Open mike 25/12/2010

24 comments on “Open mike 25/12/2010 ”

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1. Robert Atack 1

   25 December 2010 at 7:19 am

   The Peak Oil Crisis: The Time of the Demagogues
   By Tom Whipple
   Wednesday, December 22 2010 01:51:59 PM
   http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/8087-the-peak-oil-crisis-the-time-of-the-demagogues.html
   The transition from 200 years of cheap and plentiful fossil fuels to an era without will go through many phases as it gradually dawns on the body politic what is happening.

   A few weeks ago Virginia’s U.S. Senator Mark Warner noted that the global warming debate was not so much a scientific one as it was religious. On one side were the apostles of science and on the other was the “American way of life.”

   When Election Day came, it was no contest – the American way of life won hands down and numerous veteran politicians were sent packing. In state after state, “cap and trade” was widely perceived as the implacable enemy of all Americans hold dear – prosperity and economic growth.

   “History is replete with large numbers of people willing to follow prophets to disaster.”
   • Tigger 1.1

     25 December 2010 at 8:01 am

     http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10695806

     Question: Why was it when Labour was in power and petrol was this expensive it was endless front page news. Now this price is simply accepted by the media (called ‘stable’ even) and little alarm is given to it going even higher?
     • Lanthanide 1.1.1

       25 December 2010 at 9:27 am

       A large part of the recent increases in petrol is due to increases taxes, including GST (also the ETS and 2 other petrol-specific taxes). So this kind of takes a bit of the wind out of the sales.

       IIRC the tax increase since 2007-08 amounts to about 15 cents a litre all up.
   • john 1.2

     25 December 2010 at 12:05 pm

     Hi R.A. No doubt you have read this book,for others information what we should be doing is:

     What we need to do as a World is Powerdown:

     “If the US continues with its current policies, the next decades will be marked by war, economic collapse, and environmental catastrophe. Resource depletion and population pressures are about to catch up with us, and no one is prepared. The political elites, especially in the US, are incapable of dealing with the situation and have in mind a punishing game of “Last One Standing.”The alternative is “Powerdown,” a strategy that will require tremendous effort and economic sacrifice in order to reduce per-capita resource usage in wealthy countries, develop alternative energy sources, distribute resources more equitably, and reduce the human population humanely but systematically over time. While civil society organizations push for a mild version of this, the vast majority of the world’s people are in the dark, not understanding the challenges ahead, nor the options realistically available.”

     http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780865715103
     • john 1.2.1

       25 December 2010 at 12:18 pm

       Powerdown: the path of cooperation, conservation and sharing;

       For societies to cope with the Great Transition, They will have to reduce inequality, Do away with Wealth Worship and Idolising icons of Wealth and success like Oprah and suave Mr Key.We will all have to swing together or go down as the wealthy continue to grab more and demonise the poor.

       The NeoLiberal cult is the way of disaster the total opposite of what we should be doing! The opposite of cooperation,conservation and sharing!
       • Robert Atack 1.2.1.1

         25 December 2010 at 5:35 pm

         I don’t like getting into the ‘what if we do this’ game BUT I can write a list of must dos, first a quote from James Lovelock something like “There is plenty to do, unfortunately we will not like doing it” that isn’t quite right but close.
         So my not so popular suggestions, for a more acceptable to the general dumb public (GDP) idea – we need to have a 30 year moratorium on childbirth, with any child being born being made wards of the state and the idiot parents being made to ‘work in the fields’ as community slaves for 20 years (that should get compliance of that idea), a 30 year gap in the baby production factory will still see enough mothers alive to continue this disgusting spices, IF in 30 years time there is a planet left that can sustain humans? The positive from this is we can start to down size / power down and save suffering of the uncreated children, if this idea had caught on 10 years ago that would be a billion people not trying to squeeze through the population bottleneck we are very fast approaching/already in.
         Then we place everyone on a community ration of food and energy, most people will have to stay home and live off this ration, there will be no TV, no internet, electricity for maybe 2 hours a day, the ‘youth’ will become the new ‘volunteer’ workforce/army say 15 -30 year old will have to work in the fields, and food delivery/production system (to provide the rations), along with the GDP being encouraged to grow their own food (maybe be reduced rations at various time of the year) we would need to study Cuba for some good ideas on this stuff
         Ok this will be a tough one, we should euthanize all the 2 billion pets we have, and eat down the current stock of ‘meet’ animals and go vegetarian.
         No new roads, or houses, we have way enough bedrooms in NZ. We should close the borders to emigrants, giving returning Kiwis 6 months to get back.
         Here are some more ideas http://jayhanson.us/america.htm
         A fast crash is better than a slow one, as in both casses ‘we’ all end up in the gutter, but in a fast crash, you end up with most of your stuff, as the banks/PTB can’t take shit off you if there are no cops.
2. Tigger 2

   25 December 2010 at 7:58 am

   Question to the media: how many other MPs are using the perk for international holidays with their partners? Do you know? Did you bother to research? Or did you just target Carter yet again?
   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4487842/Carter-blames-media-as-he-cancels-holiday

   Got no problem with this being under the spotlight but a huge problem with the fact that you seem obsessed with just one MP… Wouldn’t be because putting an overspending poof on the front page is more newsworthy than, let’s say, seeing if Tony Ryall has been using this perk for an overseas trip?

   P.S. Watch out Maori MPs, you’re next.
   • Carol 2.1

     25 December 2010 at 8:01 am

     Agree, Tigger. And I’m waiting for MPs to say they will be donating their unasked for pay-rise to those in need… so far, the silence has been deafening.
     • Anne 2.1.1

       25 December 2010 at 9:16 am

       Here’s your answer Carol – they’re resigned to it.

       From Stuff:
       “MPs resigned to pay rise

       John Key urged restraint over the setting of politicians’ pay this year but most MPs seem resigned to the boost in their salaries.”
3. Sanctuary 3

   25 December 2010 at 9:06 am

   Question to the media: Why did you think it necessary to run headline stories carefully pointing out John Key apparently had nothing to do with the latest pay rise for MP’s?

   apart from that, as the Red Baron would say, merry christmas mein friends!
   • Zaphod Beeblebrox 3.1

     25 December 2010 at 9:14 am

     Thats because he’s totally ineffectual
4. swimmer 4

   25 December 2010 at 9:13 am

   I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a great New Year ! 🙂
5. WOOF 5

   25 December 2010 at 9:16 am

   And don’t forget to bring a doggie bag for all those tasty leftovers. 🙂
6. jcuknz 6

   25 December 2010 at 9:17 am

   Seasons’ Greetings All ….. 🙂
   Further to the rail purchase … from a NYT editorial this morning ….
   “In 2005, the China National Railway Signal and Communication Corporation invited Germany’s Siemens to join in building trains for the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway. Most of the technology came from Siemens, which trained 1,000 C.N.R. technicians in Germany. But most of the trains were built in China. For the next project — the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail — the Ministry of Transportation decided it wanted domestic technology, and C.N.R. bumped Siemens out. CSR Corporation, another Chinese train builder, did the same with Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan.”
   Should we encourage these people in what they are doing? The editorial is about respecting intellectual property.
   http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/24/opinion/24fri1.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a211
   On the other hand reading the Chinese press release it is obvious that the sale to New Zealand is a major step forward for the company in selling to a ‘first world country’ for the first time rather than those of lesser status and the Chinese would loose a lot of ‘face’ and seek retribution most likely if the contract was cancelled.
   But all of that doesn’t help our workers and would-be workers does it.
   • Draco T Bastard 6.1

     25 December 2010 at 10:00 am

     Basically, China is learning technology that they presently don’t have and then building factories that make it localy for export. Exactly what we should be doing. Instead we’re trying to export more dead cows.
     • Zaphod Beeblebrox 6.1.1

       25 December 2010 at 10:36 am

       Hence why they want joint dairy technology projects.
       • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1

         25 December 2010 at 11:05 am

         Indeed Zaphod. All we will do with these dairy projects is give away our world class skills (e.g. to China) for short term gain.

         And what does China do when it doesn’t need your skills any more? It dumps you and takes the market for itself. (BTW they also did this to the Europeans in wind power turbines).

         This NYT article shows that Government has got an active role to play in economic and industrial development. The NATs have no freakin idea.
         • Zaphod Beeblebrox 6.1.1.1.1

           25 December 2010 at 9:26 pm

           Think you will find trade policy has not changed since 2008- no problem there with helping other countries help feed themselves. What has changed is the willingness of government to fund our universities and research institutions that allow us to stay a step ahead. They have become victims at the alter of the mantra of anti-inflation and anti-government activity, like sacrifices to the god of neo-liberalism.

           So we are depriving ourselves of the capacity to stay ahead (and have anything to export) due to our fear of inflationary activity (as if thats a problem ATM). Luckily for the Chinese they do not suffer from the same beliefs.
7. joe90 7

   25 December 2010 at 11:59 am

   Old soldiers talking about the 1914 Christmas truce.
8. john 8

   25 December 2010 at 1:24 pm

   This is one of the biggest climate change impacts so far:

   Global warming ‘will give Britain longer, colder winters’ as melting sea ice plays havoc with weather patterns

   Melting ice will cause blasts of cold air to be funnelled over Britain during winter months
   Britain will be hit by longer and colder winters in coming years because of global warming, scientists have said.

   Melting Arctic Sea ice has changed wind patterns in the northern hemisphere – bringing blasts of colder air across the UK.

   Scientists believe the changes could be why we have been experiencing such a bitterly cold December. Refer link:

   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1341388/Global-warming-Britain-longer-colder-winters-melting-sea-ice-plays-havoc-weather-patterns.html

   I should join Wodney’s ACT party then I wouldn’t need to worry about this stuff! Privatization would be number one worry,I’d probably be a lot happier! Maybe Wodney is ultimately the wise one! Cancun was hopeless but at least some of our people got a free holiday in Mexico! I do find this stuff scary, like probably most of you do!
9. Logie97 9

   25 December 2010 at 3:00 pm

   In this time of good will and best wishes to all, hopefully John will get his wish…

   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10696491

   Captcha – figures
10. Carol 10

    25 December 2010 at 7:28 pm

    A further indication of the sad state of our daily news papers (and TV news). TV3 had an item on the fact that 2 NZ newspapers have broken with convention and published an edition on Christmas Day. ut the reason given, is not so the public can be better informed about important news (politics, the state of the world etc). The reason they’ve published is to help advertisers and to get the message out about Boxing Day sales.

    There also is a subtext in tonight’s TV3 news – it’s better to be in NZ than anywhere else. However, re- the Americans enjoying the sun on the beach in Wellington: TV3 gave the impression that 20C in Wellington was way better than being in all the snow in the US….. but I imagine the temperature would be higher that 20C in parts of California.
11. Deadly_NZ 11

    26 December 2010 at 10:49 am

    @ carol
    Yes it may be hotter than the 20c in the United states of Paranoia. But honestly wouldn;t you ranther be here? For all it’s faults NZ is still one of the best countries to be in, and it has an added bonus of NOT being full of Fat, Loud, Obnoxious Americans!!!
    • Carol 11.1

      26 December 2010 at 11:09 am

      Well, I would rather be here, DN. But many other people would also rather be in their own countries. TV3 news last night seemed to avoid mentioning anything too much that wasn’t positive about NZ. TV One news, OTOH, at least did mention the charity Xmas lunches around the country, and that there are more people in need here than previous years at Christmas.

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