Posts by Craig Ranapia
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I was entertained Craig how your response followed what I find to be a standard National Party line, particularly in the Key reign. "Intelligent debate", "less bureaucracy", "no hip hop tours" etc, but not actually any policy, when that's what was asked for.
Oh and how delightfully predictable that was, Kyle. Just for the record, can I engage in a discussion without having a detailed manifesto to hand? And could you in future shit-can the dopey innendo that I 'follow a standard National Party line' rather than expressing my own views in good faith?
To take a relatively mind example, could you make any sense of what the Education Ministry spokeswoman on Close Up last night was going on about? I find it very hard to engage with any policy debate - especially one as complex as education - when one side is having a fit of hysterical vapours, and the other is speaking utter gibberish.
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I'd love to know how you'd reform the education system. What would be the first policies in place should the Craig Ranapia First party be elected in 2008?
If anyone was stupid enough to make me Prime Minister, that would be pretty conclusive evidence that public education is a total waste of time. But a good start would be if every education policy debate wasn't framed as Apocalypse Now(-ish). It might also help detox things a bit if the Education Ministry, NZQA etc. required senior management and spokesmen to speak and write plain English rather than managerial gobbledeygook. Perhaps I'm an old crank, but Yes, Minister is a sublime politcal satire not a staff training video.
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to be sure, but given that this latest NIE on Iran is substantially different to that in 2005 it does suggest they have based this on what they believe to be good new intelligence.
Or to be quite cynical, Neil, Captiol Hill is also substantially different from what it was in 2005. And I have fairly reliable intelligence there will also be a new tenant at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in just over a year.
You can argue that if US intelligence agencies were half as good at intelligence as they are at domestic politiciking and prosecuting turf wars they'd be truly formidable.
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To hark right back to the beginning - couldn't agree more with this sentiment. I am so sick of hearing John Key/National/NZ Herald comparing us to Australia.
My point, Luke, was more that if you're stuck in a poorly resourced school with a barely competent teacher, it's pretty cold comfort to say "well, its worse in Australia." That may well be true - and I'm not saying looking at overseas successes and failures is a bad thing, as long as you don't think you can just pick up something that plays well in Broken Bottle, WA, drop it on Whykickamoocow High and expect to instantly get the same result. But I'd rather not see kids who don't get a second go at an education being used as lab rats, or reduced to a data point in a research paper.
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Not unexpectedly, the US administration is already lying about what it knew, when of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran
Also not unexpectedly, it turns out the 'intelligence community' isn't incapable of organising a gang-bang at a sex addicts' convention after all - as long as they're saying what you want to hear.
Plus ca change and all that?
My favourite comment on the NIE comes from a reader of Andrew Sullivan's:
PHEW. The CIA say Iran's not building a bomb. They're just enriching uranium. I feel SO much better.
QFT.
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Well, the new PISA survey is out and one would hope that it might at least briefly quell the clamorous cringeing that normally passes for public commentary on our education system.
Well, there's still plenty to cringe about - and with all due respect, I don't give a shit about Australia. But it's also fair enough to give credit where credit's due.
To get old fashioned for a moment, could I offer the following grade: "B. N. Zealand has made real progress this term, and is performing well compared to the rest of the class in several subject areas, but still has problem areas that need attention."
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And another gem from the Greens PR:
“The attacks on campaign finance reform around the world are always done under the guise of protecting free speech. But free speech is still alive and well in Canada and the UK, which both have adopted more stringent rules than those proposed in the Electoral Finance Bill.
Perhaps not the best time to be holding up the UK as a paragon of corruption-free electoral finance and free speech?
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Meanwhile, there are times when I really have to wonder whether politicians bother reading their press releases.
This gem from The Greens: **Business Roundtable member behind attack on reform**
A member of the Business Roundtable is behind the marches against campaign finance reform says the Green Party. The man paying an organiser to run the marches against the Electoral Finance Bill, John Boscawen, is a member of the Business Roundtable, as well as a former Act Party fundraiser.
FFS, and folks wonder why people like me wonder if supporters of the EFB have some serious paranoia issues that should be dealt with in a therapeutic environment rather than legislation? This is as pathetic as ACT putting out a press release darkly muttering that supporters of the EFB have links to (gasp!) unions, and left-wing parties or lobby groups.
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BTW, I thought Bill Clinton used some awful Fleetwood Mac song?
Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow) - gag. Though if the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire don't turn back Hillary's way PDQ she might be singing Tusk on street corners a lot in future:
Why don't you ask him if hes going to stay?
Why don't you ask him if hes going away?
Why don't you tell me whats going on?
Why don't you tell me who's on the phone?
Why don't you ask him whats going on?
Why don't you ask him who's the latest on his throne?Dont say that you love me!
Just tell me that you want me!
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its probably hard to find a catchy yet inspirational song about being meanspirited and looking out mostly for yourself.
*sigh* And when was the last time you tried dancing to The Intenationale, cherub? If you'll excuse me, I've got to go lay down the groundsheets for tonight's National Party branch meeting-slash-Black Mass. Otherwise it's impossible to get the baby blood and sulfur out of the carpet...
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