Open mike 21/06/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 21st, 2024 - 16 comments
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16 comments on “Open mike 21/06/2024 ”

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  1. SPC 1
    21 June 2024 at 7:46 am

    When these sectors have rising numbers of workers looking for available work

    That was particularly true for roles in manufacturing, transport and logistics, construction, and trades and services.

    the economy is in decline.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2024/06/job-seekers-face-fierce-competition-as-number-of-applicants-skyrockets.html

  2. tsmithfield 2
    21 June 2024 at 11:51 am

    A very interesting interview with Peter Zeihan by Guyan Espiner for those who are interested. The focus of the interview is the geopolitical risks and opportunities for New Zealand.

    Probably the key takeaway is that NZ should diversify away from China asap due to the catastrophic demographic profile of China, which means it will be stuffed within the next decade or two. And the fact that it is going to be increasingly difficult to try and bifurcate our security and trading interests.

    He also discusses the likely breakdown in the global trading system due to the increasing risk to sea routes.

    I guess we have seen that already with recent attacks on shipping forcing ships to take the long route our way. But, is likely to become much more of an issue if state actors start attacking shipping.

    Overall, he thinks the future is fairly bright for NZ in what he sees as an increasingly dispopian future for the world.

    • SPC 2.1
      21 June 2024 at 1:18 pm

      An issue being the extent of vertical integration within our production to China market process as to other production to the "global" market (including China).

      The demographic profile is not a reason for a quick transition.

      One can be for peace and plan for war.

      And remember, it was the post depression lapse into protectionism that preceded a war.

    • tWig 2.2
      21 June 2024 at 4:37 pm

      Zeihan has a great big US beam in his eye. Quoting from a reddit critique of his ideas 3 years ago:

      "he makes very compelling and provocative arguments. but his biggest unstated premise is a civilizational one…that a 250 year old nation of Atlanticist elites who extend a holographic bone of democracy to its own turbulent, tribal, ideologically and religiously fractured society that has been fighting its own civil war since 1860…can outlast a 2,000 year-old largely demographically and tribally homogenous nation. it's pretty laughable on the face of it really…the notion that a society that is currently polling the highest rate of successionist sentiment across the ENTIRE political spectrum since the US Civil War, that maintains the most brutal carceral state in the world, and that has the largest homeless population on the planet…can win a long 4G/5G and trade war (cutting off sea-lanes etc) against China, or that China will be the first to collapse within domestically…it's racist at core and based fundamentally on an errant mythology about the disastrous make-up of American society. is the CCP a bunch of oligarchs vying to maintain a desperate hold on its population? certainly. but then take a look at Washington."

      Why Espiner bothered to interview him, I don't know. A stool with a minimum of three legs for NZ's trade policy is the best idea. NZ is diversifying, with mthe EU free trade agreement, etc.

  3. gsays 3
    21 June 2024 at 12:05 pm

    What an apt memorial to 40 years of neo liberalism.

    Pylon falls over. Cutting power to the Northland and Far North residents.

    Resilience is discouraged ( no encouragement of grid tied solar with battery back up), no community solar power schemes in the 'winterless North'.

    I hope all the shareholders are warm and dry.

    • Descendant Of Smith 3.1
      21 June 2024 at 1:12 pm

      From what I understand it didn't just fall over. Maintenance work was being carried out, two legs were unbolted and a wind gust came from the same direction as the unbolted legs. Those legs lifted and over she went.

      Unsure why it would be necessary to unbolt legs (relacing worn parts maybe) but I guess we will find out soon enough.

      • gsays 3.1.1
        21 June 2024 at 1:41 pm

        Thanks for that.

        The uber cynical side of me reckons they are so unused to maintenance, that's why two legs were unbolted at the same time.

        Now I want to know if the maintenance was sub contracted.

      • joe90 3.1.2
        21 June 2024 at 2:14 pm

        Unsure why it would be necessary to unbolt legs

        Tower probably dates to the 1960's so it's not surprising things would need to be unbolted but considering the windage associated with a twin circuit 110KV line and ACSR, likely dog, conductor, it's astonishing that anyone would unbolt anything without temporary stays in place.

      • bwaghorn 3.1.3
        21 June 2024 at 4:07 pm

        Well I no engineer but if I wus gonna unbolt a tower id fucking wheel tie the barstard down first!!!

      • Obtrectator 3.1.4
        21 June 2024 at 11:09 pm

        Was that wind gust a single isolated occurrence, or was it a windy day generally? Some things just shouldn't be attempted in potentially hazardous weather conditions. (Especially when you bear in mind that doubling the wind speed doesn't double the pressure exerted – it quadruples it.) And was pressure of another sort being applied to get the b****y job done, quick?