Posts by Kerry Weston

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  • Up Front: Because You Should Know,

    Maybe if there was another 1981,

    1981's an interesting one - I was out protesting for that and have recently completed a history paper where I covered 1981, both anecdotally and big picture, in a seminar. In retrospect, 1981 was simmering for a long time, even General Kippenberger harrumphed about Maori not being allowed to tour SA post WW2. It was also an outlet for Maori grievances over land & general shitty treatment, but also a flashpoint for a mighty big social divide between old-school Muldoon conservatives and rugby fanatics versus those of us who were sick to death of rugby adulation, being labelled as commies if you didn't toe the line politically/culturally, who were fed up with women being 2nd class citizens and a complacent pakeha culture that was living in the past and still fretting for Mother England.

    So there was convergence of several issues, fired up by long-simmering anger. The fact the world's media was watching and NZ was out of step with other countries over sporting ties was a big factor too - that tour was the first to be seen live on TV in SA, so they got to see for themselves that all was not hunky dory.

    It was astonishing to re-watch Patu and other doco footage of the protests. The young students were pretty gobsmacked.

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report

  • Island Life: The Prime Minister Has Spoken,

    This is what kiwi exporters in the more traditional products are up against:

    The EU promotes the world's biggest agricultural aid program and spends almost €53 billion in subsidies - half of its annual budget. Non-traditional farming companies receive an important share of the aid, which contradicts the original idea of production incentives and price support. Further, farmland ownership already entitles landlords to subsidies regardless of agricultural use. The Queen of England and airport caterers are among recipients of this giant subsidy system.

    Link: EU subsidies for all!

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report

  • Up Front: Because You Should Know,

    It's well past time we stopped using 'paedophilia!' as a way to shut down discussion.

    Yes, that strategy is much the same as using possible terrorism to massively increase public surveillance. The UK seems especially OTT.

    I also think govts, including our own, allow certain types of crime to go relatively unhindered (slow to investigate, can't act till you're injured/dead) - crime that directly pisses off the citizenry, such as burglary, domestic violence, gang intimidation, because that encourages outrage from SST types, makes us feel insecure and threatened and all the more pliable when it comes to, say, increasing prison terms. When the citizenry feel threatened and afraid, they're much more likely to agree to, or at least not resist, intrusive, limiting measures "for your own good".

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report

  • Up Front: Because You Should Know,

    I wanted to be a potter, or more accurately, a ceramic sculptor and did Craft Design in the late 80's, just when ceramics was getting kicked in the guts by cheap imports. Some marvellous potters lost their livelihoods and although I played with the medium for a while, it was no longer possible to consider it as a livelihood. A great shame. At one time we had more potters per capita than Japan. One day we'll wake up and realise how much we lost.

    I still dream of one day earning enough doing something else, but having the luxury of dedicated time to make artworks.

    I well remember the hysteria generated by the civic creche case, it had repercussions throughout society, suggesting someone was an abuser became quite the weapon of choice in custody battles and made professionals such as teachers feel vulnerable. But I don't think people having to prove they're innocent and "decent" is the way to go.

    In connection to internet censorship, that kind of thinking opens the way to having a licence to access the net.

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report

  • Up Front: Because You Should Know,

    Hey, Jackie, BTW did you inherit an interest in ceramics, throwing pots etc?

    I feel that kind of thinking - "if you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to worry about' style - is very thin edge of the wedge. I don't know about your kindy, but a few years back at my kids' primary school, parent volunteers were scarce. I gave a lot of my time, often in transporting & supervising outings, sports trips and in doing art projects. Obviously we don't want paedophiles working in schools, but you wonder where they'll draw the line. Would convictions for drunk driving, cannabis possession, tax evasion, speeding all make you unacceptable as well?

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report

  • Up Front: Because You Should Know,

    Slightly off-topic, but this is about a "Safe Adults" database in the UK, causing controversy. Basically, anyone who has any 'regular' contact with children in a voluntary capacity has to be vetted. A step too far?

    UK Home Office and education officials simply cannot understand why anyone wouldn’t want to be vetted. When I challenged the Home Office official in charge of the scheme about a potential rebellion against vetting, he said that if somebody didn’t want to be vetted ‘there must be suspicious reasons for that’. He described the vetting database as like a ‘club’, which all decent adults should want to be part of. What a corrupted view of decency: being on a state database and submitting ourselves to constant surveillance.

    Spiked on Vetting

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report

  • Island Life: The Prime Minister Has Spoken,

    I note from the Evans article that one of the four areas where kiwis could flourish is in waste management and environmental/RMA issues. One of our problems here is the Greenwashing of NZ in tourism promotion (100%Pure etc) when the reality is somewhat different. This looks like one of those killing two birds with one stone scenarios - sort out our own problems if we want genuine eco-tourism and at the same time develop partnerships & networks to export our know-how to Asia. Work for designers, engineers, technology. This of course would require focus and commitment to a definitive strategy from govt.

    Our isolation can be a plus - lifestyle, as others have said. We need a coherent vision, with a strategy, that says This is what New Zealand will look like in 2050: Let's get cracking. Real leadership sells the vision. Are we to be merely a Mega Dairy Farm with tour services?

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report

  • Speaker: The End of Consumerism,

    Bravo! Excellent post. Considering our own median income is around $25,000, I laugh when i hear Dr Bollard pleading again for us to save money, not spend it. What used to be called the working class top up their mortgages (if they're lucky enough to have one) and credit cards to finance fairly ordinary spending - a decent car, computer connectivity, a real holiday (shock, horror).

    My school leaver son has been working for six months in the wonderful Dickensian world of the service economy, where he is employed for three fulltime days per week, and any other days that might arise. It means he earns more than the dole but not enough to save. This is common practice. I've met many parents whose school leaver children they support themselves when they can't find work, or only get a few hours, because Winz are so thoroughly unpleasant to teenage job seekers. Keeps those jobless figures down.

    You still pay more tax if you have more than one job. The government still keeps Child Support payments from the children they are intended for, if their single parent is on a benefit. In many cases, the child support equals a substantial portion of the benefit cost, so in reality the DPB costs the taxpayer very little. The DPB is well on the way to being ushered out of existence, as "mothering" is no longer relevant or valuable - only professional childcare will do. NZ governments haven't had a social conscience or worked for the benefit of the people since 1984.

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report

  • Seen Anything Good? Tales from the film…,

    Last night I saw Soul Power, the film of the Zaire 74 concert timed to coincide with the Foreman-Ali Rumble in the Jungle. It was rad

    There's an interesting backstory around the footage used for Soul Power, which is basically from the same 450 hours shot by Leon Gast, who was hired to film the concert and boxing event. In a dodgy deal stitched up by Don King and the Zaire President and financiers, about $10million to stage the whole thing, which included building a new runway and hiding the poor areas from road view. The venue was an arena where political prisoners had been housed under the stands, 1,000 prisoners, 100 of whom were randomly executed prior to the event, just as a warning to behave.

    The finance deal over the film fell through and Gast fought for 20 years to get rights over the film which he turned into "When We Were Kings", which is an interesting doco too. Not least for Norman Mailer & George Plimpton being a couple of know-all white guys filtering things through their eyes.

    BB King was stunning in that film. Hope Soul Power comes to the Palmie festival (if we get one).

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report

  • Island Life: Tune in, turn on, score…,

    Those others are aborted, when its detected. For some no big deal , for others to have an abortion may be a terrible experience

    Not always. If you're late having your scan, you may be too far along to abort. And then, while you're mulling over whether you're going to abort, because you know it's the sensible thing to do but the reality is much tougher than you thought, the baby dies. In this case, one has to give birth as usual, albeit induced. Ain't no picnic.

    The only up side is the vast amounts of drugs they're only too happy to provide :-)

    Manawatu • Since Jan 2008 • 494 posts Report

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