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notices and features - Date published:
6:00 am, January 15th, 2021 - 57 comments
Categories: open mike -
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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 feel a lot more confident regarding our borders and MIQ facilities with Chris Hipkins being the lead. I think he is doing a good job and seems competent when fronting the media. David Clark really was useless in comparison to Hipkins and dropped the ball too often.
Yeah, Chippy is brilliant in Level 4 lockdown, isn’t he? Clark never handled the Ministerial Portfolio of Covid-19 Response well, did he?
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/portfolio/labour-2020-2023/covid-19-response
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/why-the-covid-19-response-minister-matters
Probability would suggest we are almost guaranteed another outbreak, irrespective how many times the media prat on “how lucky are we” chippy Jacinda worship or not Lets hope the health sector is prepared this time
Based on NZ's COVID-19 health outcomes to date, is it really the case that "David Clark really was useless", and that the preparation of our health sector was poor?
Goodness gracious, if that's really is the case, then the UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care must be considerably worse than useless, and there can be no words to describe the (lack of) preparedness of the UK health sector.
The reality is that the team of nearly five million (with some exceptional leadership and a little bit of luck) did a spectacular job of eliminating COVID-19 (stamp it out), and that MIQ staff have done an amazing job to protect the general population (keep it out) while facilitatating international travel. In the first two weeks of 2021, 5,735 people arrived in NZ, and 6,771 people left.
Life goes on, and it seems there are still some who don't know how lucky we are to live in this country. Yes, I know it’s not all roses, but there’s truly no place I’d rather be at the moment.
It's certainly good advice to be prepared for the next incursion of COVID into the general population. Visit https://covid19.govt.nz/health-and-wellbeing/
Protect yourself and others from COVID-19
" In the first two weeks of 2021, 5,735 people arrived in NZ, and 6,771 people left.".
And you call that facilitating international air travel?
In the first 2 weeks of 2020 there were about 25,000 people per day going each way by air in and out of New Zealand. Thus we now have roughly 1 person travelling for every 60 we had at the same time last year. Those numbers are taken from the same link that you provided.
Just for comparison I have looked at what the figures would be for each Interislander trip between Wellington and Picton if we reduced the traffic volumes in the same way.
Each ferry would carry 3 passengers. Three quarters of the ferry would carry a car. 1 in five ferries would carry a rail wagon and 1 in every 14 would carry a truck.
https://www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/blog/history-of-the-nz-interislander-nz-ferry/#:~:text=Fun%20facts%20about%20the%20Interislander%20Ferry&text=Between%20our%20three%20ferries%2C%20we,21%2C000%20trucks%20and%20210%2C000%20cars.
I would call that isolated. I certainly wouldn't say that travel had been facilitated.
Yes, I do call that facilitating the arrival of 5,735 people into NZ in the first two weeks of January 2021 during a steadily worsening global pandemic, including the evolution of more infectious strains.
Alwyn, would you prefer more arrivals (bags not from the US or UK), and if so, where do you suggest we put 'em – all round to yours?
Our international arrivals are twice that of Australia.
https://www.tourism.australia.com/en/markets-and-stats/tourism-statistics/international-market-performance.html
The UK health bloke may be useless, I honestly don't know. But remember we had significant advantages due to our isolation and time on our side to get prepared. Heathrow I believe has around 80 million people go through it a year, that's around 220,000 per day! And don't forget Gatwick (46m) and Manchester (28m) airports. (Auckland airport a mere 20 million per year so only around 1/7th of the quantity). Just imagine the numbers carrying covid in to England in the early days.
I agree I would much rather be in NZ than anywhere else though as we have done a much better job than the UK.
Because it's impossible to reject an international flight plan?
We spent the first six months of the pandemic with people warning us our economy would collapse if we stopped international tourism and had a lockdown.
turns out we just bit the bullet and took the medecine early, and saved ourselves a lot of disease and economic hardship.
Let’s hope the NZ population is prepared this time. You know, the ‘team of five million’; are you one of us?
Yep in principal on the approach, not so much the spin and politics of it all , the team of 5m thing ( vomit inducing) , canonisation of certain individuals, smugness of nz in contrasting other countries without realising how much advantage we have to most other nations, releasing not so complementary reports on health sector performance very late and after the election, attempts to make this a left and right issue Apart from that on board
Red, what makes you think that there's a (general?) lack of realisation of the advantages (e.g. remote island, delayed risk of exposure, small well-educated population, competent leaders and dedicated public health workers focussed on protecting the health of citizens) that NZ has wrt this global pandemic?
IMHO "the team of 5m thing" that you find so nauseating was a masterstoke, both politically and as a subtle modifier of behaviour.
Like it or not, we're all (right and left) in this together – COVID's quite the leveller
I’m glad to hear that despite your visceral reaction and many reservations, you’re one of us and that’s all that matters in this pandemic; all the other stuff is just a distracting sideshow. This doesn’t mean stop criticising the authorities, including experts, as long as it is done with a positive outcome in mind. Often, we react to a particular message because of the messenger and/or the tone used but then we forget/ignore the message, which is lost in the noise in our brain. When people stop listening and start reacting instead, the connection is lost. Once the connection is gone, the cohesion will weaken, and before we know it, we are (back to being) a bunch of five million individuals mimicking Brownian motion.
"You know, the ‘team of five million’; are you one of us?"
"I’m glad to hear that despite your visceral reaction and many reservations, you’re one of us".
My, my. That sounds dreadfully like the mad orange man talking to the group of Congresswoman who disagreed with him. You remember them I assume?
Trump of course, completely ignoring the fact that most of them had been born in the USA, ranted that
"So interesting to see 'Progressive' Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments … … … … now loudly and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run."
and "Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came"..
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/14/trump-tells-congresswomen-go-back-counties-they-came/1728253001/
Are you going to tell people who think, and god forbid say, that the Government really hasn't done very well at all should leave the country? It does sound a bit like that you know when you start sorting the population into "them" and "us".
The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 infections has just topped the 2,000,000 mark.
Wouldn't dream of saying "people who think, and god forbid say, that the Government really hasn't done very well at all should leave the country" – how bizarre.
As to whether or not the NZ Government has done a good, bad or indifferent job of handling the COVID-19 pandemic so far, well we're all 'entitled' to our opinions.
The question is, can you be a team player while holding our Government to account? That's behaviour I could admire.
The comment that you actually replied to provides the context. Despite that, you seem to jump to all sorts of weird and wonderful fiction. You really do crack me up, at times 😀
I take it from your bizarre rant, which is over-saturated with false equivalences AKA strawmen and pig-fucker statements, that you don’t see yourself as an integral part of NZ society AKA ‘the team of five million’. That’s ok with me, as long as you don’t create an unsafe situation for us New Zealanders who wish to do their bit ensuring that we’re all staying safe and well.
Breaking News
—from HECTOR STOOP in Beirut, for Daisycutter Sports, Jan. 15, 2021
Syria to send military and financial support to America's 'moderate rebels', to help them fight for democracy in their country. Afghanistan and Iraq to assist by flying in peacekeeping forces which will set up long-term bases in key American flashpoints.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErqqLP8WMAItCze?format=jpg&name=small
I have twice tried to reply with something funny, something along the lines of asking whether they had set up a Give-a-little page.
Fear of upsetting those that see US democracy as paramount or at least more important than Venezuela,Vietnam, Honduras etc or being quickly labelled a white supremacist apologist has put me off.
A good nights sleep has emboldened me.
Red, the health sector is overdue for some recognition and appreciation of the mammoth organisational task they have undertaken in the last 10-11 months. It's been learning as they go in so many ways, with the last pandemic 100 years ago, before mass travel worldwide was ever thought of or undertaken. Mistakes made, but quickly rectified. Staff being redeployed to new roles, endless behind the scenes issues to deal with. Mind boggling. And Dr Bloomfield's role has been appreciated widely.
A relative has a friend returned to NZ after many years in the US (and we all know the chaos there). He went to the Cinderella pantomime in Wellington recently. Fun references were made throughout about Dr Bloomfield. At the same performance Dr Bloomfield was in the audience and this friend said he wanted to go up and hug Dr Bloomfield. Heartwarming anecdote.
Everyone wants to hug Bloomfield. He has done an amazing job under extreme pressure. Hopefully he has a lot more support now with Hipkins than he did when Clark was minister of health. As per my above comment at 1.0, Hipkins is doing a good job too, but Ashley will be the crowd favourite.
I don’t want to hug Dr Bloomfield, I prefer social distancing. He’s a good leader of a good team and fortunately his political bosses have let him get on with his job without getting in the way and interfering.
one could assume Bloomfield read that report…when it was first presented..
how can he not deny accusations he took part in covering up that report..?
so about the most charitable view of that..
is that he was at the behest of his political masters..
'cos if he were independent..there for the people..he would have demanded action/disclosure..way back then..
but he didn't..did he…?
so no…I don’t wanna hug him..
I want him to tell us why..?
If only I knew what you’re rambling on about, I could try parse your comment. As it is, it reads like something you hear at 1 am in the pub from somebody who’s had a few too many. Maybe best to call it a night, eh?
what don't you understand about that Bloomfield query…?
he knew…he covered up…
(hardly a quantum mechanics equation .is it..?..
quite simple really..)
What did Bloomfield "cover up"?
the report showing the failures @ the border…
that was presented to the govt in September..
that the govt sat on untill post-election/the last possible day to release..
all the while campaigning on their brilliance @ doing..what the report showed they weren't doing that well..
but nothing to see there…eh..?
and if national did that…you would be aok with that..?
I don't think so. .somehow..
Links are wonderful things, dude.
Please provide evidence to back up your assertion that AB covered up "the report showing the failures @ the border…"
Evidence needs to be a link along with a brief cut and paste of the pertinent point, and a brief explanation if needed.
Count this as a moderator request.
link not needed..it is common sense..
the report was about what he was running…
so of course he saw it..
and he said nothing…
and no..there is no link to Bloomfield saying 'i covered it up'..
that is the conclusion I have come to..
this is my opinion..perhaps one not yet voiced by anyone else
and the direct link to my brain is still a work in progress.
I'll let you know when it is up and running…
The Uncertainty Principle most definitely applies to your comment, which states that the more often one reads your comment, the less sense it makes.
Thanks for that Incognito – I was starting to think that Phillip has been indulging in one two many orifice plucks
Your friend is obviously a sensitive soul, good on her but at the end of the day just an emotional response, has no real relevance to facts If Dr Bloomfield was not so geeky nerdish loveable type but an alpha and get out of my way male, get the job done, bugger if people like me or not etc would her response have been the same even if this person had done a better job, ie no second lock down etc
Subconscious sexism 😉
Won't someone please think of the 'alphas'
they could all go and cluster around that billy te kaha..(another alpha male..)
The Alpha Male is, evidently, a myth – which being so, that divisive stereotype need no longer be paraded as a model of leadership, but assessed on its merits, if any. In situations demanding conflict it may suffice, but for generating compliance there are better approaches.
The research is here.
I see OZ MP Dr Fiona martin weighing into her colleagues (George Christensen & Craig Kelly) over "…a duty to our nation to follow the evidence and facts."
Nada from scotty in marketing or any of his murdoch backed party to pull them into line….no surprises there.
Link?
I'm sure the DHB criteria for low cost contraception started out well intended. Now it's come down to this.
Surely other ethnic backgrounds have a need for low cost contraception too. The easy way around this is to make sure you tick Maori/Polynesian on any healthcare form.
In news surprising to nobody with pattern-recognition skills equal or better than a housefly, Don of the Deadbrains is stiffing Oozi Ghouliani. Yep, not paying fees.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/14/politics/donald-trump-rudy-giuliani-impeachment/index.html
But Oozi is still trying hard. In an explanation right up there with 'just tucking his shirt in', he sez he wasn't inciting violence with his "trial by combat" remarks. No sirree, that was just an innocent Game of Thrones reference.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rudy-giuliani-trial-by-combat-game-of-thrones_n_600076b2c5b6ffcab9627499
Did he have hair dye running down his face when he said that about GoT?
The only info I have is the transcription in the tweet, so no way of knowing. However, when he said "trial by combat", his hands were below the lectern so it's entirely possible he was tucking his shirt in at that moment.
This struck me as a peculiar sentence for the offence described. Surely there should be assault charges for presenting a weapon during an argument, not simple possession? And yes, the socks had pool balls in them, but their possession seems insignificant beside the sawnoff pistol. Especially since they apperently stayed in the car while the gun was actually pointed at people.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/crime/road-rage-gun-pointed-father-and-child-nazi-salute-shouted
maybe pled it out on the lesser charges rather than a defended hearing for assault?
I was thinking that it was in place of possession of an unbrandished kitchen knife. Certainly closer to my idea of a functional weapon. Also why wasn't the white powder residue analysed?
But I guess that the assault conviction would look bad at the pending domestic violence case. Impressive work from whomever the lawyer was!
ya hafta give a nod to that 'matinee idle' show on rnz..
it is really good fucken radio..
a shame it ends today ..
programming-idea:
rnz could open one of those unused frequencies they have..
and as part of their programming.. give these guys a drive show..
it would be a ratings winner..
and would also be really good bloody radio..
and the perfect salve for the end of the working day..for many..
o bugga. I forgot again.
Damn. It is the only thing I listen to (when I remember) ont Natrad these days. Plus Kim of course.
On the beer belly putsch.
https://twitter.com/RadioFreeTom/status/1349868097914740737
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1349868097914740737.html
wow. That might be one of the best things I have read on that whole sorry mess.
Dude's a life long repug, too.
https://twitter.com/RadioFreeTom/status/1349547655937064961
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1349547655937064961.html
Why it is good to get information straight from experts.
How good is the AstraZeneca vaccine looking? Look at the data, not news headlines
https://sciblogs.co.nz/diplomaticimmunity/2021/01/15/how-good-is-the-astrazeneca-vaccine-looking-look-at-the-data-not-news-headlines/
A thought-provoking article from Jess Berentson-Shaw who left Twitter last year.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/434117/we-need-social-media-systems-built-to-enhance-our-shared-humanity
Disclaimer: I am not on Twitter and never have been.
that was a good read too. It's where my thinking is at. Where are new models for internet engagement? Does it *have to be left to commerce?
The person who co-founded WhatsApp has created another messaging app, Signal, which relies on donations rather than advertisers for money.
I don’t know if this is viable long-term but Wikipedia is still around.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/300204609/why-whatsapps-new-privacy-rules-are-sparking-alarm
Signal in the news today
Signal messaging platform stops working as downloads surge
Endorsement influencer.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1347165127036977153
https://twitter.com/afshineemrani/status/1350143189378744320
Collateral damage.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/markets/world-markets/elon-musk-tweet-sparks-investment-frenzy-in-wrong-company-called-signal/news-story/c2e798e5011353e5527638c4aa5ba49c
Or con.
Tesla is an oddity in the business landscape. The company’s stock is so stratospheric that Elon Musk has surpassed Jeff Bezos as the world’s richest person. Now, we have another mind-blowing metric. At Tesla’s current price-to-earnings ratio, it would take the company almost 1,600 years to make what the stock market says it’s worth.
The New Statesman put up a startling comparison. In 2020, Tesla delivered 499,550 vehicles. Yet, its market capitalization shot up to $750 billion dollars. Comparatively, General Motors delivered 2.5 million vehicles in the same year, yet its market value is only $62 billion. Tesla’s price-to-earnings ratio — a comparison of current share price to earnings per share — is roughly 128X (the industry average is 15X), according to Zacks Investment Research. Based on that ratio, it would take Tesla 1,600 years to make the kind of money the stock market says it’s worth.
[…]
Musk’s tweets can also result in big changes in Tesla’s stock price. In a single tweet he erased $14 billion dollars in Tesla’s market value.
https://jalopnik.com/tesla-would-take-nearly-1-600-years-to-make-the-amount-1846044574