Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Budget 2017: How do we get out of here?

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  • Hilary Stace, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I think that left parties are much better at the strategic visioning policy thing that David mentions here, but they aren't often in government to implement them. And these ideas are hard to get into sound-bites so aspiring politicians are less likely to 'perform' well in the media, and so less likely to get elected. Housing, health, education and social policies are so inter-related. But when politicians from the left try to express these complex ideas they often get attacked by the interviewer with the 'how many, when, how much will it cost, yes or no?' questions.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Tom Semmens,

    Big data will wipe those jobs out as well.

    Eventually. That software all still has to be written. Doing that is a colossal undertaking. What we don't have a good model for, at least not a progressive model, is how to manage that transition. If people were housed and fed and had free time and entertainments galore as a result of all that automation and development it would be an obvious massive win for the species. I'd like to think that it might even happen faster under those circumstances, as all those people would be the market for all that development. That's one utopian vision, and it's an old one. If we must have an oligarchy of production, at least we can have a democracy of consumption.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    Big Data is about numbers and will never be able to be qualitative. We will be able to pinpoint the person in a particular street with a particular condition and know where they shop or go to school and what they buy but will never know about the quality of their relationships and all that human stuff. Those jobs which are based on unique human relationships are unlikely to be replaced by big data any time soon although they might happen in a different way.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    Designed in Auckland: https://www.soulmachines.com/

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to BenWilson,

    That software all still has to be written.

    By other machines.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    I think that left parties are much better at the strategic visioning policy thing that David mentions here, but they aren't often in government to implement them. And these ideas are hard to get into sound-bites so aspiring politicians are less likely to 'perform' well in the media, and so less likely to get elected. Housing, health, education and social policies are so inter-related. But when politicians from the left try to express these complex ideas they often get attacked by the interviewer with the 'how many, when, how much will it cost, yes or no?' questions.

    Sure enough, thinking long term isn't necessarily cheap. But the Patrick Gowers of this world need to realise the cost of doing nothing is Donald Trump or Nigel Farage or Marine Le Pen. When today's Rust Belters are driven to become tomorrow's Brownshirts or Bolsheviks, it doesn't take a history book to realise where it ends up.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Sacha,

    By other machines.

    Yes, and also people. Lots and lots of people.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    And these ideas are hard to get into sound-bites so aspiring politicians are less likely to 'perform' well in the media

    That is an interesting point and something of a dogma.

    I agree that for the last two decades or so "the media" has meant TV broadcast at 6 pm and packaged into stories at most two minutes long.

    Successful politicians became good at short bites, broad smiles, confident delivery.

    But the times they are a-changing. A lot of folks, particularly younger voters use vastly different media. They can and do read longer pieces. They look at videos where the time limit is however long it engages their interest and not determined by the next ad break.

    I wonder if we are not close to, if not already seeing, a change. Are there enough younger voters to allow a politician that communicates in whole paragraphs and explains a policy in an 8 minute video to gather enough votes? Are those younger voters tired of the gotcha political journalist and more interested in the whole story?

    I don't think we are there yet, but look at what Chloe Swarbrick did in the Auckland mayoral campaign, she engaged a group of people who didn't normally vote, mostly with long answers not soundbites.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    And having mentioned Ms Swarbrick, one has to look at the young women at the top of The Green party list and think maybe this party is going to bring something different to the beehive.

    Perhaps even policies guided by a longer term vision than simply protecting the earnings of the businesses that donated the most.

    It will depend on the policies but it is such a relief to see so few old white men (speaking here as an old white man).

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Relevant: at The Spinoff Gareth Shute talks to Dr David Galler about health, housing and the current "chaos of social policies".

    Wonderful piece.

    "they just piss around at the margins and it will ultimately be really ineffective in dealing with the big issues"

    tell us what you really think :)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

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