Posts by Don Christie
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Russell I am absolutely certain that was not your intention.
I do have a bee in my bonnet about people trying to keep things secret in NZ. Would it be a stretch to compare Andertons arrogance with that of the EBs?
I guess this will be a rare instance of disagreement. I wonder if that will persuade Tze Ming to come back?
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Glenn, your story and the one I discussed with Russell about his boys a while ago are terrifying and every parent's nightmare.
However, there have been a lot of scarey misleading statistics around this, many propagated by folks who should know better. Stand up Tony Ryall.
A lot of the side effects reported are potential side effects from *any* vaccination. I guess it depends on who is advising you on the day but I know when we were getting advice on vaccinations a few years back the potential for fuck up was clearly stated. It was again with MeNZB, in Wellington at least. I also think that maybe the information campaign here was better as a result of lessons learnt in Auckland (that's conjecture based on Glenn and Russell's comments).
The real question should be, is MeNZB *more* likely to cause side effects. Last time I read about the topic it seemed not to be the case.
Craig, apologies for having what must seem like "yet another go". I was actually thinking that it was Russell's column was a little sneering and condescending. I think is unfair on all those people that were sprayed and kept in the dark about what it was that was making them cough and giving them headaches.
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Oh, and welcome back Keith. You still have that z thing.
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You wouldn't be planning copyright infringement with that counter-culture operating system, would you, sonny?
Oh look, my queue.
Back on topic.
Even as the voices grow more shrill and the words more angry, people are becoming more cynical about the debate itself and the institutions responsible for it.
In some countries, such as the USA, this seems to be the point. Put voters off the debate, concentrate power in fewer hands.
Craig, it is spin to talk about "buying votes". The issue is, can money influence outcomes? The advertising industry would argue in favour and I think if you look at the number of folks that turned up for the EB demo's before and after various costly campaigns you would see it does have an effect.
The point is not whether the EFB restricts democratic freedoms
I would compare "personal freedom" versus "democratic rights". We all now that personal freedoms can impinge on other peoples' rights. Just because you can jump a red light and run over pedestrians does not mean you should be allowed to.
The balance we are arguing about is how much someone's personal freedom to drown out other voices should impinge on our democratic rights to have fair elections fee of the sort of influences that only money can buy.
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Not a precise analogy, but it was a lot like the MeNZB vaccine - do I think the MoH could have done a better job of informing parents
Actually that is what it was *not* a lot like. As a parent I was far happier with the information and consultation, very well attended meetings and patience shown by the Min of Health. I really struggle to see just what they *could* have done better.
I was also able to read other peoples' research, see what was peer reviewed, reputable and what was just Sue Kedgley shit.
The fact is the peoples' concern about the spray came from ignorance which was a position they were forced into by the Government. I think sneering at peoples fears when they are keep in the dark is a pretty weak position.
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The readiness of some of those who became involved in the spray protests to attribute any medical condition, in human or animal, to the spraying is quite staggering.
I don't. I think it is staggering that any government would consider spraying huge section of the population without telling them what the hell they were spraying them with.
That is mind numbingly bad.
Jim Anderton said on National Radio that the reason the ingredients were secret was because there was a patent on the formula. This statement makes Jim and MAF look even more stupid. The whole idea of a patent is that the formulas *do* become public but the owners of the patent still get to control who uses the formula. So strike that as a dumb-arse excuse.
Bart, thank you for that information it was enlightening. The only comment I would make is that there is usually a big difference in the toxicity of pesticides between the time of application and the time of consumption. Even organic ones. Apart from the length of time the ingredients are active most produce gets washed at the packing plants.
Folks, the farmers still control this country :-)
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When asked what Jesus would do about the death penalty
Sorting out the SNAG Jesus from the hell fire and brimstone Jesus is a tricky task. On the one hand he exhorts his flock to adhere to existing laws - which included the death penalty - but on the other you have the "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" approach.
I think some of it may be due to biblical rewrites suiting those in power, especially at the time Christians were in power and dropping books from the bible left right and centre. You see the trend in modern translations where "the poor" conveniently become "the poor in spirit".
Finally, on the subject of existing laws, was Judas the first recorded version of "its our fcuking money" when Jesus made his "render unto Caesar" sermon?
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Bart - completely agree about the backline
Well, that was the point of the French infringing. Slow the ball at the breakdown, stand off side, etc etc in the absolute certainty that the ref is not going to ping you then off course our backs are going to look flat footed.
Poor backline play has hardly been a noticeable feature of the ABs in the last couple of years.
The *big* mistake Henry made was in not persuading Tana Umaga to stick around for the RWC. God spare us another Cantab Captain, no matter how deserving.
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Noizy, I challenge you to find examples from Henry’s past (Blues, Wales, Lions) where he has learnt from past mistakes..
Well, I defy anyone to learn anything from Wales. But as for the other stuff...
When Henry (& Fitzy) were in charge of the Blues they were better than the ABs, although you would never get me to admit it at the time.
Lions lessons, well, his AB teams thrashed the Lions here as comprehensively as they have ever been beaten. And to be fair, his Lions tour of Australia was a very close one. Set a standard that Sir Woody conspicuously failed to hit.
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I'd call it a draw myself, and what a squalid game it is.
Would you? You always seem to quote hysteria where its existence is somewhat dubious. The BRT and EBs and Maxim etc. *did* spend copious amounts off money on electioneering in ways that were never very transparent.
In the mean time the hysteria comes from a newspaper that allows its writers to compare NZ and our elected PM to North Korea, Robert Mugabe, Victor Chavez, Stalin and worse.
Craig, your attempts at perspective are pathetic.