Allan is doing.

      Allan tweeted during the Prime Minister's press conference, making clear that this time's leave is not mental health leave, and she actually taking a "couple of days off over the school holidays".

      https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/07/kiri-allan-back-on-leave-will-meet-with-prime-minister-chris-hipkins-in-couple-of-weeks.html

      So it looks like it is important to her to present a different view of her conversation with him than he did to the media…

      • Dennis Frank 3.1.1
        3 July 2023 at 7:51 pm

        Situation as viewed by the other news channel even murkier:

        In his regular post-Cabinet press conference on Monday afternoon, Chris Hipkins said he had had a brief conversation with Allan today…

        A senior Government adviser had previously told 1News Allan was taking time away for mental health reasons, but in a tweet during the press conference, Allan said it was not related to mental health issues.

        The East Coast MP said: "I'll take a couple of days off over school holidays because each parent has to as we don't have others that can take care of our kid. Please stop conflating my mental health with external allegations." Hipkins said during his phone call with Allan today, he "suggested to her that she take a couple of weeks off".

        This week and next are parliamentary recess weeks, meaning the House will not sit. It will sit again on July 18.

        https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/07/03/pm-suggested-under-fire-minister-kiri-allan-take-time-off/

        So the House will be in recess two weeks, yet Kiri told the media she's only taking a couple of days off. Does that mean she will be working in her office the rest of that period? Processing her work emails? Reading policy documents?

        And what about that senior Government adviser who issued disinformation to 1news? That makes 3 top Labour operatives in the situation who aren't on the same page…

        • Incognito 3.1.1.1
          3 July 2023 at 8:01 pm

          In other news, the Boxing Day Sales this year will be on 26 December. 2023.

          • Dennis Frank 3.1.1.1.1
            4 July 2023 at 6:35 am

            Yep, that'll help get them back on track. Buy more crap, boost growth, produce more hot air – the causal logic will run thro the Labour mental mainline like a heroin rush. Grant may even put you on his xmas card list! wink

            It's important to remind folks what Labour stands for. The notion that being a left-winger is a waste of time has been getting too contagious.

        • Kat 3.1.1.2
          3 July 2023 at 8:11 pm

          They say a week is a long time in politics so two weeks would be a long long time. If Kiri is only away for two days then that would be longer given the normal perception for how long a week is in politics. So the short of it is that when the PM suggested to Kiri to take a couple of weeks off he was speaking in real time as apposed to political time as that could have been interpreted as taking a couple of months off given the generally perceived longevity of a week in politics. Only politicians are hip to this.

          They say timing is everything………