Where’s my pony?

11 comments on “Where’s my pony? ”

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1. Tigger 1

   24 April 2009 at 11:06 am

   A friend last night theorised that those who vote right wing are inherently selfish (ie. it’s all about me) and those who vote left wing are inherently selfless or at least communal (ie. it’s all about us).

   Simplistic but for me it pretty much sums up the last election and why we’re facing a huge mess – we have a government of people out for themselves in a time when we need a government that’s out for all of us.
   • Daveski 1.1

     24 April 2009 at 11:39 am

     And those who believe this are completely up themselves or shallow.

     I’m inherently selfish because I vote for a different party?

     It worries me that the level of fundamentalism displayed in Tigger’s comments actually lives on – we are right because we are right (even tho you’re on the left if you get my drift).

     What pompous pontificating BS.
     • Indiana 1.1.1

       24 April 2009 at 1:00 pm

       Tigger needs to view the scene at the theatre where Anakin Skywalker is chatting with the Chancelor regarding the merits of the Jedi and the Sith. In the end both are just as selfish, but one disguises itself as doing things that are best for the people. Frivolous Friday…I know!
   • SteveR 1.2

     24 April 2009 at 11:59 am

     Your friend is in good company—but the argument needs to go a bit further.

     There is a great book (quite old now) by Ted Honderich called “Conservatism” where he analyses and tries to pin-down what the central principles of Conservatism are.

     A good summing-up from Wikipedia
     (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Honderich)
     is:

     “What is the rationale or underlying principle of conservatism? The answer he gives is not just that the conservative tradition is selfish. Its self-interest, he argues, does not distinguish it from other political traditions. What does distinguish it, Honderich concludes, is that it lacks a moral principle to defend its self-interest. It is unique in its amorality.”

     So, it is selfish, but so are many others ways of living. It’s the fact it sees no need to defend its selfishness that is unique to Conservatism (and therefore serves to distinguish it from, to define it in relation to, other philosophies of life.)
     • Daveski 1.2.1

       24 April 2009 at 12:27 pm

       Again, a lovely self-fulfilling theory but it falls flat on its face when you look at the link between religion and conservatism.

       Likewise, any rudimentary analysis of history will show that the over-riding motive of left-wing revolutionaries has been nothing short of self interest.

       I accept that there are different interests at play or rather different means to an outcome. I also accept extremes of both the right and left are equally abhorrent.

       I just dispute that there is somehow an intellectual or moral superiority inherent in voting left.

       It’s also an interesting cultural hangover which highlights the problems this type of thinking has with the left and Maori. Maori society has always been whanau/hapu/iwi rather a blanket nation concept that the west brought with it.

       The irony of the perfect world of socialism is that the model relies in the real world on economic success. The more the spoils, the more to share around.

       I would argue that for a large number of conservatives, the “selfishness” is simply the view that their family/whanau comes first and you look after yourself and your own. It’s not selfish but self-sufficiency which is the core issue.
     • Tigger 1.2.2

       24 April 2009 at 12:42 pm

       Daveski – you say tomato… But when people are looking after themselves and their own first at the expense of the rest of society – well, the word ‘selfish’ does pop into my mind. Then again, I think leaving lights on, running water while you shave and driving a big jeep around the city is selfish.

       I did admit the argument was simplistic…I’m just saying, the original post was about ‘I want my pony’ and it feels like a bunch of people voted for Key because he promised them pretty things when, in fact, we needed the country to be far more pragmatic at this time.
       • Daveski 1.2.2.1

         24 April 2009 at 1:02 pm

         I accept the extremes are equally as bad. I also think it’s fair to say I don’t normally personalise my posts – I got carried away because I have seen this pov represented more than once here.

         I’ll give you that some people undoubtedly did vote for the Nats for selfish reasons tax cuts.

         At the same time, I think a better representation of the right is that those who can look after themselves should do providing that those that can’t have a safety net.

         Those that look after “themselves” and pay taxes are inherently being unselfish as they are giving more than they take. I suppose it’s the Chicken Little view of economics 🙂

         Many of the most unselfish people are in fact the richest (admittedly, they have that option!)

         Enough … I’m off my hobby horse (I think my best puns are wasted on you lot :))
     • ripp0 1.2.3

       24 April 2009 at 4:32 pm

       of interest re conservatives is this view expressed by a prominent Australian of Australian conservatives who he says fit both the evangelical mold and, politically, the profiles of former US republican reps, Doolittle(California) and Delay(Tx)…

       “Until conservatives adopt a reality-based approach to climate change, as they have done in Europe and the UK, they cannot be taken seriously as an alternative government.” – John Quiggin

       So.. what hath enzed done unto itself..?
2. r0b 2

   24 April 2009 at 11:07 am

   to smack my lightbulb to my heart’s content

   And to do so in the unregulated shower of your dreams! Does it get any better than that?

   Sorry about your pony. But I hear tell that National might offer to replace it with a slug. (You can buy the slug food with your tax cut.)
3. Maynard J 3

   24 April 2009 at 11:09 am

   Best tag ever: better that f**kwits.

   I’m sorry, Marty. If you have learned your lesson, we’ll have you back. At least you had ice cream.
4. Bill 4

   24 April 2009 at 12:05 pm

   Allowing for a rough and ready exchange rate from £ to $, we were indeed promised a pony.

   And what we got was a pony and trap…..with much, much more to come.

   Explanatory links for those who require.

   http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/slang/pony

   http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/slang/pony_and_trap

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