Written By:
notices and features - Date published:
6:00 am, January 9th, 2016 - 57 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
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. ...
The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Here we are at 9.49am on a grey overcast day in Auckland and not a single comment on Open Mike.
I went to the heading Water, one of my pet subjects
and this is what I found.
WATER
Categories under water
No categories
I am puzzled (that’s not unusual) but whilst there are big discussions going on on TS about TPP and Free Trade ad nauseum, mostly trolls winding up the argument it seems, there is NO category for Water.
I have commented on other occasions about my concerns and in
particular the Ecan(Environment Canterbury) has been set up with National Party appointed members and will stay that way for another 3 years at least. This in an area that has huge dairy growth and is a major pollution problem.
Ensuring that the water quality in Canterbury, is preserved for future generations might just be a more fruitful subject to discuss and argue than the some the other subjects which trolls start and TS contributors perpetuate.
We’ve had a high number of comments about water quality in the past week or so. In fact I would say it’s been one of the main discussions. Including about Ecan.
If you want to see posts on water, you can always submit a guest post 🙂
The water heading under Environment has 80 posts.
http://thestandard.org.nz/category/environment/water/
Hi Weka,
Thanks for your reply but I am still puzzled or not understanding how the site is set up.
I got to http://thestandard.org.nz/category/environment/water/
as you suggested but apart from a good recent article from No Right Turn there seems to be little about water and most of the articles are older rather than recent.
Time to sort dinner will have another go later.
Most of them are about politics and water. ie oils spills, political fiddling to Environment Canterbury (which administers water in Canterbury), water pollution standards, irrigation, dams, lack of water, etc.
9 posts in 2015. It varies according to what is happening and if authors find something they want to write about.
Hi Weka,
Thanks for your reply but I am still puzzled or not understanding how the site is set up.
I got to http://thestandard.org.nz/category/environment/water/
as you suggested but apart from a good recent article from No Right Turn there seems to be little about water and most of the articles are older rather than recent.
Time to sort dinner will have another go later.
Hi John.
A few days ago (?) I read a lengthy thread about water quality and Ecan on Open Mike. It was, as usual for most discussion on TS, a worthy read. I’m guessing this is what weka is leading you too. Sorry I can’t help you with the date.
I think you can also search the site by the name of the commenter. From memory weka contributed to this discussion (?)
Helen Kelly’s post is attracting huge attention. I suspect that most people are heading straight there.
I’m sure we should be thinking about water more. Here is something relevant that was on RADIONZ this morning.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201785128
Choose Clean Water
8:10 AM. Marnie Prickett is part of group touring around the country to draw attention to diminishing water quality. She is part of the Choose Clean Water tour, traveling down the east coast of both islands, then up the west, finally finishing in Waitangi on Waitangi Day. The group will be filming their travels, engaging with locals to find out about what’s polluting our waterways and what people are doing to restore their streams, lakes and rivers. On the tour she will be stopping to see Jill Roberts in Geraldine. Jill has been a resident in the town for 10 years and has seen the water quality of the river diminish quite significantly.
If you’re that concerned about it then submit a guest post on it. We’ll all love to read it.
Out of interest, how does this work? I recently submitted a Guest Post by e-mail and although I didn’t expect it to be posted, straightaway or at all, I’ve not heard a dicky bird. Just asking.
The problem is me. A lack of time to deal with the mail queue, and I think that I am the only person left who reads it. The other authors who had logins have long since gone.
Basically I pick off things that are urgent (problems on the blog, legal threats, etc) and leave the rest until I have time. Because of the time taken to set up a post, that tends to be the lowest on the priority queue, and I used to get around to it every week.
But these days I seldom have any time. Either work or family or blog or simple exhaustion always seem to get in the way.
In fact I will be heading back to the chills of a European winter next week for work with some very long days. That isn’t going to help.
I’ll see if I can get some of the others interested in reading and acting on the mail.
Thank you for the reply and clarification, which I (now) fully understand. There are many high-quality posts appearing on TS so my ‘mind-spew’ can wait indefinitely 😉
Seen this?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11571162
Another story how a young fellow managed to start buying property so he could play WOW all day. What a great had work story!
But, read the fine print.
He started with a $200,00 wedding gift..
About the plutocrat – Mickey has a post on it now.
Consumer power is a big weapon against corporate power.
+1 TMM
Kiev is having corruption tussles – there is talk about not being a banana republic. There is a familiar ring about their difficulties.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/kiev-struggles-to-battle-rampant-corruption-1451641811
It has to be viewed in the context of the pre-existing endemic corruption though greywarshark. From what i read it’s not that corruption is getting worse, the complaint is the Govt isn’t doing enough to combat what’s already there
The ousting of Yanukovich looks to have been largely driven by a population finally fed up with the top-level corruption, he and his cronies alone looted close to Ukraine’s national debt it’s no wonder the country is broke.
The ordinary people in Ukraine would likely be pretty upset that corruption is still rampant but I doubt many would be pining for the old days of even worse corruption.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11571180
Canadian company set to sue USA under NAFTA this is what key the shmuck is signing us up to with tppa.
Fern-themed teatowels are the policy focus at the moment.
Your “facts” are just an annoyance.
The Pacific islands will need our attention and concern. Already some have had drought conditions and there is a fear that a big weather depression is going to form early in the season.
Water rationing introduced as Port Moresby copes with drought.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/201783140/water-rationing-introduced-as-port-moresby-copes-with-drought
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201783140
800,000 people short of food in PNG
…A co-author of a compilation of 200 reports from government, NGOs, church organisations and individuals in drought- and frost-affected regions says immediate action is needed to alleviate ongoing suffering.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/293730/800,000-people-short-of-food-in-png
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/75600686/tonga-takes-stock-after-cyclone-ula-creates-widespread-damage
http://reliefweb.int/report/world/el-ni-o-strengthens-pacific-preparing-impacts-drought
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/rare-january-depression-in-central-pacific-atlantic-subtropical-storm
Oxfam is keeping an eye on the Pacific plight and watching this strong El Nino.
Oxfam said that New Zealand must immediately act on promises made under the new global climate agreement, as evidence suggested climate change may increase the frequency of extreme El Niño occurring.
Around 4.7 million people face hunger, poverty and disease across the Pacific alone due to El Niño-related droughts, erratic rains and frosts. Globally, 18 million people are already in need of assistance. –
See more at: http://www.oxfam.org.nz/news/el-ni-o-warning-bells-deafening-early-action-vital-saving-lives#sthash.oVDuVB3x.dpuf
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-urgent-aid-super-el-nino.html
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-el-nino-strongest.html#nRlv
News story-Philadelphia policeman shot by Islam nutter.Policeman survives, defends himself and wounds the nutter.
Other TV channels report the facts but Fox news (sic) blames Obama. If the policeman didn’t have a gun (because of Obama as Fox implies) he’d be defenseless. Never mind that the nutter had his own (stolen) gun.
Intrigues me how Fox spins it that Obama wants to take guns away from Police.
..Fox republican policy…….More guns = less dead people…WFM
Not to confuse, that less guns will equal less ‘dead people’
Which is a false equilvilance that many attach themselves to
Pedants Revolt: https://twitter.com/johnrentoul/status/439327593687703552
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/less-versus-fewer?page=all
Indeed Grant.
The words were lifted from the comment by Rodel, which should have been obvious ,” ” aside
Pedants add nothing to a conversation…..
Thank you gentle people. Point taken. Hope I make fewer or less grammatical errors in future. Thanks for reading my comments.I too suffer from pedantopathy.
I’ve attended lots of barbeques over the last month and negativity to the National government was never heard even once. I sense no mood for change in real people. I honestly do not know what Andrew Little can do to change things.
You go to the wrong bbqs every one I have attended the feeling is universal …
fishy probably has a primus set up on his back porch and talks to himself 😜
Something like this?….
Grant
Delightful. Any fisher would look at that and say my precious. And fishiani?
Who can follow his train of thought. I keep wishing he’d find the station and leave for a holiday.
Perhaps we could send him a brochure for this little excursion?
http://www.phoenixexpeditionmedicine.co.uk/snowy-morning-in-the-steppes-of-northern-mongolia/
Sounds good. Big steppes.
The idea brings to mind Peter Sellers in Balham Gateway to the South
where the tone-deaf son of the Mayor bangs away on a piano before the villagers who are raising money to send him away – to Vienna, or Paris, or anywhere.
lol
I haven’t attended any bbqs – I prefer my meat cooked.
But the mood I pick up at my dinner parties is also universal and totally opposed to the present govt!
But then again that’s what happens when like meets like. But Fisi being of little brain wouldn’t understand the error of sampling bias.
Polling certainly backs up my BBQ findings.
yes, we all know there is power in the Dark Side.
Polling over last 6 months suggests Govt and Oppo neck-and-neck, if anything with the Oppo slightly in front.
Or, to put it another way
2014 Election Party-Vote = NZF nowhere near holding balance of power
Poll Average over last 6 months = NZF holds balance of power.
All down to Labour’s 6 point surge since last election.
You having a laugh or just thinking no one would call you out?
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6599-roy-morgan-new-zealand-voting-intention-december-2015-201512092333
You’re simply pointing to one solitary poll, I’m talking about poll averages over recent months.
In case you haven’t noticed, a clear gap opened up in 2015 between:
(1) The TV News Polls (One News Colmar Brunton and 3 News Reid Research) = which, since May, have consistently placed the Oppo ahead of the Govt
and
(2) The Roy Morgan and (infrequent) Herald-Digi Polls = Most of the former (and all of the latter) favour the Govt.
(You’ve simply quoted the latest Roy Morgan)
Result of this divergence between the 2 sets of polls = Oppo and Govt neck-and-neck over last 6 months, when taking all polls into account.
Take, as an example, Polls since Sep 2015.
Average of All Polls
Govt 49.9 … Oppo 49.2
Average of Colmar Brunton / Reid Research Polls
Govt 48.4 … Oppo 51.0
Average of Roy Morgan / Herald-Digi Polls
Govt 51.1 … Oppo 47.7
polling says roughly 50/50, has done for the last 7 years.
Your bbq was 100% tory.
So, no, your bbq survey was more shit than what you usually spew out.
National rode to power on the coat tails of the GFC promising magic fairy dust to all and sundry. They have a solid bloc of perhaps 30% support from the highly influential upper middle class who also happen to run the elite news media and their sponsors.
Little and the Left need to engage the “missing million” voters who, if motivated, could easily kick out the incumbents
The missing million was mana territory and their hopes were sold for
$3 million .
Mana should have told Dotcom to stick his money up his arse. They may have had a chance.
yep that was a colossal fuck-up on their part. but Kelvin Davis was a good result for TTT.
I actually belive that Davis will become leader of the Labour Party and NZ’s first Maori PM.
Though he and his supporters need to take care that he isn’t placed in the job too soon, like Shearer and Cunliffe were.
I honestly believe the dotcom fiasco gifted key the election and possible the next one to. With no rabble rousing far left party there is a lot of votes going begging.
Money is not to be sneezed at, at election time. Mana should have told Dotcom to keep his mouth shut and breathe through his nose. All election stunts and rallies should have been passed by Leila and her cohorts without putting pressure on her to compromise with what she knew would work best.
The election push got mixed up with Dotcom’s private fight and the Mana message got overlooked, as it got overshadowed by Dotcom’s grievance and the dirty government spying and secretive message from Julian Assange. That was not the main problem that Mana was wanting to put forward.
I like this bit of plain English analysis from Bryan Bruce. http://bryanbruce.co.nz/feature/election-2014/voting-and-inequality
Great link,
Also the rise of Dirty Politics has turned a lot of people off *all* politicians.
If engaged….despondency and fear are the 2 things that stop people voting according to Tony Benn, so National have it sewn up, unless people have hope and stop being afraid!
Hi WN. Did you read my Bryan Bruce link above?
It’s worth a look, but you may find parts of it challenging.
Here’s a taste.
“One of the things we do know about voting behaviour is that a high voter turn out favours truly left wing governments. Why? Because, in theory, the Left can appeal to a larger number of ” have not” people than the privileged Right. However 30 years ago that pattern was disrupted when a supposedly Left wing Labour government introduced the New Right economics of neo-liberalism. So for 3 decades now voters on the traditional Left have not seen a viable alternative economic policy for which they could vote.
The result? A general decline in the number of people voting which has increased the chances of the Right of being elected . “
Could Health Policy be the Nats’ Achilles Heel?
Hat tip @GSilbery:
Somehow #HeraldActPartyNewsletter would rather tell us someone owns 11 houses so what are the poor complaining about
Talking about the health system. For some months I have briefly chatted to an Indian man who works in my local supermarket. I noticed him limping and expressed sympathy. He said he was waiting for an appointment for treatment for a sore foot.
I saw him at Christmas and he said he has been waiting to see a specialist, not for the treatment as I had thought. He can’t even get his foot examined and diagnosed, though he has pain as he’s standing and walking all day. He says he has decided to get it done in India, along with treatment to his knee which is also giving trouble. I said that’s no good, it’s a shame that our health system is declining. He made the side to side hand movement of judging on balance, and said that overall NZ was still better.
But that is based on how we are at present, we are still declining, and the present tranche of politicians and power brokers have no desire or vision to return us to the vibrant, hopeful, socially mobile, modern society that we were.