Posts by Tom Semmens
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My personal view on private schools is a simple one. I would simply abolish al state funding of them and aim to abolish them completely. In a society which supposedly values secularism in education and egalitarianism and merit in society, allowing those who can afford it to try and skew the playing from s early as possible makes no sense at all, and apart from the fig-leaf of "choice" I can't see any reason for private schools at all.
What is worse, the $35 million being wasted on private schools could cover the abolished TIA for women on the DPB, reverse the utter Philistinism of Anne Tolley's cuts to community education, restore the funding to the therapists mentioned above and there would still be plenty of change.
The money is there. But we have a government at the moment not for all New Zealanders, but of, and for, a particulary vengeful and spiteful minded "middle New Zealand" - a mindset the governments own Crosby-Textor propaganda has done much to create.
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It is a long time between drinks fo fans of teams like Hawkes Bay so one should savour the victories when they come!
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ZOMG! Hawke's Bay THRASHED Auckland 47-13! And they did by playing rugby, as opposed to whatever variant rugby league it is that Auckland insists on playing. The Magpies are just so jolly well drilled. They play a simple game called "rugby" where you plan to play in the other team's half, and take your opportunities when they present themselves.
Can anyone seriously doubt Peter Russell is rocketing towards contention as a possible Super 14 coaching - even eventually All Black - role? His players seem to have a brain, they play sensibly when sensibleness is the order of the day, and they play expansively when they sense opportunities, and if a little injury needs to be thrown they'll do it - and all the time they seem to be having FUN.
*sigh* I am happy.
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Was it just me or did Geoffrey Palmer sound like a grumpy old grandpa who had no idea what the kids were up to?
Snap! I was about to post the same thing. I was waiting for him to declare that it was shocking to see a young woman's ankle, deliberately flaunted!
His fuddy duddyness has a serious side though, because it indicate he is completely out of touch with modern society - which is dangerous considering he is charged with making suggestions on our liquor laws.
But I like the age split, it makes a lot of sense. I would also re-impose a ban on supermarket/superette liquor sales and restrict off-licence hours. But closing hours? 2am? I only go to town after eleven!
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It is pretty sad seeing erstwhile "liberal" National supporters like DPF and Craig here so quickly abandon there liberal credentials and become little more than lame apologists for Palinesque politics.
I think that since National appears to have adopted the comms strategy of the US Republican Party, they'll end up doing exactly what the GOP has done - become a party of anti-intellectual crazies that is wildly popular on NewsTalkZB but has completely alienated and disgusted anyone with the slightest liberal outlook or intelligence.
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the most anti-women government we've seen in a while...
You forget canning any attempt whatsoever at pay equity.
Coming soon: A pay war with the teachers and nurses, both female dominated professions. They will be painted as selfish and/or lazy people sucking on the public teat when out there in recession land the battlers in struggle street are lucky to even have a nine day fortnight!
looking at the tenor and comms strategy of this government and some of the rightwing blogsphere comments, which are devoid of reason or fact but long on the politics of resentment and bitterness, I am beginning to wonder if we've underestimated the impact and influence of the Fox-Limbaugh U.S. right on our own right wing in this country. Hooten would slot right into Fox News.
While they were in opposition, it seems they spent most of their time get angrier and angrier watching & believing everything they saw on Fox News.
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What would they prefer, that those three children live in abject poverty so these smug pricks can feel better about 'their tax dollars'?
Welcome to the new Victorian class war, complete with their deserving and undeserving poor as defined by them.
I think they would prefer the smug joy of walking along a row of dirt floored hovels, with filthy and snivelling urchins tugging the threadbare petticoats of downtrodden and beaten mothers, until they find a hovel where the dirt floor is swept and there are neither to many (slut!) or to few (unnatural!) children playing in the well tended vegetable patch.
Then they can declare that in the opinion of right thinking people like them this family - but just this one - is deserving of the state's charity.
The rest have, by there own slovenly and lazy habits, made themselves less deserving and possessing fewer rights than cattle.
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Listening to Hooten just now, I have ask - when did being a bully become a compulsory character trait in the right in this country? Hooten was disgraceful, shouting down and interrupting anyone who questions him.
Chris Trotter's final point - that there is strong class element in the right wing attacks on these women - is 100% true. Hooten, Bennett, and the rest of the right can barely disguise their contempt of beneficiaries.
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Yes, I am listening to Hooten - what a nasty little fucker he is.
I assume next time he criticises a Labour government on climate change he will be happy for the minister to release all his emails over the previous twenty years in relation to his role as a lobbyist for the tree growing people, whatever name they give themselves.
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With any luck, some lawyers willing to work for free will be in touch with these women, since things look bleak for the minister.
And of course, since this is something that is open in law to compensation, they could getting their funding after all - just from an entirely unexpected source.