Open mike 23/10/2020

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 23rd, 2020 - 28 comments
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28 comments on “Open mike 23/10/2020 ”

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  3. Anker 3
    23 October 2020 at 8:52 am
  4. Reality 4
    23 October 2020 at 9:04 am

    It has puzzled me during this week how some on the left have been all gloom and doom at Labour's outstanding electoral success. Is it because they just like being miserable and pessimistic and have to endlessly complain? No government, even with such a popular leader as Jacinda, who is able to reach out to so many, can ever do absolutely everything everyone wants. Given these complicated Covid times it will be even more of a challenge.

    So let's have some joy and optimism for the future, however difficult it will be. What was the other option again? Oh, yes, Judith and Gerry. Enough said.

    • Phillip ure 4.1
      23 October 2020 at 9:22 am

      The 'doom and gloom' come from an awareness of labours' neoliber-incrementalist record. .and a fear we shall just see more of the same from them…that j. Ardern will do what h. Clark did about poverty/environment..(i.e…not much..) ..those fears are compounded/underlined by labour now having the option to lock out the greens/green policies…f.w.i.w: this the source of my particular 'doom and gloom'…

      • anker 4.1.1
        23 October 2020 at 10:48 am

        I understand that you feel doom and gloom. I could say we will all be so much better off with the current elected MPs i.e. Greens 10 Labour 64. But that may be little consolation, afterall the proof of the pudding etc.

        However whether the Greens are in or out with Labour, they will still make their voice heard loud and clear…….and that will be helpful I am sure.

        There is much debate at the moment on which way the Greens should go and of course there are pros and cons both ways.

        I do trust Labour though to negotiate in good faith with them. Unlike Bomber B I don't believe Jacinda is capable of bullying or coning anyone, let alone the Greens.

        I think whatever the relationship is it will suit both of them. Perhaps they may even be formulating what would work best to get the most change while keeping their strong positions. NOW that would be helpful.

    • woodart 4.2
      23 October 2020 at 11:24 am

      think your comment about complaining has a large element of truth. unfortunatley, sites like this attract the terminally unhappy, people who get out of bed looking to be outraged . maybe ,less time here, wallowing in self pity, and more time out in the real world, being grateful that we live in NZ.

      • Phillip ure 4.2.1
        23 October 2020 at 5:45 pm

        Heh..!… That raised a chuckle…can't be bothered unpacking it..'long houses'..eh..?)…I do appreciate the involuntary humour tho'…..but you must excuse me..I have some self-pitying-wallowing to get back to..

    • gsays 4.3
      23 October 2020 at 1:13 pm

      FWIW, while happy with the election result, the tinge of disappointment has arisen with the PM's talk of retaining Labour's new voters.

      This sounds more like keeping my job, incrementalism and not scaring horses. Contrast that with the talk 2017: neo liberalism has failed us, CC our nuclear issue and addressing child poverty.

      You are right, what the Nats had on offer was withered, unattractive last century ideas. We are in a great position compared with most other societies due to good leadership and high trust and compliance.

  5. Anker 5
    23 October 2020 at 9:20 am
    • Absolutely agree Reality.
    • i commented yesterday that I was really bewildered what was happening. Snide remarks about Jacinda included bomber B saying Jacinda will bully and con the Greens.
    • post about where’s the plan labour, when they have a comprehensive manifesto. They have not specified targets because they got badly burned by kiwi build. Sure their own doing from having a wildly optimistic target. But nothing that the opposition can attack them with.
    • every single person in this country needs to be grateful to labour and their covid response. This doesn’t mean no critique, but it has shown us what highly competent

      • Leadership that governs in the very best interests of the country looks like

    • AB 5.1
      23 October 2020 at 11:07 am

      The sense of relief one gets from a Lab government comes from a feeling that we've got normal, regular and pretty responsible people in charge, rather than bizarre, antisocial throwbacks. Transformation is not expected, but the relief is palpable. The loopy crowd who shouldn't be allowed too much influence in this new government isn't the Greens – it's National. The voters seem to have indicated as much.

  6. Ffloyd 6
    23 October 2020 at 10:44 am

    Aced it Anker.

  7. Robert Guyton 7
    23 October 2020 at 1:15 pm

    The Greens will "win" significant positions that will advance the aspirations of green voters.

  8. Stuart Munro 8
    23 October 2020 at 1:26 pm

    Meanwhile, in Primorye, something that looks like a toxic spill event.

  9. Kay 9
    23 October 2020 at 1:28 pm

    The first, and primary job of any government is to protect it's citizens. I believe that task was accomplished as well as it could be, and my government and leader behaved as I would expect them to in the circumstances. Had it been a National-led government getting a similar outcome for us I would be just as relieved and grateful, despite my intense hatred for them.

    Just because we have been fortunate enough to live in a country with a competent government on this one matter does not mean having to constantly grovel in gratitude. Personally, like most, I am extremely relieved it's this lot running the show and that they're back in again. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about. And I'm extremely grateful I live in NZ right now.

    But for those of you who suggest doom and gloom and pessimism, and that we're always complaining? Certainly in the case of those of us who discuss the situation for beneficiaries here, you might want to REALLY read what we've been saying, and why we're saying it. Our situation leads into the broader topic of social justice, discrimination and inequality in NZ, and the way we have been treated by the Labour Party since the 1980s, and why we have no grounds to expect much to change. Weka has again raised the issue of how beneficiaries with disabilities who can't work don't even get a mention, like we don't exist. I think we're actually allowed to complain about that tbh.

    Oh, and @woodart- just so you know, I'm not big on being outraged but it is really hard to get out of bed some days when I've been knocked unconscious during the night. That tends to leave me wallowing in self pity a bit, and makes it a bit hard to get out in the real world, but I try to on my good days smiley

    • anker 9.1
      23 October 2020 at 2:55 pm

      Hi Kay,

      I gather that life is very tough for you and that on some days getting out of bed is too difficult. I am truly sorry this is the case.

      I do think it is essential people in my situation hear what you have to say and whether we are meeting our civic and moral duty to help you in any way we can. So please, I am really keen to hear from you over the next three years as to whether anything changes, big or small.

      I appreciate you letting us know

      Take care

  10. greywarshark 10
    23 October 2020 at 1:47 pm

    From The Telegraph UK

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/10/19/fossil-fuel-dinosaurs-may-still-have-life-yet/ Just as high finance and elite opinion writes off the fossil fuel industry as irretrievably doomed, a fresh twist in the global energy saga is again starting to upset all calculations….

  11. greywarshark 11
    23 October 2020 at 2:04 pm

    Funny how NZ pops up in novels. I;\'m reading detec. story wirtten in 1988 and after commiserating about decline of society with sex and drugs one of the Good 'uns says he would rather live in NZ. What ho maties, this is as near to heaven as we can get, especially after the happy-snappy election. cool

  12. greywarshark 12
    23 October 2020 at 2:11 pm

    Uh oh. Councils should be enabled to hold staff, and bring some pending projects forward to bring some stability into the working population. Also hospitals, and border controls/Covid 19 workers. Have the government got a long plan ongoing, or a long-Pinocchio nose?

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/428971/auckland-council-job-cuts-help-save-78m-a-really-good-start

    and – Some thing is going on in the wop wops.
    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/429006/new-doc-hut-cost-blows-out-to-more-than-3m-due-to-covid-19-building-challenges

  13. bwaghorn 13
    23 October 2020 at 3:51 pm

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/10/helen-clark-pens-foreword-for-book-recommending-sale-of-cocaine-ecstasy-at-pharmacies.html

    Popping down to the chemist for some e's and a line or two. It will happen but I'm picking notwhile I'm above ground to enjoy it

  14. Phillip ure 14
    23 October 2020 at 6:04 pm

    Good on clark for opining that …and my research years in that area showed me that cocaine is one of the easiest drugs to kick ..and is much less harmful than..say..alcohol ..?..the withdrawals are a doddle…and there are only two drugs I would recommend for most..one of course is cannabis…the other is mdma/ecstasy….it's so good for helping one clear away the crap that most of us drag about…from our past/whatever ..so h. Clark making this observation..makes perfect sense..and..a funny cocaine story: a couple of years ago I was at this dinner-party thing..and there was this lady there..in her 50's..complaining about her 82 year old father..who had found a new friend..and her fathers' new friend had introduced her 82 year old father to cocaine ..and he was proving to be quite the fan of the peruvian marching-powdr..and they were running about the town @ nites…partying…I nearly fell off my chair..laughing…she was not amused @ my take on her 'problem'…and of course old people should be allowed access to cocaine…if they want it…it could almost be viewed as medicine…@ that time of life..